SupeRugby PreJudgement: Crusaders v Sharks

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The Sharks take on the Crusaders in Nelson on Saturday to break a hoodoo that borders on the impossible. The Sharks have never beaten the Crusaders in a 'home' game in 15 years. The Crusaders have never lost a home knock-out game in their history. Record Breakers or Record Holders?                                                

What motivates these teams in the Knock Outs?

With the qualifiers and wild cards sorted I am taking a little look at the past and what it really means for the teams in the next few weeks. Besides the Trophy and money, the international selection for each player, these teams have either won it or come second, besides the table toppers, the Reds. They want it and they want it bad! All the following stats exclude Super 10 (Pre-SANZAR).

The Reds:

There is no doubting that they are having the best season in their history. Coach Ewen McKenzie has been working his magic for them since late 2009 and it seems to be paying dividends...but for how long? There half back pairing has been the main focus this season as Will Genia and Quade Cooper have been destroying the opposition. The have finished top this season and have earned a week off. The Reds have been losing semi finalists three times in their history, the last being in 2001, and will be looking to cap a top of the log season off with the trophy.

The Stormers:

It is great to see that they have built on their good performance from last year. They are looking much better and their combinations and depth will help. They have lacked the deadly finishing of Bryan Habana but they have been able to cope without him... and he aint done yet. They look solid up front and look deadly out wide... Cape Town has been patiently waiting for this trophy for some time. Losing finalist in 2010, they will be looking to go one better and have set themselves up perfectly for it.

The Crusaders:

The seven time champions have made it into the knock out stages...yet again. Their experience on this end of the tournament will be crucial to them making the final. The have had by far the most disruptive and emotional season ever and their is no doubt that they will want to prove to everyone that they can overcome it and win this tournament, not only for themselves but in memory of all those who lost their lives in that tragic earthquake. They have produced some of the best running rugby this season and will have to thank their powerhouse forwards for that clean ball. Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Sonny Bill Williams and Robbie Fruean     are all desperate for this.

The Blues:

They dominated in the first two years but since then have played second fiddle to the Crusaders. They have turned their season around and will be looking to take their forward momentum and capitalise. The have struggled at fly half but Stephen Brett seems to be settling nicely with Luke McAlister  outside him. Jarred Payne and Kevin Mealamu have both had solid seasons. With three wins and one runner up they will be looking to win and start challenging the Crusaders.

The Waratahs:

Two times runners up, the Sydney based Waratahs have sneaked into the knock out phases of the tournament. Fair enough they needed some results to go their way but they're in and are going to show their true fight now. They have been playing second fiddle to the Brumbies in the Australian SupeRugby pissing contest and we all know how big that rivalry is. With the nerves of the last week gone and the focus of the Blues this weekend who knows what they will dish up.

The Sharks:

They did their utmost to finish seventh this season after a great start. Eventually head coach John Plumtree knocked some sense into the players and they sneaked into the wildcard spot, I just don't think sneaked is the correct word here. If ever the Durban boys needed any motivation or belief they got it last weekend against the Bulls. They have a solid team with a few of the bigger names only coming into their own now. The young shoulders of Pat Lambie have been carrying this team the entire season. They will never forget and will be looking to make amends for their last minute loss to the Bulls in 2007. If they are to do it they are going to take the toughest road traveled as they won't be playing at home again this season.

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SupeRugby Round 15 Prejudgement:

15 Weeks into the 2011 SupeRugby tournament and we still can't clearly see who's our top six will be. Eight teams are playing for these six places and and two look guaranteed, The Reds and Stormers. The interesting fight is coming from the Bulls, Sharks, Highlanders and Waratahs. Anyone who slips up could see the dream slipping up too. There is no doubt that the Sharks are under serious pressure and the Highlanders need to rejuvenate their season. The Bulls are looking awesome and the 'Tahs are slowly but surely sneaking in. This week is crucial.

