For the second time in two weeks the Hurricanes scraped home by one point to deny the Brumbies after the final hooter. After trailing since the first quarter, Hurricanes’ Number 8 Thomas Waldrom crashed over in the corner to hand the Brumbies their second last gasp loss of the season by 11-10.

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On the heels of two tryless games and some woeful refereeing, the Super 14 is rapidly becoming the Average 14. After showing some signs of once again being the world’s premier club competition in Week 2, Week 3 saw a return to poor handling, clueless attack and awful decision making. The only improvement for most teams came from their defense with far fewer tackles being missed.

Hurricanes vs Brumbies
Going against the current trend of playing badly, the Hurricanes are one of the form teams so far in the Super 14. With good wins over the Chiefs and Blues in the last two weeks, the Hurricanes are brimming with confidence. The Brumbies, by contrast, bungled their way to an ugly win against the Reds and are yet to turn in a convincing win. Neither team has really put their opposition away this season with the Hurricanes’ largest winning margin being 7 points against the Chiefs, and the Brumbies’ 6 against the same Chiefs.

The only signifigant injury to come out of last week’s games for either team with to Brumbies’ centre Stirling Mortlock who was almost decapitated by a shocking tackle by the Reds’ Lloyd Johansen. Mortlock misses this game with a head injury.

While both teams have records of 2 wins and 1 loss, the Hurricanes are the team in better form and should carve up the Brumbies.

Highlanders vs Stormers
After three away games the Highlanders will finally play their first home game of the season. The Highlanders’ tour of Australia and South Africa can hardly be considered a successful one with their only win coming against the Force back in Week 1. The Stormers have also only registered one win this season, coming last week when they beat the Chiefs in Cape Town.

Only one man in the Highlanders squad is capable of turning around their season: Nick Evans, and he is yet to play a single game. But even without Evans the Highlanders should be more than a match for the Stormers, who traditionally do not play well away from home.

Blues vs Reds
Although the Blues lost their undefeated record last weekend, they are still clearly one of the best teams in the tournament. With former All Black Ben Atinga returning to the line up, the Blues already powerful back line got even better. The Reds, however, are a team in trouble. After a good first round win, the Reds have lost their last two outings, including the lowest scoring game in Super Rugby history last weekend. Added to the lack of form is the loss of key players, prop Greg Holmes to injury and Lloyd Johansen to suspension.

Last weekend saw the Reds on the wrong end of some poor refereeing, and coach Eddie Jones was fined A$10,000 for pointing this out. However, even without help from the referee the Blues have too much firepower for the Reds.

Force vs Lions
At the beginning of the season these two teams were picked to be fighting it out for last place. Both teams have 2 wins and 1 loss records and have beaten some tough opposition. Last weekend saw the Lions grind out a win over the defending champion Crusaders, while the Force continued their winning ways against a good Bulls team.

Oddly enough, the Force have never won a home game in Super 14 rugby, but with both teams making the long flight from South Africa to Perth this week, home advantage may not be a big advantage. Force winger Cameron Shepherd has been the find of the season so far, scoring all but 5 of the Force’s 30 points against the Bulls last weekend. Big money signing Matt Giteau is starting to slot in well at first five, despite it not being his prefered position.

The Lions are not quite as good as their record indicates, having beaten the struggling Highlanders and a below par Crusaders. The Force should finally score their first home win this weekend.

Bulls vs Chiefs
Even with the return of lock Keith Robinson and fringe All Black Sione Lauaki, the Chiefs’ semi finals hopes are all but gone. With no wins from three games, the Chiefs have been the biggest disappointment of the season so far. Poor decision making by key players and handling errors have all contributed to the Chiefs’ woes this season.

Poor decision making also featured in the Bulls’ loss to the Force last weekend. With 5 minutes to play Bulls’ captain Viktor Matfield inexplicably turned down three chances to level the scores, ultimately costing his team the match. However, Matfield will have learned from his error and will likely take every shot at goal offered. With the Bulls’ massive forward pack, dominating the out of sorts Chiefs will be easy and a comfortable win should get the Bulls’ season back on track.

