The DHL Stormers are up against the Toyota Cheetahs on the weekend, after narrowly beating the Vodacom Bulls this past weekend. They will be feeling the pinch of a bad run of lineout steals against them by the Bulls, but they have laid down a serious marker in beating the Bulls and again going Top of the South African Confernce, from where they have an excellent chance of winning the Conference.
They want to show serious intent on attack against the Cheetahs and score some tries, a thing which has been worryingly few and far between.
A number of their key players have stepped up nicely in 2015, none more so probably than Damian de Allende, who is being touted as the logical Springbok inside centre option at the Rugby World Cup, should Jean de Villiers not recover properly in time for the big showpiece. Duane Vermeulen is another key Stormers player and captain, and it appears that he is somewhat frustrated by the enforced Springbok rest schedule, agreed to between SARU, Springbok Management and the South African Super Rugby franchises.
Lionel Mapoe
The high-flying Emirates Lions are running the risk of being without one of their star players, Springbok training squad member Lionel Mapoe.
Mapoe is struggling with a knee injury and is in a race against time to be fit for his team’s trans-Jukskei Super Rugby derby with the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann said that for the most part his team suffered only “bumps and bruises” in their 34 / 29 win over the Cheetahs last week.
However, the centre, Mapoe, remains a concern.
Ackermann said they will give him till Thursday’s team announcement before making a call on his availability.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann says centre Lionel Mapoe would be a valuable asset to the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup later this year.
The midfielder has been on song for the Lions in Super Rugby this year and his form has been recognised by Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, who included him in both Bok training squads named over the weekend.
“If you’re looking for an outside centre with X-factor, then Lionel is definitely your man,” said Ackermann.
“In terms of enterprise, you don’t need to look any further than him and Juan de Jongh (Stormers centre) as your candidates for the No 13 jersey. Lionel’s performances in this (2015) Super Rugby competition have been outstanding and it’s notable how hard he’s worked on his conditioning.
While the top teams in the North and South Sections have all but secured their places in the Vodacom Cup quarter-finals, home ground advantage in the playoffs is still up for grabs as the pool phase nears its end.
In the North Section, the Xerox Golden Lions, Steval Pumas and Vodacom Blue Bulls occupy the Top 3 positions and have opened up a gap between them and the chasing group. They will feature in the quarters, with the 2 sides from Gauteng looking likely to host matches in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
The 4th position could go to anyone of the Down Touch Griffons, Leopards XV, Hino Valke or even the FNB Welwitschias, which is making Friday’s match in Windhoek between the Namibians and the East Randers vital.
On Saturday, the Leopards XV host the Down Touch Griffons in Hartbeesfontein and the loser of that match will struggle to make the Top 4.
The South Section is just as congested at the top, but DHL Western Province, as 1 of only 2 unbeaten teams left in the competition, should have enough to host a quarter-final. They travel to Bloemfontein this weekend to take on the 3rd-placed Toyota Free State XV.
2nd-placed GWK Griquas, the defending champions, have a tough assignment in Pietermaritzburg against the Cell C Sharks XV, currently in 5th position. Nothing but a win will be enough for the KwaZulu-Natalians to keep alive their aspirations of reaching the playoffs and they will be a dangerous opponent for the team from the Northern Cape.
A win for the SWD Eagles over the Border Bulldogs in Albertinia will go a long way in pushing their cause to reach the Top 4 in the South Section, while the EP Kings and Boland Cavaliers will have similar hopes when they clash in Cirtusdal. Both these matches take place on Saturday afternoon.
Cadeyrn Neville
The Reds have signed Melbourne Rebels lock Cadeyrn Neville for 2 years, as they look to find a replacement for the departing James Horwill.
The 26-year-old will join the Reds at the conclusion of the 2015 Super Rugby season, whilst Horwill makes is way north to join Premiership side Harlequins after the the World Cup.
Originally from Manly in Sydney and a former rower with the Australian Institute of Sport, Neville has spent the past 4 seasons in Melbourne and played more than 40 Super Rugby games for the Rebels.
At 2.02m and 123kg, Reds head coach Richard Graham believes the developing Neville will make a suitable replacement for departing Wallabies lock Horwill.