Hurricanes v Force (Palmerston North)
The Hurricanes have come from a weeks rest and will be looking to secure only their 4th win of the season. They are languishing at the bottom of the NZ conference and a bonus point win will take them level with the Chiefs (who have a bye). The Force are missing James O'Connor but will be looking to secure a good away win against their NZ counterparts. Look out for Sam Wykes and Hosea Gear. South African born Mark Swanepoel will be starting at 9 for the Force.
PreJudgement: Hurricanes by 5

Highlanders v Lions (Dunedin)
The Highlanders must be licking their lips ahead of this encounter, I just don't think that it will be that easy for them. The Lions have shuffled their backline around a bit and have an awesome mix of youth and experience. The Highlanders have however got great players and leaders in key positions if you look at Cowan, Thomson and Mackintosh. Watch out for those three as well as Taute, Vermaak and Strauss for the Lions.
PreJudgement: Highlanders by 4

Brumbies v Stormers (Canberra)
Wow, am I looking forward to this game. There has been an interesting shuffle in the centres as Johann Sadie gets dropped for Jaque Fourie, and Jean de Villiers is on the bench. There are still a few worries at flyhalf but we all saw how well Dewaldt Duvenhage handled that last week, should he be required to move there. The battle will be upfront but the backline is going to reap the rewards of this game. Keep an eye on Christian Lealiifano, Juan de Jongh and Nick Koster at 8th man.
PreJudgement: Stormers by 13

Sharks v Waratahs (Durban)
A must win for both teams. The Sharks desperately need to win and the Waratahs will be looking to put the south Africans to bed early. Its the Waratahs first game in South Africa so it will be interesting to see how they will go for the full 80 minutes. I have not been particularly blown away by the Waratahs play latley but they are sneaking up the log. Look out for Beale, Mvovo and Daniel.
PreJudgement: Sharks by 4

Bulls v Cheetahs (Pretoria)
I would like to base this on the fact that the Cheetahs are the Bulls' bogey team but sheesh the Bulls are looking hot (It really pains me to say that). The Bulls will be looking to keep the pressure on the Sharks, Highlanders and Waratahs and walk away with 5 points here. The Cheetahs have been awesome of late and the Ebersohn twins have been great to watch. This could be a gem of a game. Awesome to see Dustin Jinka on the bench for the Bulls! We used to play at the same club together...we were only separated by about 16 teams...but it was the same club!
PreJudgement: Bulls by 3

Reds v Crusaders (Brisbane)
The Reds can't be bumped off top spot this week but they sure as hell are going to be tested this Sunday. Brisbane must be about to boil over in anticipation of this clash. The Crusaders are pretty much fielding a full strength team and the Reds are looking good too but I am yet to find a teamsheet for Sundays game. Keep an eye out for Sonny Bill Williams, Richie McCaw and Kieran Read. The Reds will need Genia, Cooper and Ioane to fire on all cylinders.
PreJudgement: Crusaders by 4

SupeRugby Round 12 Recap:

There were no real surprises in this past weeks results. The Cheetahs came out and smashed the daylights out of the Lions, I did think the Lions would challenge more and possibly win it. Other than that it was business as usual for most of the teams and for the first time in a while the Highlanders fall out of play off contention.

• The Hurricanes narrowly lost to the Blues in the opening game to Round 12. The Hurricanes looked a lop sharper than the usual rubbish they have been producing. An extremely hard and tough game and I think the Hurricanes might be turning the corner here...Lets see how they fare against the Highlanders in Round 13. Blues winning 17-11
• The Reds took all the points against the Rebels but the latter showed that you could unsettle the Reds team. It was never a cut and dry type of a win for the Reds as you always seemed to think the Rebels could pull one back. 12 kicking points missed by the Rebels changes things a bit. Reds winning 33-18
• The Cheetahs absolutely destroyed the Lions team on Friday night. Five tries scored by the visiting team and fullback Riaan Viljoen with a 3 tries earns him player of the week. The Lions were completely outplayed and looked extremely poor. Coach John Mitchell will no doubt run them into the ground this week. A serious miss on my Round 12 PreJudgement as I took a chance with the Lions. Cheetahs winning 53-19
• The Chiefs won what was always going to be a tough game for both the teams. The Highlanders have however been lacking some impetus in the past few weeks and it seems they are running out of gas for the end part of the season. The Chiefs are still 10 points behind the Highlanders but will no doubt be trying to catch them in the next few weeks. After this coming weekend they have 4 games left and 1 bye. Could they make the play offs? Chiefs winning 20-7 
• Waratahs fought hard for a win against the Force. It was a close game well fought out by both teams. I PreJudged a draw in this game and wasn't far off. The Waratahs needed the win to slip into the Wildcard section of the tournament. Great game to watch and a true derby game. Waratahs winning 20-15
• The game of the weekend was won by the visitors at Newlands on Saturday. The Crusaders won this tough game with some awesome skill from Sonny Bill Williams and 2 tries from prop Wyatt Crockett. Neither the Stormers or the Crusaders are in danger of missing out on qualification for the playoffs but how will this affect the Stormers now that they travel? Crusaders winning 20-14
• The Sharks did not slip up against the Brumbies as most people had predicted. An emphatic bonus point win has given the Durban based side the momentum again to push forward for the next 4 games. They are on a bye this week, then its 4 games on the trot to finish up. Sharks winning 34-16

