R10 Super Rugby preview: Rebels v Force, Chiefs v Crusaders, Waratahs v Bulls and more
THE Force will have to overcome the loss of some key personnel in Melbourne while Israel Folau is back to spearhead the Tahs. Read our R10 preview.
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IT’S an Easter weekend choc full of Super Rugby action with some heated New Zealand derbies and quality action on Australian shores headlining round 10.
The closeness of both the Australian and New Zealand conference has set up some cracking encounters on both sides of the Tasman as teams start to plot their runs to the playoffs.
We’ve rounded the halfway mark and headed into the home stretch! Read on for a full preview of round 10!
Hurricanes v Blues
Friday, 5.35pm EST, Westpac Stadium, Wellington, Fox Sports 2HD
A crunch battle between two New Zealand outfits who love to play attack-minded footy to kick off the weekend? Yep, it looks like it’s going to be a Good Friday.
This is the first meeting between the Kiwi conference rivals and one that has high-scoring affair written all over it.
The Hurricanes and Blues average exactly the same number of points per game this season – 27.6 – while also shipping plenty of tries at the other end. The Blues have conceded the second most points (28.3) and the third most tries (2.9) per game, while the Hurricanes (26.1 points conceded per game) haven’t been much better in shutting down their opponents.
Both sides are coming off a bye and as the equal last-placed sides in New Zealand desperately need a win to keep their playoffs hopes alive.
All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu and skipper Daniel Braid return to boost the Blues pack, while Chris Noakes replaces youngster Simon Hickey at flyhalf.
The Hurricanes have been thriving of late on the back of barnstorming performances from their backline stars, particularly Alapati Leiua and Julian Savea who have put up huge numbers between rounds five and eight.
Those two have combined for a total of 80 runs, 963m, 51 tackle busts and 14 linebreaks in this period. You’ve been warned, Blues.
Rebels v Force
Friday 7.40pm EST, AAMI Park, Melbourne Fox Sports 2HD
The last time Western Force met the Rebels they were winless and short-priced favourites to take out Super Rugby’s wooden spoon. Then, in a flash of 27 minutes they were back. And five weeks later, they’re the competition’s biggest story.
They’ve now won five straight and after claiming the scalps of the Chiefs, Reds and Waratahs, a hit-and-miss Rebels side won’t hold too many fears.
Cult hero Nick Cummins is coming off his best game of the season, breakdown workhorses Ben McCalman and Matt Hodgson are playing the best rugby of their careers and we keep hearing the franchise’s “culture” is better than ever.
But it’s not all smooth sailing as Alby Mathewson, Sam Wykes and Luke Morahan are all out through injury while they’re without a win at AAMI Park since 2011.
Back-to-back losses suggest the Rebels aren’t in great form but in reality those defeats to the Highlanders and Chiefs could have easily been avoided. A failure to clear their own 22 brought about their downfall in Dunedin while Scott Higginbotham is surely ruing a quick tap decision from Hamilton.
Coach Tony McGahan has made just the one change to last week’s starting XV, promoting Cadeyrn Neville at lock in place of Hugh Pyle. He’ll partner the in-form Luke Jones in the second row while Kiwis Jason Woodward and Tamati Ellison will again provide the threats out wide.
Five victories on the trot and a 25-point victory from their earlier encounter would be enough for you to install the Force as favourites but it’s the hosts who have the bookies’ respect.
An interesting evening awaits.
Chiefs v Crusaders
Saturday, 5.35pm EST, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, Fox Sports 2HD
Strap yourselves in folks, we could be in for a belter. The Chiefs and Crusaders have consistently played out some of the best Super Rugby matches in recent years, and there’s every reason to expect more of the same at Waikato Stadium on Saturday night.
The Chiefs weren’t exactly convincing in holding off the Rebels last start, but it was their first game back in New Zealand after an arduous three-game road trip to Perth and South Africa and their first without injured star Aaron Cruden.
Gareth Anscombe will again don the No.10 jersey and should feel more comfortable directing a Chiefs attack that has delivered a competition-high 3.1 tries per game.