Toulon’s Australian star back Matt Giteau admits rivals Clermont are the favourites for the all-French European Champions Cup Final on Saturday, but he adds the 2-time defending champions won’t give up their crown easily.
The 32-year-old said Clermont deserved to be favourites because they were the best side this season – both in Europe and domestically – in what is a rematch of the 2013 Final, which Toulon won.
“Clermont are a wonderful team,” said Giteau, whose form looks set to earn him a recall to the Australian national side after the Australian Rugby Union relaxed its rules on players playing abroad.
“For me, they are even the best team this year,” continued Giteau, who if he stays fit is likely to reach the 100 cap mark later in the year as he was just 8 short when he was surprisingly dropped for the 2011 World Cup and subsequently moved to Toulon.
Tim Nanai-Williams
Samoa have named an enlarged 58-man playing squad which includes Chiefs back Tim Nanai-Williams who is pushing for his eligibility through the Sevens loophole.
Nanai-Williams has been included but will need to play in at least 2 Rounds of the Sevens World Series for Samoa to be eligible for next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and Rugby World Cup in England later this year.
Other notable inclusions in the squad are Newcastle flyer Sinoti Sinoti, Bordeaux’s Peter Saili, Sharks’ Paul Perez, former Stormer and current Wasps wing Sailosi Tagicakibau, Alesana Tuilagi – brother of Manu, former Waratahs wing Alofa Alofa and Hurricanes centre Reynold Lee Lo.
David Smith
Joe Rokocoko
Rene Ranger
Toulon try-machine David Smith, All Black legend Joe Rokocoko and New Zealand centre Rene Ranger will provide the firepower for the Barbarians against Ireland and England next month.
Smith, Rokocoko and Ranger were on Tuesday confirmed as the latest players who have accepted invitations to join Robbie Deans’s squad for games against Ireland at Thomond Park on 28 May and an England XV at Twickenham on 31 May.
The Barbarians celebrate their 125th anniversary this year and former Australia head coach Deans is assembling a group that will maintain the attacking traditions of the world famous invitation side.
Sam Johnson (left) and Greg Peterson will be joining Glasgow Warriors next season
Glasgow Warriors have signed Australian centre Sam Johnson from the Reds and USA international lock Greg Peterson from Leicester Tigers, with the duo set to be at Scotstoun until at least May 2017.
Both players have signed 2-year contracts with the Guiness PRO12 side, subject to visas and medicals.
21-year-old Johnson 1st played schoolboy rugby for Australia ‘A’ after winning the Associated Independent Colleges competition with St Edmund’s College in 2011.
He played Rugby League for the Gold Coast Titans Under 20’s after school, before returning to Rugby Union at the end of 2013, when he joined the Reds wider training squad and returned to his former club GPS.
It’s PUB NIGHT again…
The heading suggests we talk about music and not about the weekend’s rugby, unless you’re a Stormer or a Lion of course… hehehe
Notwithstanding the rugby results, I think we can say that it was a good rugby weekend anyway!
The Stormers are back in the lead in the SA Conference, the Bulls only 1 Log Point behind them and the Lions are knocking hard on the door for the play-offs.
One derby saw marvelous running rugby in a fast-paced game, the other a quality and hard-fought battle between old foes. Good on Ya all!
This next weekend, Super Rugby will continue, 2 games on Friday and 5 games on Saturday.
I guess this makes for a few good discussions!
It is time to straddle a bar stool and order a drink or 2.
Let’s focus on the PUB tonight…. the idea with PUB NIGHT is to lighten up our dull Tuesday evenings with music, comedy and fun.
Rugby takes a backseat tonight as the clan and fellow rugby nutters gather and wheel in their old friends…
Read the rules below carefully, or you WILL get burnt!
Just for clarity sake, when someone does not adhere to the Rules of the PUB, EVERYBODY jumps on them and pummels them, right… understood?
Here’s how it works:
Bismarck du Plessis
The Cell C Harks website reports that Bismarck du Plessis returns to the Cell C Sharks this weekend after serving a period of time away from the game, but, by his own noble request, will not be selected as captain for the match against the Highlanders.
“The situation is this,” explains Director of Rugby Gary Gold: “Bismarck has shown incredible humility about his personal situation over the past month and he feels that he just wants to get back into the Cell C Sharks team and make as big an impact as he can.