Cheetahs vs Crusaders
Would the real Crusaders please stand up? The team who played last week against the Lions might have been wearing Crusaders’ shirts, but they played nothing like the Crusaders. The Crusaders’ stated goal for this three game tour of South Africa was to win at least two games, with next week’s opponent the unbeaten Sharks, a good win is vital for the defending champions.

In the first half of last week’s game the Cheetahs put the Waratahs to the sword, dominating every facet of the game, but then fell away in the second half. The Crusaders often win their games in the last quarter, so if they can stay close to the Cheetahs they are in with a chance. But if they play as badly as they did last week, the Cheetahs will score a big win. Fully deserving of their current second place on the table, the Cheetahs should deal to the out of sorts champs, but losing two in a row is not the Crusaders’ style. This game will most likely be decided by less than 5 points.

The Super 14 rolls into week three on the back of some much improved play - but still has a long way to go. This weekend’s round also sees no Friday night game being played in New Zealand and all 5 South African teams playing home games.

With the entire Super 14 pack still very tightly bunched, points this weekend will be very precious. No one team has really stamped their mark on this year’s competition yet, and while the Sharks and Blues are unbeaten, neither team has looked a great deal better than their opposition.

Stormers vs Chiefs
Week 3 opens with a battle of the winless teams. The Stormers are yet to register a competition point or score a try, while the Chiefs are not completely out of contention having score 3 bonus points in their two games. Both teams face an uphill battle from this point if they hope to secure a semi final berth.

The Chiefs are a team that has been ravaged by injury. Flying winger Soseni Anesi is out for the rest of the competition with 2 broken vertebrae in his neck, captain Jono Gibbs will miss several weeks with a calf tear and first choice players Richard Kahui, Sione Lauaki and Keith Robinson still haven’t recovered from preseason injuries.

For the last two weeks the Chiefs could have won if only they had taken their chances, but the Stormers have been awful. On a wet night in Cape Town last week the Stormers failed to adapt to the slippery conditions and ultimately were well beaten by the Western Force.

This game is likely to be ugly with two teams struggling for form. However even with all their injuries the Chiefs should still be able to win this match.

Bulls vs Force
Like most of the Super 14 teams, both the Bulls and Force have a win and a loss to their names this season. However, the quality of opposition so far has been greatly different. The Force lost at home to a sub standard Highlanders team, then went on to beat an even worse Stormers team in Cape Town, while the Bulls lost to current front runners the Sharks away from home before muscling up to beat the Cheetahs in Pretoria.

Force playmaker James Hilgendorf is still out with a groin injury, so once again Matt Giteau will play at first five. Last week Giteau looked good in this role, but will have far less time to make decisions against the monstrous Bulls’ forward pack. The loss of game breaking winger Brian Habana will hurt the Bulls abilities out wide, but their strengths lie with their forward pack and the kicking game of first five Morne Steyn.

Beating the Bulls in Pretoria usually requires teams to dive into the trenches and win the war against the Bulls’ forwards, something the Force pack simply cannot do. Bulls to win comfortably.

Hurricanes vs Blues
The only match to be played in New Zealand this round is an all New Zealand affair from Wellington. The Blues are one of only two unbeaten teams in the tournament with a good win against the defending champions Crusaders in week 1, followed up by their last second victory against the Brumbies last week. The Hurricanes improved greatly from their first up loss to the Reds to beat the Chiefs last weekend in Hamilton.

Both teams go into this game with few injury worries, Hurricanes’ captain Conrad Smith remains sidelined with an eye injury but former All Black captain Tana Umaga has filled Smith’s role well.

The Blues showed a great deal of grit to beat the Brumbies in pouring rain. By contrast the Hurricanes’ flair of old was back against the Chiefs. With good weather forecast for this game, both teams should be able to play their natural games which will make for an excellent spectacle.

The Blues played well in all areas of the game in their last outing, while the Hurricanes need to improve their defense in close to have any chance in this game. I’m picking a Hurricanes’ win.

Red vs Brumbies
This all Australian affair is about all about pride - state pride, player’s pride and the pride of former Brumbies’ coach and current Reds’ coach Eddie Jones. As well as pride being on the line, Super 14 points are vital for both teams’ confidence.