Skipper Liam Messam returns to the starting line-up after being eased into the Rebels match from the bench, as does halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow, while star lock Brodie Retallick has been cleared after suffering suspected concussion.
The Crusaders, meanwhile, are doing what they always seem to do – shrugging off a slow start to the season and stringing together wins and performances that suggest they will yet again be there at the business end of the season.
Two straight wins in South Africa put them right back in the hunt and they’ll be looking to close ground on the Chiefs, who hold a six-point lead over them in the NZ conference.
Willi Heinz holds on to the No.9 jersey ahead of Andy Ellis for the Crusaders, who also welcome back All Black Tom Taylor to the centres.
The Chiefs have won their past two matches against the Crusaders, and are looking to make it three straight wins over the men from Christchurch for the first time in their history. Game on.
Waratahs v Bulls
Saturday 7.40pm EST, Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Fox Sports 2HD
Waratahs fans can breathe easy, Izzy is good to go on Saturday.
The biggest feud in Australian rugby since Quade Cooper’s infamous outburst was quickly brought to an end this week when both the Waratahs and ARU’s doctors agreed Israel Folau was fit to return from a throat injury.
And the news just kept getting better for coach Michael Cheika as first Kurtley Beale was passed fit and then SANZAR agreed to delay his judicial hearing, allowing the hot-headed Waratahs boss to concentrate on the Bulls and the intense forward test that awaits.
Luckily for Cheika he has an inside man of sorts in Jacques Potgieter. “Jackpot” as he’s known around Moore Park has been a revelation for the Waratahs this year and his kamikaze-like play could perhaps be at its most valuable this weekend.
Winners on their last trip to Sydney, Potgieter revealed his former teammates respected the Waratahs pack but didn’t fear them. He’ll be out to change their opinion on Saturday.
Potgieter and Folau will need to be right in the thick of things this week as the Bulls will fancy their chances of pulling off an upset.
The tourists started strongly against the Highlanders last week before an incredible amount of mistakes saw them lose all continuity and ultimately slip to a seven-point defeat.
A South African side is still to win on tour in 2014, and a repeat of last week’s effort will see that trend continue.
Sharks v Cheetahs
Saturday, 11pm, Kings Park, Dubran, Fox Sports 2HD
How’s this for a stat? The Cheetahs, who sit second last on the ladder, have scored more points than any other team in Super Rugby this season.
Yep, you read that right. The problem for coach Naka Drotske is that while Willie le Roux and co have managed to rack up 213 points – six points more than the next best, coincidentally their opponents this weekend the Sharks - they have conceded a whopping 303, nearly 100 points more than the second leakiest defence (the Reds).
That’s an average of 37.87 points conceded by the Cheetahs each game – and it’s the reason why they have just one win and a draw (43-all, mind) to their credit in 2014.
It’s also why it’s difficult to predict anything other than a routine victory for the Sharks, who possess the stingiest defence in the competition – they have conceded fewer points (16.1) and tries (1.1) per game than any other team.
The Cheetahs get a boost in the return of Springboks flanker Heinrich Brussow, but that has been offset by the loss of flyhalf Johan Goosen who suffered a concussion in the loss to the Crusaders last week.
Stormers v Lions
Sunday 1.05am EDT, Newlands, Cape Town, Fox Sports 2HD
It’s hard to get excited for this game from a non-South African perspective but bear with us, and we’ll attempt to give it a go.
What’s happened to the Stormers this year? Put simply, a defence-heavy approach has finally caught up with them.
They’re still getting the job done defensively but with an attack that’s as threatening as the bunnies at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show, opposition sides know they really only need to grab the one or two opportunities that do present to escape with victory.
The return of skipper Jean de Villiers should hopefully add a little spark to the Stormers while under-fire coach Allister Coetzee is trialling a new-look halves combination of Nic Groom and Demetri Catrakilis.
The Lions, meanwhile, have lost their way over the last few weeks and slumped to 21 and 13-point defeats to the Crusaders and Sharks.
They’re also struggling in attack, scoring just one try in those defeats which means there’s still a heavy reliance on superboot Marnitz Boshoff.
A five-pointer could really break this game open but be prepared for a night of place-kicking, it could be ugly.
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