SANZAR has announced the names of the Match Officials for Round 12 of the 2015 Super Rugby season.
There are once again 7 matches on the weekend, and only 1 team will on a BYE weekend, the Reds.
The Weekend sees 2 matches on Friday 1 May and 5 matches on Saturday 2 May.
On Friday referee Angus Gardner kicks off the action in the game between the Highlanders vs Cell C Sharks in Dunedin, at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 07:35 GMT), followed by the Brumbies vs Waratahs clash in Canberra at 11:40 SA Time (19:40 AEST, 09:40 GMT) which will be controlled by Glen Jackson.
On Saturday the action starts early, at 07:30 SA Time (17:30 NZ Time, 15:30 AEST, 13:30 AWST, 05:30 GMT), with Ben O’Keeffe at the helm in the game between the Blues vs Western force in Auckland. This is followed by another match in New Zealand, at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 07:35 GMT) with the Hurricanes hosting the Crusaders in Wellington, with Mike Fraser in charge of the whistle.
In Australia at 11:40 SA Time (19:40 AEST, 21:40 NZ Time, 09:40 GMT), referee Andrew Lees will officiate in the game between the Melbourne Rebels vs Chiefs, in Melbourne.
2 Mouthwatering derbies follow on South African soil, with the Toyota Cheetahs hosting the DHL Stormers in Bloemfontein at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT), where Craig Joubert will be in charge of procedings, followed by the final Round 12 game in Protoria where the Vodacom Bulls host their trans-jukskei rivals, the Emirates Lions at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT) with Marius van der Westhuizen will wield the whistle.
Eben Etzebeth
Steven Kitshoff
The DHL Stormers look likely to travel to Bloemfontein for their Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Toyota Cheetahs without star forwards Eben Etzebeth and Steven Kitshoff.
Etzebeth is due a rest related to the agreement between the South African Rugby Union and franchise chief executives, and after playing 4 consecutive games, this is the time to do it.
Kitshoff has started every one of the 10 games that the Stormers have played this season and coach Allister Coetzee has for a while now been talking about the need to manage him, particularly now that the Stormers’ participation in the play-off stages is starting to look more likely.
“It will be a good thing to give Kitshoff a bit of a breather and get him ready for the rest of the competition,” said Coetzee.
Deon Stegmann
Dean Greyling
The Vodacom Bulls, need a complete rethink of their game approach and selection criteria, after a loss on the weekend against the DHL Stormers once again exposed why the Bulls will keep struggling.
The answer is simple… scrum penalties are destrying Bulls chances left, right and centre – and 1 prop in particular, Dean Greyling, cost the Bulls the difference between a win and a loss on the weekend.
No less than 9 easy penalty points can directly be ascribed to Dean Greyling’s inability to scrum correctly and legally. It is not a new thing either, he has picked up a plethera of scrum penalties in the last number of seasons and his general scrumming technique at loosehead prop has always been severely flawed. He is simply put, a scrumming liability, and is exploited at scrum time week after week by every Tom, Dick and Harry who plays against him!
Dean picked up 4 crucial scrum penalties on the weekend, but Marcel van der Merwe also picked up an additional 3 scrum penalties. That means 7 scrum penallties, which were either put into points against the Bulls or which robbed them of valuable possession and territory.
In anybody’s book, bar maybe in the crumpled “Book of Fools & Favourites” of Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, it is seen as a HUGE problem!
Things looked radically better in the 2nd half, when Morné Mellett was at loosehead prop and Trevor Nyakane at tighthead prop.
In addition to the clear prop and scrumming conundrum at the Bulls, one needs to start questioning the validity of continuing with Deon Stegmann at openside flank, as he is also a huge penalty offender! When Lappies Labuschagne replaced Stegmann at openside flank and Arno Botha replaced Jacques du Plessis at blindside flank, the Bulls suddenly entered their most productive and least penalized period of the match and the ground ball and breakdown situation control swung nicely in favour of the Bulls, so much so that the Bulls effectively ‘WON’ the 2nd half battle on the scoreboard, by 10 points to 3 and coming within a whisker of stealing the honours at the end of the game.
If these basic and fundamental aspects are not fixed, and immediately so, one can already start writing “Also-Runs 2015” on the shirt of every Bulls player and on every Bulls supporter’s jersey, alongside that tag which is already emblazened there for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014!