The Brumbies have narrowly beat the luckless Chiefs and then suffered a last minute loss to the Blues, in both games the Brumbies have failed to look like a team that has won two Super Rugby titles. The return of playmaker Stephen Larkham seemed to hurt more than it helped as Larkham looks to have lost confidence to run with the ball, something stand in Julian Huxley did well against the Chiefs.

A home win against the Hurricanes got the season off to a good start for the Reds, but last week in Christchurch the Crusaders were too good for them. Injuries have been avoided by all key Reds players so far and league convert Clinton Schifcofske is already the pick of the off seasons signings. Schifcofske has so far proven to be an excellent goal kicker, a solid full back and a counter attacking threat. If he continues to improve a Wallabies’ jersey is no far away for him.

This match will be won off the field, not on it. The brilliant mind of Eddie Jones will give the Reds the edge, Jones knows the Brumbies’ weaknesses and will instruct his players to exploit them. Reds win in an upset.

Cheetahs vs Waratahs
The Cheetahs are yet another team that has played well so far this season but failed to turn chances into points and are suffering for it. The Waratahs have looked like a team that spent the off season on the beach rather than training, struggling to beat the Lions and then meekly rolled over against the Sharks in week 2.

When the Cheetahs have everyone on the same page they are a force to be reckoned with,  however, much like the Hurricanes they are a confidence team. If the Waratahs have a little luck early on and catch the Cheetahs with their heads down, they are in with a chance. But there’s an old saying in sports, “You’ve got to be lucky to be good, and you’ve got to be good to be lucky.” Cheetahs pull off an easy win.

Lions vs Crusaders
Despite a win last week against the Highlanders, this is a Lions team that will struggle throughout the Super 14. Last week’s win may have given them a boost in confidence but this is a team who will not come close to the defending champion Crusaders.

Looking more like the Crusaders of old against the Reds, the Crusaders scored 5 tries and broke the line regularly. Against the Lions they will break the line even more. Stephen Brett showed his class last week directing a back line that is now starting the gel together and kicking goals. Rua Tipoki provides the Crusaders an experienced mid field player and has played well since his move to second five.

The Lions took their one and only real chance in an awful game with the Highlanders. The notoriously stingy Crusaders will likely not even provide that as they hand the Lions their second loss of the season.

Sharks vs Highlanders
Can the Sharks keep their unbeaten record intact? Almost certainly yes. The Highlanders, who are only fielding local players this season due to financial restraints, have only scored one try in their first two games. The Sharks have conceeded none.

Stand out Highlanders’ forwards Josh Blackie and James Ryan are really the only things the Highlanders have going for them. With play maker Nick Evans back in New Zealand healing up his injured knee the Highlanders’ back line has been without direction.

The Sharks by contrast have been ruthlessly efficient in all facets of the game, dispatching the Bulls and Waratahs easily. The Highlanders are unlikely to test the Sharks much this week and a win will see the Sharks stay at the top of the table. The real test for the Sharks this season will come after their first 5 games, all at home, during their tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Week 2 is over and the Super 14 is finally showing signs of actually being super. After a decidedly average opening weekend, the second weekend of Super Rugby provided some upsets, some excellent games and some terrible weather.

The Sharks and Blues both top the table as the only unbeaten teams, while the Chiefs and Stormers are yet to win - in fact the Stormers are yet to score a try. The luckless Chiefs have also lost two more key players with inspirational captain Jono Gibbs out with a torn calf muscle and the speedy Soseni Anesi hospitalized with a neck injury.

Chiefs 32 Hurricanes 39

The round opened in Hamilton with two New Zealand teams looking to record their first wins of the season. In a game that featured some brilliant attacking and blown chances, the Hurricanes came away with the win. After an early try to halfback Alby Matthewson put the Hurricanes in the lead, the Chiefs twice dropped the ball with the line open and had another try ruled out after the last pass floated forward. The Chiefs finally did answer through halfback Brendon Leonard. After Hurricanes’ Serge Lilo and Chiefs’ Liam Messam traded tries, the Chiefs looked to be going into the half time break up 15-14, however an ill directed pass from stand in captain Stephen Bates was scooped up by Hurricanes’ winger Ma’a Nonu who ran 40 metres to score, giving the Hurricanes a 19-15 half time advantage.

