Fri 25 Feb. Highlanders 23 - 13 Chiefs (Dunedin):
The Highlanders have not been the fancied team out of the NZ 5 in this competition but have been solid in their performance of late.
The Otago outfit snatched their second win of the campaign against the Chiefs on Friday. Having mostly been behind until late in the third quarter they sealed their victory with a 73rd minute Kade Poki try and Robert Robinson conversion. Fri 25 Feb. Melbourne Rebels 25 - 24 Brumbies (Melbourne)
The Rebels gave the rugby world the middle finger on Friday with their maiden SupeRugby victory in only their second game. After a demoralizing 0-43 defeat to the Waratahs last week they bounced back against another of the Australian championship contenders ACT Brumbies. Three ex Brumbies players had notable performances , Mark Gerrard, Julian Huxley and Sterling Mortlock.Fri 25 Feb. Cheetahs 23 - 25 Bulls (Bloemfontein)
A fantastic local derby won by the Bulls as late as the 76th minute. The Cheetahs had a wonderful performance but were lacking the full 80 minute mental strength to hold out to the 2 time and current Super 14 champions. Juan Smith suffered an Achilles tear as early as the 2nd minute and is a doubtful selection for the World Cup later this year.
Sat. 26 Feb. Hurricanes v Crusaders (Wellington)
Game Canceled due to the devastating earthquake in Christchurch, NZ.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all affected by this disaster. Please follow the link below to donate to Red Cross to help the people of New Zealand.
Sat. 26 Feb. Waratahs 30 - 6 Reds (Sydney- ANZ)
Superior performance and bonus point win for the Waratahs as they leave the hapless Reds in their wake. The Queensland Reds will have to go back to the drawing board with Coach Ewen McKenzie this week as they were nowhere to be seen at the ANZ stadium in Sydney. The Waratahs recorded their second bonus point win of the year and the only team to score 4 or more tries in a game this campaign.
Sat. 26 Feb. Sharks 26 - 12 Blues (Durban)
The Sharks stormed into a 10-0 lead in Durban on Saturday courtesy of Pat Lambie scoring a try, conversion and penalty 8 minutes into the game. The Blues were contesting but never seemed to get into the swing of things. One theory is their late Tuesday arrival from NZ. Jet Lag or not, they took no points out of the game and will be looking to make amends this coming week against the Lions.
Sat. 26 Feb. Stormers 19 - 16 Lions (Cape Town)
A nail biter at Newlands on Saturday as the Stormers sneaked a win in the 75th minute courtesy of a Pieter Louw try and Peter Grant conversion. The Lions suffered the same lack of mental strength as the Cheetahs did against the Bulls on Friday night. The Stormers will walk away happy with a win after their first game and ironically set their sights on the Cheetahs at Newlands next week.
Team of the Week- Melbourne Rebels
Player of the week- Ashley Johnson (Cheetahs)
WTF of the Week- Kaplan’s penalty decision against the Brumbies
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