Round 13 Super Rugby preview: Jake White’s return to Canberra to face Brumbies highlights another big weekend
THE return of Jake White to Canberra to face the Brumbies headlines a bumper weekend of Super Rugby. Check out our guide to round 13.
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THE return of Jake White to Canberra to face the Brumbies headlines a bumper weekend of Super Rugby.
Check out our full guide to round 13.
Chiefs v Blues
5.35pm EST Friday, Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth, Fox Sports 2HD
Round 13 kicks off in New Plymouth with a New Zealand derby that could turn the Kiwi conference upside down — literally.
So tight are things over the ditch that the last-placed Blues could draw level with the No. 1-ranked Chiefs with a bonus-point win on Friday night.
And the Blues will fancy their chances of ending a five-game losing streak against Dave Rennie’s side after notching strong back-to-back wins over Australian sides the Waratahs and Reds.
Just as another season looked to be slipping away for the Blues, up stepped the likes of All Blacks stars Jerome Kaino and Ma’a Nonu to right the ship with standout performances that have breathed new life into their push for the playoffs.
As impressive as those victories were though, they both came at Eden Park and the simple fact remains that the Blues have yet to win outside Auckland in 2014 and have dropped 13-straight games on the road.
The Chiefs got back on track last week with a much-needed win at home to South Africa’s Lions that snapped a two-game losing streak and catapulted them back to second overall on the ladder.
Injuries have cruelled the Chiefs in recent weeks, but if they can get home against the Blues they will head into next weekend’s much-needed bye well placed for a shot at a third-straight Super Rugby title.
Rebels v Hurricanes
7.40pm EST Friday, AAMI Park, Melbourne, Fox Sports 2HD
Points, points and more points. The Rebels and Hurricanes could produce upwards of 10 tries in this one — and you just know there’s going to be a couple of long-range specials.
Stung by last week’s six-point loss to the Sharks, the Rebels will fancy their chances against a Hurricanes side that doesn’t possess the resolute defensive wall of the South Africans.
The big worry for the Rebels is that conversely, the Hurricanes can do things in attack the Sharks can only dream of.
A brilliant opening 27 minutes saw the Canes skip out to a 24-7 lead in Sydney last week before they let the Waratahs back into the contest, and were eventually beaten 39-30.
They’re unlikely to make the same mistakes again. The Rebels can’t afford to give the Hurricanes a start.
They did defeat Mark Hammett’s side in Melbourne two years ago before the Wellington-based franchise turned the tables last year.
There were 67 and 90 points scored in those matches respectively. Hold onto your hats.
Highlanders v Lions
5.35pm Saturday, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, Fox Sports 2HD
Seven points from a possible 10 in South Africa has kept the Highlanders right in the hunt for the New Zealand conference as they look to continue some excellent recent form back at home.
A one-point loss to the Stormers last week wasn’t the ideal way to finish their tour of the Republic but Jamie Joseph can rest easy in the knowledge his side is playing some quality rugby.
They scored eight tries in Africa and should improve on that number this week as the deteriorating Lions make their way to Forsyth Barr Stadium, although the loss of flyhalf Lima Sopoaga could hurt.
The Lions were hammered 38-8 by an injury-ravaged Chiefs last week and although the Highlanders may be a little travel-weary, they boast more than enough class out wide to run rings around the Joburg side.
The Lions will look to superboot Marnitz Boshoff for the majority of their points after he was recalled at No. 10 in place of Elton Jantjies but it’s unlikely he’ll be afforded enough territory and possession to make any real impact on the scoreboard.
The topic of much debate while the Highlanders were away, look for Malakai Fekitoa to have a strong game as he aims to take another step towards a possible All Blacks debut.
It’s the Highlanders here — by plenty.
Brumbies v Sharks
7.40pm EST Saturday, Canberra Stadium, Fox Sports 2HD
A top-of-the-table clash and the return of Jake White — the scriptwriters couldn’t have done a better job if they’d tried.
Brumbies fans have had this match marked in their calendar for some time and with the two sides flying high at the top of the Super Rugby ladder, it’s a game worthy of much expectation.
The Brumbies have done their best to distance themselves from the “White elephant in the room”, but flyhalf Matt Toomua admitted the squad had discussed the significance of the match and the best way to combat it.