The second half scoring began with a long range penalty goal by the Chiefs’ Stephen Donald before Hurricanes’ captain Tana Umaga scored the first bonus point try of the season. At the 54 minute mark the Hurricanes looked to have wrapped the game up when Hosea Gear made a clean break and set up Umaga for what should have been his second try of the match. Instead Umaga dropped the ball while attempting to ground it. Chiefs’ winger Roy Kininilau struck back almost immediately with a try in the corner, finishing off a well worked back line move. After a Jimmy Gopperth penalty goal stretched the Hurricanes’ lead to 4 point, the Chiefs scored again, this time hooker Tom Willis driving over in a rolling maul. Another Gopperth penalty leveled the scores before Hurricanes’ lock Paul Tito’s try sealed the match for the Hurricanes.

Stormers 3 Force 22

The Western Force racked up their second win in franchise history as they beat the woeful Stormers on a wet Cape Town evening. League convert Ryan Cross scored the only try of the match for the Force, while Cameron Shepherd kicked 5 penalty goals and a conversion for a 17 point haul on the night. Stormer’s first five Naas Oliver scored the only points for his side with a second half penalty as the rain intensified. Both teams were guilty of a lot of handling errors as the rain made the ball and footing extremely slippery.

Sharks 22 Waratahs 9

The Sharks racked up their second home win of the season to go to the top of the table as one of only two teams left unbeaten. In the oppressive heat and humidity of Durban, this match threatened to go tryless. The only try of the match was scored by Sharks’ first five Butch James at the 77 minute mark as the Waratahs desperately counterattacked. Down by only 9-15 late in the game Waratahs’ winger Lote Tuqiri attempted a chip and chase which back fired leading to the James try. It was the only time the Sharks really threatened the Waratahs’ line in the entire match. Waratah’s goal kicker Peter Hewat kicked only 3 goals from his 7 attempts.

Crusaders 33 Reds 22

In what was easily the best game of the round the Crusaders came back from last week’s loss to beat a valiant Reds team. The Crusaders’ defense improved greatly over last week’s effort, at one stage defending for 21 phases before forcing at turn over. The Reds conservative game plan worked well against the Hurricanes last week, but against the Crusaders’ wall like defense the Reds were unable to adapt.

Crusaders’ rookie first five Stephen Brett opened the scoring with a try from a clean break close to the line. Another midfield break setup lock Ross Filipo for the Crusaders’ second try of the evening. The Reds finally got on the scoreboard five minutes before half time with a try from a line out drive by prop Greg Holmes. A penalty from Clinton Schifcofske just before the break made the score 14-8 at half time. Two more Schicofske penalties early in the second half leveled the score before Reds’ winger Peter Hynds was gifted a try after an ill directed kick by Rico Gear. The Crusaders fought back and scored mid way through the half when Number 8 Mose Tuiali’i crashed over after a quick tap penalty. Schicofske retook the lead for the Reds with another penalty goal, but late tries to Scott Hamilton and Brent Ward secured the Crusaders’ first victory of the season.

Brumbies 15 Blues 17

The Blues stole victory with a conversion after the final hooter to beat the Brumbies in a rain soaked Canberra. With thunder booming overhead as the game got underway, it was soon clear that conditions would not allow the open running rugby fans have come to expect from both sides.

As Brumbies’ fullback Julian Huxley attempted his first shot at goal the stadium was lit up by a lightning flash and Huxley’s kick sailed wide. Returning All Black Luke McAlister set up the first half’s only try, scored by Blues’ first five Isa Nacewa, while Huxley kicked three penalties to give the Brumbies a 9-7 half time lead. As conditions steadily worsened thoughout the second half, the teams traded penalty goals, then Huxley added another to put the Brumbies up by 15-10. Brumbies’ first five Stephan Larkham had a chance to put the game beyond doubt with a drop goal attempt, but hit the crossbar. With less than a minute to play Brumbies’ captain Alister Campbell was sin binned for a professional foul. From the ensuing penalty the Blues kicked to touch, won the line out and drove over for prop Simone Taumoepeau to score a try which levelled the scores. After the hooter sounded and amid boos from the home fans, Nacewa kicked the sideline conversion to give the Blues an unlikely victory.

