Talking points ahead of Super Rugby
A potential try-scoring clinic in Suva and pivotal games for the Hurricanes and Kings, here are the main talking points ahead of Round 13.
1) Fijian festival of tries
There was so much to like about the meeting between these two sides in Suva last year, but what stuck in the mind in the following weeks was the way both teams produced an excellent contest despite torrential conditions.
The first-ever Super Rugby match was met by an outstanding crowd and they sure got a treat with some of the running rugby by Damian McKenzie and a quality team try by the Crusaders before the break.
Thankfully one year on the forecast for Friday’s game is all sunshine, and tries as a result are expected – lots of them. Last week’s Crusaders-Hurricanes meeting might have been all about defence, but the Chiefs will pose a sterner test at scrum-time with that engine room of Dominic Bird and Brodie Retallick, meaning cleaner ball. As a result we might get one of the games of the season.
2) Chance for the Blues?
Down in Cape Town this week on the back of putting 50 points on the Cheetahs, one big reason why the Blues are far from huge outsiders at Newlands comes down to the Stormers running low on options at fly-half.
Without Jean-Luc du Plessis and now Robert du Preez, head coach Robbie Fleck has turned to Dillyn Leyds to step into the 10 shirt for Friday’s match-up, and it feels like a risk. Leyds is no rookie at fly-half but also hasn’t played there since high school, with the other options available being Brandon Thomson and ex-Sharks and Cheetahs back Joe Pietersen.
Leyds however has got the nod, and how he fares feels pivotal to the outcome of this fixture with the Blues high on confidence and their two young locks, Patrick Tuipulotu and Scott Scrafton, absolutely flying in terms of confidence. Certainly one of the more interesting games this weekend.
3) Response from the Hurricanes
Tough trip for the Cheetahs to Wellington on Saturday given the defending champions will still be smarting from failing to cross the whitewash against the Crusaders, and a response from Beauden Barrett and a criticised tight five should be expected.
The latter group will certainly need to deliver given the Cheetahs’ finely-tuned rolling maul, which produced three tries in Auckland, and after Chris Boyd’s backing for his scrum earlier this week he will expect to see a strong outing from starting props Ben May and Jeff Toomaga-Allen.
The scrum of course was not the only problem, with the Hurricanes not winning enough of the collisions and struggling at the breakdown. All of those shortcomings will have been drilled home this week.
4) Long road home for the Highlanders
Stopping off in Perth on the way back to New Zealand is no picnic; just ask the Chiefs, who to the surprise of many laboured their way to victory earlier in the season at nib Stadium as the Force pack piled on the pressure. Saturday’s trip to Western Australia poses a similar problem for the Highlanders after two demanding but very different games in South Africa.
The dramatic comeback against the Cheetahs is unlikely to be bettered in 2017, while last Saturday’s game in Pretoria was a complete scrap in the wet requiring that moment of Malakai Fekitoa magic after a red card apiece for each side.
Having Lima Sopoaga back in the fold is a major plus for Tony Brown, even if the All Black can only start from the bench. Injuries and suspensions though are a problem, with no Waisake Naholo, Ben Smith, Liam Squire, Luke Whitelock or Dan Pryor to name a few. Having left it late the last two weeks, the Highlanders’ luck might run out there against a stubborn Force outfit.
5) Stamp of authority from the Lions
Everyone recognises the gulf in class between the Lions and Bulls currently in Super Rugby. In terms of culture, style and execution there is no contest. Even in their worst performance of the season last weekend in Canberra the Lions still came away with a win, largely thanks to Kwagga Smith’s Sevens speed.
All meaning that a big win is expected on the Lions’ return to Ellis Park. The Bulls’ statement earlier this week regarding a thorough review of the franchise was enough to tell you about the three-time champions’ current slump in form and confidence.
On the other hand, anything less than a clinic from Johan Ackermann’s Lions would be disappointing given the obvious class in their ranks, which has shone through without the unavailable Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Ruan Combrinck and over the last few weeks, Jaco Kriel.
6) Kings to do it again?
You would have been hard pressed to convince us at the start of the year that the Kings would win three matches in a row, with one of those coming in Australia, after the lacklustre effort we watched from the Port Elizabeth franchise back in 2016.
However the winds of change have been felt since the start of the season from Deon Davids’ group, who have only improved as time has gone on this year, hence the inclusion of four players in the latest Springbok training camp in Chris Cloete, Andisa Ntsila, Lionel Cronje and Makazole Mapimpi.
This is certainly not a vintage Brumbies outfit by any means, giving the Kings a chance, and if they do make it four wins in a row then serious questions about whether they are the right South African team to axe need to be asked. Fun fact: both teams have the same number of table points (19) going into the weekend. Yet it’s the Brumbies in a play-off spot…