Luke Jones
Telusa Veainu
The Melbourne Rebels are hopeful that Wallaby lock Luke Jones and powerhouse wing Telusa Veainu will be in contention for selection this week against the Chiefs.
Jones missed the narrow defeat against the Waratahs on Saturday due to a delayed concussion.
While the Club expects Jones to be available, they will prioritise his wellbeing alongside teammate Telusa Veainu, who sustained a head knock in a Man Of The Match performance for Melbourne Unicorns in Round 5 of the Dewar Shield.
The battle for the inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday won’t just be a European affair, but a truly global occasion.
Between them the 2 finalists, RC Toulon and ASM Clermont Auvergne, boast an amazing 52 international players from 13 different countries.
Between them the 2 32-man squads have 1,838 Test caps.
Leading the way are the back-to-back champions, RC Toulon, with a massive 1,189, including 100-plus cappers in Bryan Habana and Martin Castrogiovanni.
Clermont, who lost to their Top 14 rivals in the 2013 Final in Dublin, have 649.
It was a weekend of drama and excitement in South Africa as the DHL Stormers moved to the Top of the local Super Rugby Conference and the Emirates Lions kept alive their dream of reaching the Top 6.
The Emirates Lions beat the Toyota Cheetahs by 34 / 29 in an 8-try humdinger on Saturday afternoon to record their 6th victory of the season, making 2015 their 2nd best yet but with 6 Rounds to go.
Last year, the Emirates Lions finished with 7 wins, 2 better than their 5 from 2007, but they are on track to better their best in the coming weeks.
The Toyota Cheetahs also deserve a lot of credit for never giving up as they returned to Bloemfontein with 2 bonus points.
The 2nd local match on Saturday delivered heaps of drama and the result was in the balance right until the end, but the DHL Stormers hung on for their 2nd victory over the Vodacom Bulls this season as they won by 15 / 13.
The visitors from Pretoria scored the only try of the match when Bjorn Basson went over early in the 2nd half, but the match-clinching moment came at the death when Duane Vermeulen charged down an attempted drop-goal by Handré Pollard to lead his side to their 7th win of the season.
The Top 3 teams in the North Section of the Vodacom Cup have all but secured their playoff spots, but the South Section is still wide open with only 2 rounds of pool action remaining.
2 Of the Xerox Golden Lions, Steval Pumas and Vodacom Blue Bulls will host Quarter-Finals this year, with the 2 teams from Gauteng in the inside lane as they have 1 game in hand.
The Steval Pumas finished their pool obligations with a solid 28 / 22 win over the Hino Valke in Nelspruit on Friday evening and the Xerox Golden Lions trounced the Leopards XV by 63 / 10 in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.
1 Of the Down Touch Griffons, who recorded a good 40 / 28 win over the Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls in Welkom on Saturday, Leopards XV and Hino Valke will probably take the remaining place in the playoffs in their section, but mathematically the FNB Welwitschias and Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls can also still sneak in.
DHL Western Province, who beat GWK Griquas by 21 / 14 in a replay of the 2012 final in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon, are now the only unbeaten team left in the South Section.
The Toyota Free State XV and SWD Eagles both recorded good away victories this weekend, over the Border Bulldogs in East London (14 / 10) and the EP Kings in Port Elizabeth (31 / 10) respectively.
The teams from Bloemfontein and George are looking like the likely candidates to progress to the Quarter-Finals, although the Cell C Sharks’ big win over the Boland Cavaliers in Empangeni (52 / 12) means they can’t be written off yet.
Ian Prior
The SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Nigel Hampton QC has accepted a guilty plea from Ian Prior of the Force for contravening Law 10.4 (j) Lifting Tackle, after he was sent off following a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
Prior has been suspended from all forms of the game for 3 weeks up to and including Sunday 17 May 2015.
The incident occurred in the 28th minute of the match between the Chiefs and Force at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on 24 April 2015.
SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Nigel Hampton QC assessed the case.
James Broadhurst
James Broadhurst of the Hurricanes has been issued with a Citing Commissioner Warning for contravening Law 10.4 (g) Dangerous charging, during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
The incident occurred in the 50th minute of the match between the Reds and Hurricanes played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 26 April 2015.
