Super Rugby R7 preview: Brumbies v Rebels, Reds v Stormers, Sharks v Waratahs & more

THE Waratahs’ visit to Durban and a rattled Reds’ return to Suncorp headline round seven of Super Rugby. Check out our complete round preview here!

Wycliff Palu dives over for try during NSW Waratahs v The Sharks Super 14 game at SFS in Sydney.

Can NSW Waratahs overcome the loss of Israel Folau and upset the Sharks in Durban? Can the Reds recover from a shock loss to the Lions and put refereeing blunders behind them?

Yes, there are some interesting questions waiting to be answered in round seven of Super Rugby.

Read on for a complete preview of every game!

Crusaders v Hurricanes

Friday, 5.35pm AEDT, Christchurc,h Fox Sports 2

There have been a host of new members welcomed to the centurion club in recent weeks and Kieran Read will become the latest addition on Friday night.

The world’s best player will suit up for his 100th Super Rugby match as he leads the Crusaders back into action after last round’s bye.

The Crusaders’ slow start to the season looks to be behind them – at least on paper. After opening with back-to-back losses, they notched two-straight wins - even if they didn’t exactly convince in beating the Stormers and Rebels – before having last weekend off.

The Hurricanes are in all sorts of trouble with only one win to show from five outings after just failing to reel in the Highlanders last week.

With Beauden Barrett in sparkling form at flyhalf you know the Hurricanes have points in them, they’re just giving up too many to their opponents.

They’ll need to tighten things up against the Crusaders or they can just about kiss another season goodbye.

Rebels v Brumbies

Friday, 7.40pm AEDT, Melbourne, Fox Sports 2

Beware the Brumbies. After dropping their opening game of the season, last year’s finalists have rattled off four wins on the trot to be the form team of the competition.

The Rebels have gone the other way, opening with a win that looked good against the Cheetahs and then following up with disappointing defeat after disappointing defeat.

They won’t find it any easier against a Brumbies side they have beaten just once in six outings - the first time they met way back in round two, 2011.News_Image_File: Matt Toomua has been in sparkling form for the Brumbies.

Stephen Larkham’s outfit has been hit by injury in recent weeks but welcomes back star Christian Lealiifano, set to play his first game of 2014 after off-season ankle surgery.

The Wallaby centre will come off the bench, with Pat McCabe holding on to the No.12 jersey after his powerful start to the year.

The Rebels have lost winger Lachlan Mitchell to a season-ending knee injury.

Blues v Highlanders

Saturday, 5.35pm AEDT, Auckland, Fox Sports 2HD

There’ll be few mysteries in this New Zealand local derby after the two sides met back in round two in Dunedin. Their fortunes have been similar since that encounter and with just one point separating them in a tight NZ conference this match carries some significant weight.

The Blues have been rocked by news veteran halfback Piri Weepu suffered a stroke ahead of the team’s tour of South Africa although he is expected to make a full recovery.

Livewire back-up Bryn hall steps into Weepu’s jersey while there are a couple of major changes in the form of returning stars Ma’a Nonu and Jerome Kaino, who both played their first games of the season off the bench against the Cheetahs last week.News_Rich_Media: Blues' Piri Weepu suffers a stroke following serious headaches since his side's tour of South Africa

The Highlanders had three losses between that opening victory over the Blues and last week’s topsy-turvy win over the Hurricanes. Their late-game fadeout won’t have impressed coach Jamie Joseph and they’ll need to be at their very best to make it two from two against the Blues this year.

Joseph has recalled Jarrad Hoeata to partner Brad Thorn at lock while former Rebels hooker Ged Robinson has also been promoted to the starting side alongside front-rower Chris King.

There shouldn’t be too many points between them but the All Black additions to the Blues line-up and the home-ground advantage have the Blues as odds-on favourites.

Reds v Stormers

Saturday, 7.40pm AEDT, Brisbane, Speed 512

The Reds returned home from South Africa with back-to-back losses and a bad taste in their mouths following some controversial calls from the referees in both defeats.

But that’s behind them and now Richard Graham’s men, who have slipped to 2-3 and 10th on the ladder, have to turn it around quickly against the similarly struggling Stormers.News_Image_File: Will Genia is due for a big game in Brisbane.

Gun flanker Liam Gill has and flashy fullback Aidan Toua have joined Queensland’s growing injury list, with experienced backrower Beau Robinson and flyer Dom Shipperley coming into the starting side.

The Stormers are even worse off, having lost superstar Schalk Burger to injury even before they fell to their fourth loss of the season – to the Brumbies last week.

They’ve been in each of their three-straight games on the road but just haven’t been able to get over the line, and even with centre Juan de Jongh back in the starting line-up among seven changes will find it tough against a Queensland side that should relish being back on home soil.

After being drowned out by the referee’s whistle the past two weeks, the Reds will be hoping the only noise they hear on Saturday night is a raucous Suncorp Stadium crowd cheering them to victory.News_Rich_Media: Inspired by their new mascot and an upcoming series of home fixtures the Reds are looking to get their season back on track

Bulls v Chiefs

Sunday, 12.05am AEDT, Pretoria, Fox Sports 2HD

South African conference leaders one week, New Zealand frontrunners the next. That’s exactly how the Bulls will be approaching their clash with the Chiefs in Pretoria after they ended the Sharks’ unbeaten run in round six.

The four-point victory over the Sharks was their third on the trot and one that has shown they are anything but a spent force in Super Rugby. Winger Akona Ndungane is the only change to the side that edged the Sharks with Sampie Mastriet dropping out of the squad.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, arrived in the Republic after becoming the latest side to fall victim to the rising Force juggernaut. The two-time defending champs were anything but themselves in what was easily their worst performance of the season to date.

Assistant coach Wayne Smith revealed there may be a number of changes after last week’s disaster, a match he described as the worst he’s seen in his time at the franchise.

But will a raft of changes have the desired effect against a team high on confidence with line-up stability? That’s not a question easily answered and judging by the history between the two sides (9-8 in favour of the visitors) whatever changes the Chiefs coaching staff do decide to make could be crucial in what looms as another tight encounter.

Sharks v Waratahs

Sunday, 2.05am AEDT, Durban, Fox Sports 2HD

It’s the one question on everyone’s lips. Can the Waratahs win without Israel Folau? On the surface of it his eight tries in four games suggests it could be a battle but to anyone who saw Kurtley Beale’s performance last week there should be more than just a glimmer of hope.

This match will prove a far greater test of the Waratahs’ forward pack than that of what the Rebels provided last week however, particularly with Springboks enforcers Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira, Marcell Coetzee and Willem Alberts all enjoying strong seasons.

Waratahs coach Michael Cheika has made a couple of changes to counteract the Sharks forward dominance with Wycliff Palu reinstated at No.8 and Benn Robinson back at loosehead, pushing Paddy Ryan to the bench.

Folau’s place will be covered by off-season recruit Jono Lance while there is also a rare start for Rob Horne, with the once-regular outside-centre winning his first start for the season on the right wing.

The Sharks too have suffered an injury setback of their own with star fly half Patrick Lambie sidelined for the season with a torn bicep. That could have more of an effect on the Sharks than Folau’s omission from the Waratahs, with the South Africans losing the bonus of the dual-playmaking partnership Lambie enjoyed with Francois Steyn.

Despite both sides boasting plenty of attacking options, this match is unlikely to be a high-scoring affair with the Sharks almost certain to utilise the long-kicking game of Steyn and back their set-piece dominance.

The Bulls showed last week that the Sharks can be beaten with the right game plan and although their most important attacking player won’t be on the paddock, this clash will give us an indication of exactly where the Waratahs are at.