Super charged: Big game, Crusaders to equal winning run?

David Skippers

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 – Jaguares v Stormers

With the competition moving towards its business end, things are hotting up in the South African Conference. There are just four points separating the Sharks, who are sitting at the top of the table, and the bottom-placed Lions while the Jaguares and Stormers are in joint-third position, three points adrift of the Durban side.

This means there will be plenty at stake when the Jaguares host the Stormers in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

The home side are on a good run after winning their last three matches – away against the Bulls and Sharks and at home against the Brumbies – while the Stormers’ form has been indifferent of late, although they head into this match with some confidence after beating the Bulls in Cape Town last weekend.

The Jaguares deserve plenty of credit as they have continued with their fine form from 2018 – when they reached the play-offs – and there has been a smooth transition in their coaching ranks since Gonzalo Quesada took over the reins from Mario Ledesma.

But they face a tough task against the men from the Cape, who finished on top when these sides met at Newlands earlier this year.

Player to watch – Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes)

After doing duty mostly at outside centre and on the wing, the New Zealand utility back returned to the full-back position against the Chiefs in Wellington in Round 11 and delivered a scintillating attacking display which helped his side to a deserved 47-19 victory.

The 22-year-old’s performance was a timely reminder to the All Blacks selectors of his ability and he contributed 10 points in his side’s win after crossing for two tries inside the first 10 minutes. Barrett continued to impress during the rest of that match and finished with 196 metres gained which included four clean breaks and 10 defenders beaten.

The youngest Barrett brother is back in the number 15 jersey for the Hurricanes’ game against the Rebels at Westpac Stadium on Saturday and will be hoping to continue where he left off against the Chiefs.

One-v-one battle to watch – Handre Pollard (Bulls) v Bernard Foley (Waratahs)

After suffering defeats to the Stormers and Sharks respectively, the Bulls and Waratahs can ill afford a defeat this weekend and much will depend on the performances of Pollard and Foley in their quest for victory.

As the first-choice fly-halves for their respective sides – as well as the Springboks and Wallabies – there will be plenty of pressure on the duo as their sides try to climb up the standings.

Pollard and Foley are outstanding number 10s and their playmaking ability and game management skills are amongst the best in the business. Pollard has a direct style whereas Foley tends to create more opportunities for his team-mates, but both players have proven to be very effective with their approach and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top this weekend.

The duo are also excellent goal-kickers and both will be determined to keep the scoreboard ticking. Pollard holds an edge in that department though as he is currently the leading point-scorer in the competition with 123 points while Foley is in sixth place with 76 points.

Subplot to watch: Crusaders aiming to equal unbeaten home record

The nine-time champions are currently on a 25-match winning streak at their Christchurch Stadium home and another victory – when they host the Sharks on Friday – will tie the record for the most consecutive home wins set between 2004 and 2007 by another Crusaders side.

The current Crusaders outfit’s winning run started at the beginning of the 2017 season when current head coach Scott Robertson started his reign as their boss, with the last team to beat them being the Hurricanes at the end of the 2016 season.

If their form in this year’s tournament is to be used as a yardstick, then Friday’s clash should be a routine matter as the Crusaders have been in superb form on their own turf in 2019.

They have played five matches in Christchurch so far this year with their 38-22 triumph over the Hurricanes in Round Two being the closest any side has come to toppling them in their backyard.

Best of the rest

There are three other matches taking place this weekend.

In Brisbane, the Reds host the Sunwolves in a battle between the Australian Conference’s also-rans. The Reds return to action after having a bye last weekend and will be keen to build on their Round 10 win over the Sharks while the Sunwolves will be desperate to get back to winning ways after suffering a 52-0 home loss to to the Highlanders in Round 11.

In other action, the Brumbies take on the Blues in Canberra and both sides will be hoping to return to the victory trail. The Brumbies were on the losing side against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires last weekend and the Blues lost their previous matches against the Chiefs and Highlanders which ended a three-match winning run.

The weekend’s other match pits the Highlanders against the Chiefs in Dunedin. Like all New Zealand sides, these teams are renowned for their enterprising play and when they met in the corresponding fixture earlier this year, the match went down to the wire.

by David Skippers