A Citing Commissioner Warning may be issued by the SANZAR Citing Commissioner for foul play incidents that are very close to, but in his opinion do not meet the red card threshold for citings.
Upon further review of the match footage the Citing Commissioner deemed a Citing Commissioner Warning was appropriate.
Richie McCaw, struggling to get up
All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw is “unlikely” to feature for the Crusaders in Saturday’s Super Rugby show down with the Hurricanes.
The Crusaders flanker was concussed in his team’s 14-point win over the Blues in Round 11 and will undergo tests over the coming days to determine his availability for the game against the competition leaders.
But Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said no risks would be taken, and with the World Cup 4 months away, McCaw is likely to be given a week off.
“If he’s not right, there’s no way he will play, Richie,” Blackadder said.
Cheslin Kolbe
Springbok coach, Heyneke Meyer, has announced 2 sets of 44 players to participate in training camps in May and June in Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively.
The squads include a total of 19 uncapped players, including rising stars Jesse Kriel, Vincent Koch, Cheslin Kolbe and Bongi Mbonami.
Reds (12) 19 / 35 (20) Hurricanes (Final Score)
The Reds and Hurricanes did battle in Super Rugby at
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 08:05 SA Time (16:05 AEST, 18:05 NZ Time, 06:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
Stormers (12) 15 / 13 (3) Bulls (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls did battle in Super Rugby at
DHL Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Lions (7) 34 / 29 (10) Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Emirates Lions and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Waratahs (13) 18 / 16 (3) Rebels (Final Score)
The Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels did battle in Super Rugby at
ANZ Stadium, Sydney at 11:55 SA Time (19:55 AEST, 09:55 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
Crusaders (17) 29 / 15 (10) Blues (Final Score)
The Crusaders and Blues did battle in Super Rugby at
AMI Stadium, Christchurch at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 07:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
Ian Prior
Ian Prior of the Western Force received a Red Card for a tip-tackle on Tim Nanai-Williams during a Super Rugby match against the Chiefs on Friday.
Prior dumped Nanai-Williams in a tackle that saw the Chiefs wing land on his neck and head, in an incident that occurred in the 28th minute of the match at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.
He is alleged to have contravened Law 10.4 (j) Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and / or upper body come into contact with the ground.
The case is to be ruled by SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Nigel Hampton.
Eddie Jones
The Japanese Rugby Football Union (JRFU) has announced that its national coach, Eddie Jones, will also serve as Director of Rugby at the new Super Rugby team that will enter the competition in 2016.
Jones, who has served as head coach of Japan since 2012, will head up rugby operations to create a stretagic plan for the team’s development whilst the JRFU is still to announce its plans for a head coach, or what shape its football department will take.
Following his appointment, Jones said, “Super Rugby is an extremely important challenge for Japan rugby. It will enable us to evolve from the Japan Rugby Top League to the test level through the fierce Super Rugby competition.
“It will bring many Japanese players an opportunity to play international rugby on a regular basis. I feel a big responsibility and a great honor for becoming the first Director of Rugby and, above all, look forward to be able to set up a team with those who represent Japan rugby for both management and players.
Gary Gold
The Sharks Director of Rugby, Gary Gold has selected a 27-member squad that departs, this Saturday, for the Australasian leg of Vodacom Super Rugby tournament.
Commenting on the squad selected and the tour, Gary Gold said: “I have gone for 15 forwards and 12 backs, my selection was based on who is fit and healthy, but the nice thing is that there are a lot of guys who can play in different positions.
“We are looking forward to this tour. Tours are funny things, I’ve seen teams in far worse positions than us fight to get back and we not giving up the fight. I believe in this group of guys and I am keen to work with them in adverse times – that’s when you see true warriors come out.
“That’s our challenge: we are down but we’re not out and now is the time to stand up and fight back. If we come back fighting in the last six games, we’ll salvage a lot of respect”, he added.
Rob Simmons
James Slipper
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has locked away 2 key members of the Wallabies’ forward pack – re-signing the experienced Reds duo James Slipper and Rob Simmons.
The signatures of the 2 talented tight forwards are significant for the future of Australia.
Slipper agreed to a new 3-year deal, through until the end of 2018, while Simmons has also inked a multi-year extension – through until the end of 2017.