Bull 24 Cheetahs 20

The Bulls pack dominated up front and helped their side win their first game of the 2007 Super 14. Outscoring the Cheetahs by 3 tries to 2 the Bulls were always in charge and the final scoreline is not really a fair reflection of the Bulls’ dominance. The Bulls scored the only try of the first half when prop Wessel Roux crashed over, and led 7-6 at the break. Bulls winger Bryan Habana scored early in the second half, then promply left the field injured. After CJ van der Linde galloped 50 metres to score for the Cheetahs, replacement Jaco Engels put the game beyond doubt, scoring the Bulls’ third try. Eddie Freddricks scored a late consolation try for the Cheetahs.

Lions 11 Highlanders 6

The Lions scored the game’s only try in a decidedly un-”Super” encounter in Johanesburg. Lions winger Wylie Human charged down a clearing kick and sprinted 40 metres unopposed to score. The rest of the game’s points came from the goalkickers, Louis Strydom kicking two penalties for the Lions and Callum Bruce and Charlie Hore kicking one each for the Highlanders. Despite playing in a pack that was on the back foot for most of the game, Highlanders’ captain Josh Blackie once again shone in an otherwise uninspiring game.

Last week the Southern Hemisphere club competition, the Super 14, got off to a lacklustre start in games featuring poor handling, missed tackles and a bunch of yellow cards. Now that all 14 teams have had 80 minutes of game time, we should be able to look forward to an improvement in standard this weekend.

Several teams have already suffered injuries to key players with Hurricanes captain Conrad Smith likely to miss several weeks with an eye injury, Force playmaker James Hilgendorf out with a groin strain and Highlanders game breaker Nick Evans is yet to recover from a preseason knee injury.

The new scrum engagement process also moves into its second week and is getting mixed reviews. Many spectators are saying that the new four stage process has ruined the scrum as a spectacle and made defending at scrum time much more difficult. While All Blacks and Hurricanes prop Neemia Tialata has endorsed the new sequence.

Chiefs vs Hurricanes

This weekend’s round kicks off with an all Kiwi affair from Hamilton. Both teams are coming off narrow losses last week and are better than their previous outings. The Hurricanes have lost captain and centre Conrad Smith to injury but his replacement, former All Black captain Tana Umaga, is more than capable of filling Smith’s place in midfield. The Chiefs’ only injury to come out of last week’s game against the Brumbies was to reserve first five Tasesa Lavea.

Both teams played well at times in last week’s losses and could have snatched at least a draw with better goal kicking. A loss this week will make the battle for a semi final spot an uphill battle. The Chiefs forward pack performed well despite having both Jono Gibbs and Marty Holah spending time in the sin bin, while the Hurricanes forwards competed well during the first half against the Reds. Injuries to two props meant the Hurricanes played uncontested scrums for most of the second half, this placed too many forwards in the back line and ruined any chance for the Hurricane backs to cut loose.

This game will close and whichever team makes the fewest mistakes will likely come away with the points. Home advantage means I am picking the Chiefs.

Stormers vs Force

Another two teams coming off first round losses, both will be looking for good performances to boost their confidence. The Force played poorly against a sub-standard Highlanders team, going down 8-7, while the Stormers could only manage 3 penalties in their 27-9 loss to the Cheetahs. Force playmakers James Hilgendorf is out with a groin strain, forcing new signing Matt Giteau into the pivot role.

Like last year’s team, the Force look good on paper but are yet to really fire, while the Stormers need to score points at home before embarking on a long tour to New Zealand and Australia. This game will likely be won up front, and in this area the Stormers hold an advantage. I’m picking the Stormers to win this game.

Sharks vs Waratahs

This game will be the first real test for both teams. The Waratahs easily accounted for the hapless Lions, while the Sharks were able to grind out a victory against the Bulls. The Waratahs will doubtless feel more at home in sea level Durban than the high altitude of Pretoria, however the Sharks will provide a far sterner test than the Bulls.