WTF of the Week: Peter de Villiers stupid comments regarding SBW (Read Here)
Team of the Week: Cheetahs
Player of the Week: Riaan Viljoen (Cheetahs)

SupeRugby Round 10 PreJudgement:

With two top local derbies that influence a lot in the competition, Saturday is going to be a cracker. Crusaders are at home to the Highlanders which isn't looking good for the visiting team. The big one of the weekend is by far the Reds v Waratahs. If the Waratahs lose this that could be the end of their season...

Blues v Rebels (Auckland)
I feel for the Rebels here, as they always bounce back after a defeat. The Blues, however, are way too strong and have been slowly but surely growing in confidence this season. Between the strong forward pack and mesmerizing backline players the Blues will secure a bonus point win on Friday. How many points the Rebels score in reply is always tough to call...  
PreJudgement: Blues by 14

Crusaders v Highlanders (Nelson)
Sonny Bill Williams has been benched for this fixture....Very Very interesting....The Crusaders have made a few changes for this game, with Sean Maitland being benched too. Is this a case of a great rotation policy or is it a silly move? Adam Thompson is noticeably missing from the Highlanders team due to injury.
PreJudgement: Crusaders by 11

Reds v Waratahs (Brisbane)
Game of the weekend by far. I am particularly looking forward to the Half Back pairings going up against each other. Will Genia & Quade Cooper vs Luke Burgess & Kurtley Beale will be a colossus battle of skill kicking ability and the fight for the Aussie Jumper come the Tri Nations and RWC. There is no ways on earth you are allowed to talk about the Queensland Reds and not mention Digby Ioane, see why here. His match up against Drew Mitchell will be great too, I think Mitchell has the gas to beat him but Digby Ioane has the power to run over him.
PreJudgement: Reds by 8

Force v Bulls (Perth)
This is going to be tough to call, as the Force have been poor but managed a win last week. The Bulls....well they have been poor but have two more wins to their name. It's going to be tough in Perth but I think the South African side will take this one
PreJudgement: Bulls by 5

Sharks v Hurricanes (Durban)
This is a must win for the Sharks if they want to ease the pressure off themselves to qualify for the knockouts. The Hurricanes have been in Cape Town this week training and will be traveling to Durban in the next two days. It is a great relief for the Sharks supporters to see Patrick Lambie back in the starting line up. Ross Skeate pairs up with Sykes at Lock and John Smit starting at hooker due to an injury to Bismark du Plessis. Will the Hurricanes play to their potential or will they retreat into their shell?
PreJudgement: Sharks by 9

Lions v Chiefs (Johannesburg)
I think the Lions might be in a spot of bother here...The Chiefs will be looking to end the Easter Weekends fixtures with a bonus point win to themselves. They will be looking to get their season rejuvenated by beating the bottom of the table Lions.
PreJudgement: Chiefs by 21

The Bulls and Waratahs will be hoping that the Hurricanes do them a favour and beat the Sharks in Durban on Saturday. This will boost their chances of qualifying for the knockouts should they win this weekend. Noticeable absentees this weekend are Bismark du Plessis, Richie McCaw and Daniel Carter. Some welcome returns see Phil Waugh, Patrick Lambie and John Smit (starting at Hooker) return.

Why no justice?

Sonny Bill Williams aka SUPERMAN has tried his best to take Ryan Kankowski's head off during, what I see as a dangerous tackle. Once the sighting commission had a look at the incident, they decided not to act on it as "it was not a red card offense"! What! What is that rubbish? How on earth is that 'tackle' legal? 

