Super charged: Big game, Jantjies v O’Connor and more

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 – Stormers v Bulls

This fixture pits two of the competition’s biggest rivals against each other and there will be no love lost when these heavyweights of the South African game face off at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday. After starting their campaign with an impressive 27-0 victory against the Hurricanes last week, the Stormers head into this fixture in confident mood although they will be without the services of their inspirational captain Siya Kolisi, who has been ruled out for six to eight weeks due to an injury sustained in their season opener.

Despite that setback, the Stormers are favourites to secure victory against the Bulls as they have several outstanding players in their side. World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit and fellow Rugby World Cup winners Steven Kitshoff, who takes over the captaincy from Kolisi, Herschel Jantjies and Frans Malherbe were all in fine form against the Hurricanes and will be expected to be at the forefront of their team’s onslaught this weekend. Meanwhile, the Bulls will rely heavily on former Bok fly-half Morne Steyn and Scotland number eight Josh Strauss to lead their charge while the return of their own World Cup winner, Trevor Nyakane, will boost their chances of upsetting the apple cart.

Player to watch – Aaron Cruden (Chiefs)

After starting on the replacements bench in the Chiefs’ 37-29 victory over the Blues at Eden Park last week, the 2011 World Cup winner has been named in the starting line-up for Saturday’s clash against the Crusaders. Cruden showed against the Blues that he is still one of the best number 10s in the business, as his introduction at the start of the second half coincided with a turnaround in his team’s fortunes. This, after they were trailing 19-5 at half-time.

The 31-year-old’s cool head, superb goal-kicking – he contributed 12 points courtesy of three conversions, a penalty and a well-taken drop goal – and impressive game management were major contributing factors in helping his side over the line in Auckland. This weekend the Chiefs face a sterner test when they host the Crusaders in Hamilton and if they want to notch another win, the former All Blacks fly-half will have to continue where he left off against the Blues. That will be a tough ask though as the champions are sure to provide a tougher challenge, although Cruden has shown over the years that his ability to remain calm under pressure is one of his strengths.

One-v-one battle to watch – Elton Jantjies (Lions) v James O’Connor (Reds)

This duo will play important roles for their respective teams in what promises to be an entertaining encounter in Johannesburg on Saturday. Both are brilliant playmakers, who have also shown over the years that they are proven match-winners. Jantjies battled to get going when the Lions lost their opening match against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires last week. The Lions captain only managed three points, after succeeding with a first half penalty, and he will be determined to deliver an improved showing on his home turf.

In O’Connor, he faces a tough adversary, who impressed despite finishing on the losing side in the Reds’ opening fixture against the Brumbies in Canberra. O’Connor proved a handful on attack in that match and finished with 49 metres gained from 13 runs with one clean break and three defenders. Those impressive statistics have resulted in him being entrusted with chief playmaking duties for this fixture and he will be keen to get the better of Jantjies, who seldom under-performs in Johannesburg.

Subplot to watch – Will the Hurricanes bounce back?

The 2016 champions made a horrible start to the 2020 campaign when they suffered a humiliating 27-0 defeat against the Stormers in their season opener last weekend. For a New Zealand side not to score any points in this competition is a rare occurrence and Jason Holland and his charges will be keen to right the wrongs from that match when they return to action against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

With experienced head coach John Plumtree – who took them to the semi-finals last year – now part of the All Blacks coaching set-up and first-choice fly-half Beauden Barrett joining the Blues, the Hurricanes are a team in the midst of a transition. Losing a coach and player of that calibre, as well as the services of star back-row Ardie Savea, would be a big setback for any side and it will be interesting to see if they can turn things around this weekend.

However, they face a tough task against a Jaguares team who showed in last week’s 38-8 triumph over the Lions that they will be difficult to beat on their home turf as they have several attacking threats throughout their ranks.

Best of the rest

Round Two’s action gets underway in Dunedin on Friday when the Highlanders host the Sharks in what is the first game of the season for the home side. The men from Durban will be keen to build on an impressive start to the season, after notching a 23-15 home win over the Bulls last week. They will be in confident mood this weekend as they have won 12 out of the 20 matches between these sides over the years, with two of those wins achieved in the most recent encounters in 2016 and 2018.

After that, the Brumbies take on the Rebels in an Australian derby in Canberra. The Brumbies will be desperate for a result as they have lost their last four matches against the Rebels and last won against their opponents in Canberra in 2017. The only other match of the weekend sees the Waratahs hosting the Blues in Newcastle. Although they are the away team, the Blues should enter this one fancying their chances as they have been victorious in this fixture on the last four occasions, with the Waratahs’ last win registered in 2015.

Blues