Both teams will be looking to improve on their poor handling last week, although the Durban humidity will make that a difficult task. In this match both forward packs match up extremely well and this game will likely be won by one of the many game breakers like Lote Tuqiri for the Waratahs or JP Pietersen for the Sharks. I think the Sharks will win this match.

Crusaders vs Reds

Saturday night’s matches kick off with what could be the match of the round. The Crusaders have not lost a home match in almost three years, a record that could be in danger this weekend. The Reds played a conservative, forwards based game against the Hurricanes and will likely use similar tactics again. The Crusaders had their chances against the Blues, but too many handling errors and missed tackles cost them the game. Rua Tipoki and Casey Laulala swap positions in mid field giving the Crusaders a stronger defense in close, while allowing Laulala to range wider where he is far more effective.

The Reds have not beaten the Crusaders since 1999 and this trend will likely continue if the Crusaders can shore up their defensive wall. The Reds kicking game worked well against the counter attack minded Hurricanes, however the more conservative Crusaders’ back three will handle this game plan better. Look for the Crusaders to win this one.

Brumbies vs Blues

In this top quality clash, two genuine contenders meet in Canberra. The Blues dealt to the defending champion Crusaders last week, while the Brumbies looked a bit shaky against the Chiefs. With All Black Luke McAlister returning to the Blues line up in place of the injured Isa Nacewa the Blues have strengthened their back line, while Wallaby Stephen Larkham returns for the Brumbies. Last week Brumbies’ first five Julian Huxley controlled play with his long kicking game, but with Huxley now at fullback he will have to look to run more often against a Blues team who will attack from anywhere.

The Blues forward pack dominated the Crusaders in all aspects of the game - especially at scrum time, an area the Brumbies struggled in. Both teams kept to their game plan and showed excellent discipline, if they repeat this, the fans will be in for an excellent game of rugby. I pick the Blues to win, but not by much.

Bulls vs Cheetahs

The Cheetahs were held scoreless for almost the entire first half of their last game by the Stormers before coming away with a comfortable win. The Bulls, however, only managed 3 points against a sub par Sharks. The Cheetahs forward pack muscled up and ground the Sharks into the ground, however this is a risky tactic against a huge Bulls forward pack. Last season the Cheetahs beat the Bulls with running rugby, negating the big Bulls forwards. The Bulls will be feeling the pressure to not disappoint their home fans two weeks in a row but another loss seems likely against the improving Cheetahs.

Lions vs Highlanders

After beating a woeful Force team last week, the Highlanders are in position for an ideal start to the season against the Lions. With playmaker Andre Pretorius the Lions team will struggle against most Super 14 teams, but with Pretorius out injured this week any hope the Lions had is now gone. The Highlanders, who are probably the worst of the New Zealand teams in Super Rugby, will be far too strong for the Lions this week.

The schedule tells us this is the final game of the round robin series but in reality today’s Commonwealth Bank Series game is a sudden death match between New Zealand and England. Both teams have 2 wins each, and victory for either will put them through to the final to play Australia.

England come into this game on a high, having beaten Australia in their last outing and now have been given a further boost with the news that captain Michael Vaughan has been passed fit to play. Vaughan’s addition strengthens an English top order that is finally beginning to show some form. England made 292 against Australia on Friday in Sydney with Ed Joyce scoring 107 and Ian Bell 51. The English bowlers restricted Australia to a mere 200 in that game with some accurate bowling, but this has been an inconsistent summer for the English attack and they may struggle to reach those heights again.

New Zealand’s line up has been getting stronger and stronger this summer as players like Jacob Oram and Scott Styris returned from injury. The addition of Lou Vincent has re-energized the top order, allowing the batting line up to post some big scores. Recently New Zealand has been let down by their bowling, giving away too many runs and not taking enough wickets. Shane Bond has looked flat in recent outings and may struggle to back up, having played Sunday night.

England have won the toss and chosen to bat first on a pitch that looks just about perfect for batting. Today is a typical Brisbane day, hot and humid, which will make fielding for the New Zealanders uncomfortable. Traditionally teams that win the toss, bat first and score a lot of runs almost always win at Brisbane, so the challenge in front of England it to score around 280. New Zealand will need early wickets to slow the English run rate, something their attack is capable of if Bond, James Franklin and Mark Gillespie are on their game.