I am speechless at what seems to be inconsistent results that come out of these sighting commissions. 

Are the rules different from player to player or does it go as far as from country to country?

I would love to hear your comments on this matter. Feel free to view the clip first and let me know.

SupeRugby Round 6 Recap:

With four teams winning with a score of 40 or more points if you didn't watch an interesting game of rugby this weekend you weren't watching SupeRugby! The Stormers put 51 points past the Force.The Crusaders and Rebels both stormed (sorry about that) to comprehensive victories over the Sharks and Hurricanes respectively. Both the Stormers and Crusaders have put themselves in great positions to qualify at the top of their conference this early.If they carry on playing like they have this past week nobody will argue that statement either.
Right, here we go...

• The Rebels destroyed, and that is a nice way of describing the Hurricanes performance, their visitors from Otago on Friday by 42-25. It was an inspired performance and they are proving to be the most unpredictable team this year. Read my write up here.

• The Reds brought the Cheetahs back to earth with a thump as they beat them 41-8. Quade Cooper is in sublime form and was clearly in the mood to show off his skills with no look passes and a crazy cross field kick-pass to Digby Ioane behind their own try line, which nearly resulted in a try for the Reds. 

• The Chiefs lost a home derby versus the Blues in a rather uneventful game in terrible conditions. The game saw three tries with two going to the Chiefs. The Blues try came from makeshift centre Jared Payne who, I must say looks very comfortable at 13.

• The Australian derby was between the ACT Brumbies and the NSW Waratahs which was won in the last move of the game by a try from Sitaleki Timani of the Waratahs. The game looked destined to be a draw but the Waratahs had different ideas. With the lead changing five times in 80 minutes you would expect it to be close. The Brumbies however didn't capitalise on Tom Carter's 64th minute yellow card, they only added 3 points off the boot of Matt Giteau.

•  The Stormers finally slept well on Saturday evening after having played to their potential against the Force at Newlands. The Stormers more than doubled their tries scored this season in one game by running in six against the Australian franchise. A brace of tries from Deon Fourie & Jaque Fourie were sights for the sore eyes of the Newlands faithful. Jean de Villiers & Andries Bekker added 5 pointers too. James O'Connor was the only contributor for the Force with a try, conversion and three penalties.

• The Bulls ran in three tries to the two of the Lions as they beat the visiting team by 30-23. The Bulls are still not firing on all cylinders and are not looking at all like the championship winning side that they were in 2010. The Bulls start the away leg of the tournament next week as they take on the down and out Hurricanes and will be looking to start the tour with a win.

• By far the best game of the weekend (Rebels v Hurricanes came close) the Crusaders crushed the Sharks at Twickenham by 44-28. There were at total of nine tries scored of which five were scored by the Crusaders who are in the best from I have ever seen them in. An unbelievable display by Dan Carter , Sonny Bill Williams and Robert Fruean.The Sharks fought back valiantly but leaked too many points before half time. A mention must go to Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira who was out there to prove a point and did. He scrummed well and was running like a backline player.

What a great weekend which saw the first ever SupeRugby game played outside of South Africa, Australia or New Zealand. Twickenham is the proud owner of the Northern Hemisphere's first ever glimpse of SupeRugby, and what a spectacle the Crusaders and Sharks put on.

Player of the Week: Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira
Team of the Week: The Melbourne Rebels
WTF of the Week: Jacques -Louis Potgieter (He was just poor against the Crusaders)

SBW

"...Fighting out of the Red Corner, weighing in at 108kg's standing 6ft 3in and making his debut in Super Rugby is Sonny Bill Willliaaaaaams!"

C'mon, don't tell me you can't all hear the ring announcer shouting that out later this morning?
SBW, or aptly nicknamed, wait for it.....SUPERMAN is running on for the Crusaders at inside centre today to make his Super Rugby debut versus the Waratahs.
This monster of a man has had the rugby world watching his every move eagerly awaiting this moment. Well, wait no longer because today is the day.
Sonny Bill Williams was born in Auckland and is an ex Rugby League Pro and professional boxer in his 'spare' time. Enjoy the game!

Is it a bird....Is it a plane...