SupeRugby Round 18 PreJudgement:

So, This is it, it's do or die for the Bulls, Sharks and Waratahs this weekend. The Stormers are hoping the Reds slip up and they can take top spot. The Blues are looking at securing a home semi final if other results go their way. However, there is one thing that is a given, one team will fall out of contention for this years SupeRugby Trophy. Who will it be?

Blues v Highlanders (Auckland)
Quite possibly the last time we will see Tony Brown playing SupeRugby but will the Highlanders send him off with a win? The Blues are extremely strong towards the end of this season and will be eyeing the number two spot and get a four try bonus point. I can't see the Blues slipping up here but we all know the Highlanders have it in them, they have nothing to lose...
PreJudgement: Blues by 5

Rebels v Force (Melbourne)
The Rebels bid fair well to there first ever season. They ruffled a few feathers and can definitely take some positives out of this season. The Force just look much stronger on paper. I am looking forward to the Stannard v Cipriani battle. I think Stannard is going to expose Cipriani's defensive frailties and the Force will dominate with Pocock, Brown, Sheehan, Stannard and Smith on the wing.
PreJudgement: Force by 19

Chiefs v Reds (Hamilton)
This is going to be a tough game for the Reds who will be looking forward to the knock-out stages and a well deserved week off next week, as long as they don't lose that is. This game is tough to call and there is still lots to play for for the Reds. The Chiefs are bidding fair well to a number of legends but are out of contention for this years tourney.
PreJudgement: Reds by 4

Crusaders v Hurricanes (Wellington)
This is going to be an epic battle up front but let us not forget the quality that makes up both backlines. I think we are in for a rather special battle here and the backlines are going to give us a great show. The Crusaders are eyeing out the number two spot and will be hoping to leapfrog the Stormers into a week off.
PreJudgement: Crusaders by 9

Waratahs v Brumbies (Sydney)
Massive clash between these two arch rivals. The Brumbies have had a very poor season but will never back down against the Waratahs. The 'Tahs however will be playing to keep their tournament alive. The Bulls and Sharks will be hoping the Brumbies do them a favour by destroying the Waratahs. This is a knock out game for the 'Tahs.
PreJudgement: Brumbies by 2

Bulls v Sharks (Pretoria)
The Sharks all but destroyed their SupeRugby chance last week by drawing to the Cheetahs. Now its do or die time for both teams. The Bulls have had an awesome second half of the season and the defending champs are setting themselves up nicely for the knockouts. How do bet against the Bulls at home? You just can't! I think the Sharks are going to all be wearing Brumbies Jerseys in the warm up. Unfortunately the Sharks will need that sort of help to progress.
PreJudgement: Bulls by 8

Cheetahs v Stormers (Bloemfontein)
The Stormers should take this but you never know what the Cheetahs will bring to the table this week. The Stormers are by far SA's best team this season and have enough experience to close this out. Injuries are however trying hard to derail their season. Peter Grant makes a welcome return but there is a cloud over scrum half Dewaldt Duvenhage. Jean de Villiers is on the right wing with Juan de Jongh starting at 12.
PreJudgement: Stormers by 9

SupeRugby Round 17 PreJudgement:

Two weeks of wondering about who is in the top six. Two weeks for the fringe teams to secure their position and Two weeks for the Sharks and the Bulls to ensure that their are three SA teams in the play-offs. So, this is how its going down. Bulls to win, Sharks to win, both with 5 points. Reds lose and Crusaders v Blues is a boring 0-0 draw. Now the odds I would get on that would be ridiculous. Round 17 PreJudgement to follow...

Chiefs v Hurricanes (Hamilton)
These two teams are fighting to avoid the wooden spoon in the NZ conference this year. Both are coming off a win last week but looking at their opposition you would feel that the Chiefs had the better win. Will this prove in their favour or not? The Hurricanes backline have slowly been finding their feet over the past few weeks and more importantly Corey Jane. Looking forward to his battle up against Chiefs captain Mils Muliaina.
PreJudgement: Chiefs by 9

Brumbies v Rebels (Canberra)
These are two of the bottom teams playing each other. There isn't much to be said about the Brumbies that hasn't been said already. They have simply been poor this season. The Rebels have, as expected, finished on the bottom of the Australian conference but have dished out a few surprises this season. Controversially Danny Cipriani makes a return to the starting line up. I won't lie, I am looking forward to this game and I think it will be a good one.
PreJudgement: Rebels by 4
 
Crusaders v Blues (Timaru)
Big game of the weekend as these two are playing  for top spot and automatic qualification in the NZ conference. Both teams are fielding their best and this game will be played as a knock-out game, quite tight I would think. The Crusaders need the win and this should open the door for some backline magic.
PreJudgement: Crusaders by 5

Waratahs v Highlanders (Sydney)
The last make or break game for these teams. the great thing is it is not a derby game and I am looking forward to watching this clash. Both teams have finished this 2011 campaign poorly and are rapidly running out of opportunity to make the play-offs. Tony Brown running on at number 10, he may be a pensioner but could be the man to take it on for the Highlanders.
PreJudgement: Highlanders by 9