Despite his young age of just 25, Slipper and Simmons, 27, have already accumulated a combined 113 Tests between them for Australia.
Both also hold leadership positions at either the Wallabies or Reds.
Slipper and Simmons, who were announced earlier this year as the captain and vice-captain of the Reds, grew up playing together on the Gold Coast at the Southport School.
Brumbies (31) 31 / 18 (6) Highlanders (Final Score)
The Brumbies and Highlanders did battle in Super Rugby at
GIO Stadium, Canberra at 11:55 SA Time (19:55 AEST, 21:55 NZ Time, 09:55 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
Chiefs (23) 35 / 27 (8) Force (Final Score)
The Chiefs and Western Force did battle in Super Rugby at
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 15:35 AWST, 07:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
It is Round 11 of Super Rugby 2015 this weekend.
There are 2 games on Friday 24 April, 4 games on Saturday 25 April and 1 game on Sunday 26 April.
The Cell C Sharks have a BYE weekend.
There are 2 lip-licking South African derbies on the weekend, between the Emirates Lions vs Toyota Cheetahs as well as between the DHL Stormers vs Vodacom Bulls, and no South African side is on tour at the moment.
There are no more unbeaten sides left in the tournament, since the Hurricanes lost against the Waratahs last weekend.
On Friday, the Chiefs host the Western Force in Hamilton at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 15:35 AWST, 07:35 GMT) before the Brumbies host the Highlanders in a slightly later match than usual due to the Anzac Day Centenary celebrations, in Canberra, at 11:55 SA Time (19:55 AEST, 21:55 NZ Time, 09:55 GMT).
On Saturday morning the Crusaders host the Blues in Christchurch at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 07:35 GMT), whereafter the Waratahs host the Melbourne Rebels in Sydney at 11:55 SA Time (19:55 AEST, 09:55 GMT).
Over to South Africa and next up, at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT), the Emirates Lions host the Toyota Cheetahs in Johannesburg, before the DHL Stormers host the Vodacom Bulls in Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
On Sunday morning at 08:05 SA Time (16:05 AEST, 18:05 NZ Time, 06:05 GMT) the Reds host the high-flying Hurricanes side in the last game of the Round.
The game between the Chiefs and Western Force should see the Chiefs aesily beating the Force whereas the game between the Brumbies and Highlanders a bit later on Friday is extremely difficult to call.
On Saturday one would suspect that the Crusaders will beat the Blues but the Crusaders seem to be on the downhill slope, whereas the Blues seem to be improving.
The Waratahs should take care of the Melbourne Rebels.
The Emirates Lions should have too much firepower and also too much depth for the struggling Cheetahs side but the duzy of the weekend between the DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls is another difficult one to predict for, however if this year’s prior form is anything to go by, the Stormers should have this one in the bag.
The Hurricanes should beat the struggling Reds in Brisbane on Sunday… and convincingly so, as the Reds have truly been diabollically bad in 2015!
All eyes will be on Diamantveld High School in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon when the only 2 unbeaten teams left in the South Section of the Vodacom Cup clash in a replay of the 2012 final.
GWK Griquas, the defending champions, host DHL Western Province in a highly-anticipated clash at Diamantveld.
Both these sides are unbeaten after 4 matches and their performances have been very similar thus far, with a points’ difference of 69 for the visitors from Cape Town and 70 for the home team. DHL Western Province top the South Section log on 19 points though, with GWK Griquas 2nd on 18.
The high-flying SWD Eagles will be looking for their 1st away win of the season after already beating the Cell C Sharks XV and Toyota Free State XV in George, when they travel up the N2 to take on the EP Kings at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Meanwhile, the Cell C Sharks XV, at home in Empangeni to the Boland Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon, will be looking to reverse a 3-match losing streak when they travel north up the coast.
In the North Section, the Xerox Golden Lions will retake the lead at the top of the standings if they can beat the Leopards XV at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.
Current log leaders, the Vodacom Blue Bulls, have a BYE and can slip back to 3rd position if the Steval Pumas record a convincing victory over the Hino Valke at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Friday evening.
This week, we’re looking at former SA Under 20 speedster Sergeal Petersen, who is now with the Toyota Free State XV, after making his mark for the EP Kings. We also look at Xerox Golden Lions loose forward Ruaan Lerm.