Super charged: Big game, Brodie’s back, play-off chase

David Skippers
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Making its return to Planet Rugby, we bring you Super charged, in which we preview the main talking points ahead of the upcoming Super Rugby action.

Game to watch – Stormers v Sharks

With this being a South African derby, there will of course be plenty of physicality with the sides going at each other hammer and tongs from the kick off.

Adding extra spice to this fixture is the fact that both these teams are in the running to reach the play-offs and the result should define whether they will advance further in the tournament.

Sharks head coach Robert du Preez has been criticised in the Republic in recent weeks for selecting his son, Robert Junior, ahead of Curwin Bosch, who was calling the shots as the team’s first-choice fly-half during some of their best performances of the season.

But with Bosch out through injury, the younger Du Preez gets a golden opportunity to show his worth against his former team, who will be difficult to beat on their home turf.

Clashes between these sides are usually tense and closely fought battles but the Stormers hold an edge over Durban-based outfit as they are on a two-match winning streak in this fixture and claimed a narrow win when the teams met earlier this year.

Player to watch – Brodie Retallick (Chiefs)

Retallick’s return to action – after two months on the sidelines due to a wrist injury – is a shot in the arm for the Chiefs and comes at just the right time for his team.

When on song, he is arguably the best second-row in the world with his athleticism, brilliant lineout skills, mobility and power giving his team a significant boost and they will hope he is at his best in this must-win match against the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday.

The two-time champions will have to hit the ground running and hope other results go their way if they want to reach the play-offs but that will not be easy as the Rebels are also chasing a quarter-final spot.

Retallick, who signed a new contract with the Chiefs and All Blacks earlier this week, will be determined to help his team achieve that goal.

The 28-year-old played a leading role in the last match between these sides – which the Chiefs won 27-14 in 2017 in Melbourne – and if he can replicate that performance, the two-time champions should be victorious.

One-v-one battle to watch – Aaron Smith (Highlanders) v Nick Phipps (Waratahs)

These two players are old adversaries, who have had regular battles over the years for their Super Rugby teams as well as the All Blacks and Wallabies.

Smith is a vital cog in the Highlanders wheel with his excellent passing game and decision making among the best in the business, while Phipps’ sniping breaks makes him a danger at close quarters.

Both also combine well with their outside backs although Smith has the edge in the playmaking department and his box-kicking is also superior to Phipps’.

Despite that, the Wallaby is a key member of the Waratahs squad and has the added responsibility of captaining his side this weekend. That should give him extra motivation to get the better of his All Blacks rival.

Subplot to watch: Play-off permutations

With this being the final round of the league phase of the tournament, there are several teams still in the running to advance to this year’s quarter-finals.

Defending champions, the Crusaders, finished at the top of the New Zealand Conference and they, along with the Australian and South African Conference winners – the Brumbies and Jaguares – as well as the Hurricanes, who are the leading wildcard team, have already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition.

That leaves the Bulls, Lions, Stormers, Rebels, Sharks, Chiefs, Highlanders and Waratahs chasing the four remaining play-off berths. Check out all the permutations for the aforementioned teams below.

Best of the rest

Another crucial South African derby takes place in Pretoria on Saturday when the Bulls host the Lions and with a quarter-final berth up for grabs, this should be a drama-filled encounter.

Elsewhere, the Jaguares will be hoping to make a statement of intent with a solid performance in Buenos Aires against the Sunwolves, who will finish as the tournament’s bottom-placed team again this year.

In other action, the Brumbies will be out for revenge in Canberra against Australian rivals the Reds, who beat them in the corresponding fixture in Brisbane earlier this year and in Wellington, the Hurricanes and Blues face off in what should be an entertaining New Zealand derby.

by David Skippers

Blues