Super charged: Big game, Duane Vermeulen back at Newlands

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 – Crusaders v Lions

In a repeat of last year’s Super Rugby final, the Lions are the latest team who will be trying to end the Crusaders’ dominant run at their AMI Stadium headquarters in Christchurch.

Although the Lions head into this match brimming with confidence – after registering an impressive victory over the Chiefs in Hamilton last week – they face a tough challenge against a Crusaders side who are on a 24-game winning run at home which stretches back to Round 17 in 2016 when they suffered a 35-10 defeat to the Hurricanes.

That win over the Chiefs was a morale-boosting one for the Lions as it ended a two-match losing streak and they achieved it without their head coach, Swys de Bruin, who returned to South Africa shortly before that match in Hamilton due to personal reasons.

However, a win over the Crusaders will also be significant for the Lions as they have never beaten the champions in Christchurch and have lost the last three matches in this fixture, with their last win notched in Johannesburg in 2016.

Player to watch – Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco (Sunwolves)

Usually a back-row – and a very good one too – the Australian was selected at inside centre for the Sunwolves’ encounter against the Hurricanes last weekend and that proved to be a masterstroke from the Tokyo-based franchise’s head coach, Tony Brown, as Warren-Vosayaco delivered a brilliant all-round display.

The 23-year-old made his presence felt with ball in hand and proved a real handful to the Hurricanes defence, making a telling line break in the build-up to this well-taken try from Semisi Masirewa.

Warren-Vosayaco gained 67 metres on attack in that match but also did his bit on defence and eventually made 10 tackles.

He will wear the number 12 jersey again this weekend when the Sunwolves host the Highlanders in Tokyo and will be hoping to continue where he left off against the ‘Canes.

One-v-one battle to watch – Ngani Laumape (Hurricanes) v Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs)

With it being a World Cup year, there is a battle for places in various countries’ squads for the global showpiece and Laumape and Lienert-Brown are in the running to be part of the centres chosen for the All Blacks.

The duo have been in excellent form this season with Laumape’s line breaks and physicality expected to give the Hurricanes much needed attacking momentum while Lienert-Brown will be hoping to make the same impact for the Chiefs with his superb playmaking skills.

Laumape started the season like a house on fire and was one of the tournament’s best players during the early rounds while Lienert-Brown has been in fine form of late.

Both will be hoping to be at their best in this encounter as they look to make All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen turn pencil into pen.

Subplot to watch: Duane Vermeulen’s return to Newlands

The Springbok number eight was a fans’ favourite during a successful seven-year stint with the Stormers and after spending three seasons at Top 14 outfit Toulon, Vermeulen was expected to return to the Cape Town-based Super Rugby franchise earlier this year.

That did not happen, however, and he is now in the Bulls‘ camp where his experience has come in handy and he is now a popular figure amongst the men from Pretoria’s supporters.

After being rested for the Bulls’ Round Nine victory over the Reds, the 32-year-old will be keen to hit the ground running and get the better of his former team-mates.

In the corresponding fixture earlier this year, Vermeulen made his debut for his new franchise and was part of a superb performance as the Bulls claimed a comfortable 40-3 victory at Loftus Versfeld. He will be hoping for more the same this weekend.

Best of the rest

With the tournament heading towards its business end, the scramble for play-off places is hotting up and the two remaining fixtures involve sides who are all trying to book their places in the knockout rounds.

In Sydney, the Waratahs will be determined to build on last weekend’s win over the Melbourne Rebels when they take on a the Sharks, who will be desperate for victory after losing their previous two matches at home against the Jaguares and Reds.

Keep an eye on Springbok utility back Curwin Bosch, who gets an opportunity to pull the strings as the Sharks’ chief playmaker as he lines up at fly-half for the first time this year.

Elsewhere, the Jaguares return to action when they host the Brumbies in Buenos Aires. Both sides head into this match in good form. The Jaguares claimed an emphatic 51-17 win over the Sharks in Durban their previous match, in Round Nine, and the Brumbies edged the Stormers 19-17 in Cape Town last weekend.

by David Skippers