Both teams’ bowling attacks hold the key to this game on a hard and true pitch. On a perfect batting wicket it will be the bowlers who decide which team will go on to face Australia in the finals series.

Week 1 of the 2007 Super 14 is in the books, dominated by rusty players, upsets and yellow cards. This year’s Super 14 has started 2 weeks earlier than any other Super Rugby tournament and one of the side effects of this early start has been that teams look under-prepared. Handling errors, missed tackles and bad decisions littered every game, but with the calibre of players in the tournament this trend is unlikely to continue. However, the early start needs to be rethought.

Another trend that came out of this weekend’s games was the willingness of referees to deal with back chat and dish out yellow cards. Several players found themselves offside with referees for verbal chips they would have gotten away with last year, some costing their teams an extra 10 metres after conceding penalties. Referees also dished out at least one yellow card in 4 of the 7 games played.

Blues 34 Crusaders 25

Two traditional rivals opened this year’s Super 14 in Auckland with a game that was probably the match of the round. Both teams have lost several key players to the All Blacks preseason conditioning program but were still able to perform to a high standard. The Blues were the better prepared of the two teams, looking sharper and more cohesive in all aspects of the game. Blues Captain Troy Flavell played well, helping set up the first Blues try, but undid all his good work when he was sin binned late in the game. The Crusaders looked underdone with their forward pack dominated and their usual staunch defense leaky. Crusaders’ captain Corey Flynn scored the team’s opening try, followed by Mose Tuiali’i and Rico Gear while Isaia Toeava, Rudi Wulf and Doug Howlett dotted down for the Blues.

Force 7 Highlanders 8

In a scrappy and error ridden game the Force proved that buying big name players does not guarantee success. In financial terms, these teams are polar opposites with the Force buying in several new players, while a lack of funds has forced the Highlanders to field only local players. On the field the new Force players Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell and league convert Ryan Cross failed to fire, but returning players Scott Staniforth and James Hilgendorf did - Staniforth breaking tackles and setting up Hilgendorf for the Force’s only try. Hilgendorf would later leave the field with a groin injury. Highlanders’ captain Josh Blackie scored his teams only try after a botched clearance by the Force. Prop Clarke Dermody was sin binned after punching Matt Henjak.

Lions 16 Waratahs 25

The new look and renamed Lions performed like the Cats of last season falling to a disappointing home defeat at the hands of the Waratahs. The Lions were in the game until later in the second half, trailing by only 16-6 at half time and 16-18 with 18 minutes to play. However the Waratahs were able to extend their lead during the last quarter and came away three tries to one winners. Jacque Fourie saw a yellow card after a lifting tackle on Lote Tuqiri as the procession of yellow cards continued.

Chiefs 15 Brumbies 21

The Brumbies hit the ground running for the 2007 Super 14 with an impressive win over the luckless Chiefs. In a game that featured a lot of aimless kicking and three yellow cards, it was the Brumbies who took their chances to come away with the points. Chiefs captain Jono Gibbs saw a yellow card after a high tackle, soon followed by Brumbies open sider George Smith for repeatedly infringing at the breakdown. Chiefs open sider Marty Holah joined Smith in spending 10 minutes on the side line for the same offence, as both teams continued to spoil opposition ball despite repeated warnings from the referee. Brumbies’ replacement first five Julian Huxley controlled the tempo of the game for his side and in the end it was his goal kicking that was the difference between the two teams. While the Chiefs scored three tries to two, they were unable to kick any goals.

Sharks 17 Bulls 3

JP Pieteren scored two tries as the Sharks beat the Bulls in Durban in an error filled scrappy game. The Sharks led 7-3 at half time and only 10-3 with five minutes to play before Pietersen’s second try sealed the match for the home team. Both teams defended staunchly but attacked poorly, the Bulls looking particularly lost on attack, their only points coming via a Morne Steyn penalty.

Cheetahs 27 Stormers 9

In a game that remained scoreless for 39 minutes the Stormers became the second team to finish the round without crossing the goal line. The Cheetahs forwards contributed all the tries, while centre Meyer Bosman kicked four penalties. Hooker Adriaan Strauss gave the Cheetahs a 5-0 half time lead in the 39th minute, while Springboks prop CJ van der Linde and flanker Kabamba Floors added tries in the second half. All of the Stormers points came from the boot of first five Naas Oliver who kicked three second half penalties.