Toomua this week gave the Brumbies a major boost by re-signing with the club for three more years and halfback Nic White followed the trend in inking a new two-year deal. The timing of those signings can’t be underestimated with both men needing to be at their best this week.
The Sharks kicked a huge amount of ball against the Rebels last Friday meaning the decision-making of Toomua, White and Jesse Mogg in response will need to be first class.
The Brumbies have also been boosted up front with the return of Fotu Auelua, who although down on match fitness will give last year’s runners-up extra bulk from which to combat a quality Sharks pack.
Buoyed by their victory over the Rebels last week, the Sharks won’t shift too far from the classic Jake White game plan. The former Springboks coach may well have made some minor tweaks through his intimate knowledge of the Brumbies but that’s unlikely to spell a barrage of adventurous play from inside their own half.
The Brumbies have dominated this fixture at GIO Stadium winning seven of nine clashes but on their last trip to Canberra the Sharks were triumphant 29-26.
Everything here, including a cold Canberra evening, points to an absolute nailbiter.
Cheetahs v Force
1am EST Sunday, Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein, Fox Sports 2HD
The Force have claimed some decent scalps on the road this season but a victory over the Cheetahs in the Free State would easily usurp wins in Brisbane and Dunedin.
The surprise-packets of 2014, the Force face a stern test of their playoff credentials this weekend when they face a Cheetahs side that has mixed the sublime and the ridiculous in a 2-8 season.
The Cheetahs have the ability to score points from anywhere and turn even the most minute of opportunities into tries, such is the devastating ability of their outside backs.
However, much like the Hurricanes, they are also susceptible to leaking points.
If the Force can continue what has been a solid season defensively and upset the Cheetahs’ flow at the breakdown then their hosts may well self-implode and offer up the kind of scrappy errors Michael Foley’s side prays on.
But afford Cheetahs stars Willie le Roux and Sarel Pretorius the space and freedom they need and it could be a long — and potentially season-killing — night for the Perth-based side.
We’ll know a lot more about the Force after this weekend.
Bulls v Stormers
3.10am AEST Sunday, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, Fox Sports 2HD
Will the Stormers ever catch a break?
Just when Allister Coetzee would have been hoping to build on a morale-boosting victory over the Highlanders, he’s been hit with another injury crisis.
The Stormers have been forced into six changes for the trip to Loftus Versfeld, with former Springbok Schalk Burger to captain a squad that features three Super Rugby debutants.
It’s the complete opposite for the Bulls, who have promoted Springboks flier JJ Englebrecht to the starting line-up in the only change to the side that ended a four-game losing run with a victory at home to the Cheetahs last weekend.
It’s north versus south in the only all South African derby this round, and there will be no love lost between two sides who will be desperate to notch rare back-to-back victories.
Reds v Crusaders
4.05pm AEST Sunday, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Fox Sports 1HD
Round 13 concludes with a Sunday afternoon clash at Suncorp Stadium between two sides with very different form lines.
While the Crusaders are running into the sort of form that suggests they might just add to their seven Super Rugby titles after all, the Reds are a rabble.
Back-to-back thumpings in New Zealand — to the Hurricanes and Blues — have all but killed off their slim finals hopes, and adding to their pain they have been hit hard by injury.
Gun flanker Liam Gill and backrow partner Eddie Quirk will miss a couple of weeks, while Wallaby winger Chris Feauai-Sautia’s season is over after he dislocated his shoulder.
The highs of the 2011 Super Rugby final — when the Reds defeated the Crusaders at Suncorp Stadium to clinch their first title — seem such a distant memory now.
Interestingly, this is the first time the two sides have met in Brisbane since that famous night, with the past two encounters played out in Christchurch.
The Crusaders are again missing their captain Kieran Read, who is recovering from a head knock, with centre Ryan Crotty to skipper the side for a second-straight week.
Richie McCaw has been named at No. 7, where he played the majority of his comeback match against the Brumbies last week despite being named at blindside flanker after Matt Todd went down injured early on.
That 40-20 win over the Brumbies — and McCaw’s strong performance — sounded a warning to the competition and is the reason why the Crusaders will be warm favourites to make it five straight wins when they take on the Reds.
Originally published as Round 13 Super Rugby preview: Jake White’s return to Canberra to face Brumbies highlights another big weekend
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