Force v Reds (Perth)
If the Reds drop this game, which I don't see, it opens the door for the Stormers to top the 2011 log at the end of the weekend. You can't see the Reds losing but the opportunity is there. They have had the greatest ever run in SupeRugby and one wonders if and when they will slip up or buckle under the pressure. The Force have not been impressive this season and will try and topple the table toppers but you just don't see this game in their favour.
PreJudgement: Reds by 8
 

Lions v Sharks (Johannesburg)
There are many factors influencing this game, the one that stands out for me is seeing Butch James line up against his old team. The Lions have had an inconsistent season but the momentum is with them at the moment. The Sharks will not underestimate this Lions outfit and will be looking to knock them out early on. John Smit moves to hooker and the Beast makes a start....NICE!
PreJudgement: Sharks by 10
 
Stormers v Bulls (Cape Town)
This game has to be the talk of the SupeRugby world this week. Both teams need the win for different reasons. The Stormers could go top, but if they lose, could lose the top spot in SA conference next week. The Bulls are playing for a play-off spot . This game is so difficult to call as both teams are on fire and both teams have the trophy in mind, with the experience and ability to do so. The talk of the week is the loss of Bakkies Botha and Fourie du Preez for the Bulls and the stormers rookie Fly-Half Kurt Coleman. Game on!
PreJudgement: Stormers by 5 (Home ground call)

Finally I would like to wish the SA under 20's good luck in the IRB Junior World Championship/Trophy. Bring it home boys.

SupeRugby Round 10 Recap:

The Bulls and Waratahs failed to secure victories and put pressure on the Sharks. The 'Tahs are 6 points behind the Sharks but I think that is it for them this season and the Bulls can pack it in too. The Sharks are going to have to keep their wits about them this week to beat the stormers in Newlands. The Reds and the Highlanders are looking awesome this season and I think the Reds will take it. The Highlanders have done so many teams a favour by showing the likes of The Reds, Stormers and Sharks that the Crusaders can be beaten. We are in for one of the best SupeRugby finishes ever seen this season.

• As expected, the Blues ran out winners on Friday against the Rebels. The Rebels challenged the NZ team late on in the first half and trailed by 6 at half time. After the break the Blues stepped up their game and put the game to bed. Danny Cipriani has proved to be a problem on defense and that channel was attacked during the game. The Blues have moved to second on the group log and lead the NZ conference. Blues winning 40-23

• The Highlanders did what many thought was impossible, beat the Crusaders. The Crusaders were missing a few players and who they weren't missing they benched. Poor coaching in my opinion but it could be argued as rotational as well as blooding new players. I think you need to secure wins whenever you can...Lets hope this doesn't bite them in the ass later. Having said that, the Highlanders were awesome. Tony Brown was brilliant and he deserved the recognition for this win. Highlanders win 26-18

• The Reds took the dismal Waratahs at home on Saturday and manged to secure the most wins on the trot for the Queensland franchise. The Waratahs held the lead briefly in the first half but never capitalised. I am sure they were warned about 1 player and they did not stop him, Quade Cooper got all the 19 points for the Reds! Not only that but it was a full house too, a try , conversion, penalties and a drop kick. Reds winning 19-15

• The Force notched up back to back wins on Saturday against, believe it or not, the current SupeRugby Champions. The Bulls are having a season to forget and will no doubt be loving the fact that they are at home this week. I don't think their fans will be too receptive to them this week though. The Bulls got most of their points when James O'Connor was in the sin bin but looked extremely pedestrian and one dimensional. It was great to see Matt Dunning back on the park for the Force. Force win 26-21

 

• The Sharks looked great on Saturday with Patrick Lambie directing the backline again. His kicking was a little off but everything else was brilliant. The Sharks and Highlanders were head to head leading into half time at 13 points a piece. However, after the 55th minute it was one way traffic with he sharks dotting down 3 more times. The Sharks were in desperate need of a bonus point win in the hunt for a wild card spot. This win pulls them away from the Bulls and Waratahs. Now for the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday! Sharks win 40-24

• All I can say is, the poor Lions! They are always in the mix but just can't seem to push themselves over the edge. I honestly think that they will be the comeback kids of the season in the 2012 SupeRugby competition. They were only, seemingly, out of contention in the 53rd minute when Dwayne Sweeney ran in for a converted try and trailed the visitors by 31-16. Then in true Lions spirit fought their way back to within a point in the 72nd minute. They were however not able to close it out for a win and lost their 9th game out of 10. The Chiefs winning 34-30

There is a pretty clear picture as to who will be in the play offs later this year but don't tell the Waratahs that. Right now it is just going to be securing that place and fighting for higher positions in the play offs. there were two outstanding players this week for me, deciding which one will get the award will be tough. both Tony Brown and Quade Cooper were instrumental in their teams derby wins this weekend.

Player of the Week: Tony Brown
Team of the Week: The Highlanders
WTF of the Week: Greg Clark unhappy with Jake White's move to Brumbies.                                                             "Personally I'd like to see an Aussie in charge"
                               Anyone is better than what they are currently doing there...
Ouch of the Week: Drew Mitchell