Shortly Australia play New Zealand in their final game of Commonwealth Bank Series before the finals. Australia have already qualified for the final series, while New Zealand need at least one more victory to secure their place. After England’s shock victory over the Australians on Friday night, the Kiwis and English find themselves tied on 9 points in the three team series.  A New Zealand victory tonight is no guarantee of a finals place however, with England able to qualify under certain circumstances.

Tonight’s match comes from the majestic Melbourne Cricket Ground, site of the series opener and traditionally a fantastic one day batting ground. Its long boundaries are difficult to defend and should prove a challenge for big hitters such as New Zealand’s Jacob Oram to clear.

Ricky Ponting returns to the Australian team today in place of the injured Andrew Symonds, while Scott Styris makes his long awaited return to the New Zealand side.  With both teams batting line ups striking excellent form towards the end of this series this match could well be decided by the bowlers. Both teams have gone for a fast bowling based attack with New Zealand bringing in Mark Gillespie for Jeetan Patel, and Australia continuing their rotation of bowlers dropping Glen McGrath and Nathan Bracken for Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee.

New Zealand have won the toss and elected to bat first, which has been their pattern this summer.  Having finally solved their opening partnership woes with the addition of Lou Vincent the Kiwis will be looking to make a total of around 280 to defend later tonight. The New Zealand batting line up has begun to come into form in the latter part of this series with Ross Taylor, Jacob Oram and Brendan McCullum all making big scores.

The Australian team has been in magnificent form all summer but appear to have gotten speed woobles of late. When their loss to England on Friday is combined with their narrow victory over New Zealand the last time the teams met, there are danger signs for the Australians. Their last few games have been meaningless, having qualified for the final some time age, can Australia pick themselves up mentally for the finals series?

Teams

New Zealand

1. Lou Vincent
2. Stephen Fleming
3. Peter Fulton
4. Ross Taylor
5. Scott Styris
6. Jacob Oram
7. Brendan McCullum
8. Daniel Vettori
9. James Franklin
10. Shane Bond
11. Mark Gillespie

Australia

1. Adam Gilchrist
2. Matthew Hayden
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Brad Hodge
5. Michael Clarke
6. Mike Hussey
7. Cameron White
8. Brett Lee
9. Mitchell Johnson
10. Stuart Clark
11. Shaun Tait

Blues 34 Crusaders 25

The opening game of Super 14 is in the books and already certain experiments seem doomed to failure. More on those a bit later. The Blues looked the sharper of the two teams right from the start, including the 4 minutes before the first stoppage. The Blues forward pack dominated from the outset with several forwards making big breaks and captain Troy Flavell was on hand to give the final pass in the Blues first try, scored by Isaia Toeava.

The Crusaders, who traditionally start Super rugby slowly, looked like a team who were a week short in preparation. The backline struggled for continuity and the whole team missed too many tackles. When the Crusaders’ backline did gel they were impressive, but these breaks were few and far between. Captain Corey Flynn scored the first try for the Crusaders after a botched David Gibson clearance which bounced off one of his own players.

The second half provided some entertainment as the Blues stretched their lead with a try by Doug Howlett. Despite a valiant Crusaders’ comeback, the Blues came away with a good win.

Some of the failed experiments I mentioned earlier on.

1. Casey Laulala at second five. Laulala was a defensive liability for most of the game, stuggled to distribute ball and provides nothing in a kicking game. Coach Robbie Deans is likely to continue with this experiment for another couple of weeks before giving up on it, but the sooner the better. Laulala is an excellent centre, but paired with Rua Tipoki he adds very little. My theory on mid field backs is that one should be able to beat the line with skill, the other with power. Laulala and Tipoki both play very similar games and should be separated.
2. The new scrum engagement laws. While the new engagement process worked well for the first hour of the game, once the players became fatigued the addition of two commands from the referee (”crouch & hold” was only ever one command) served only to confuse players and make the engagement sequence more difficult. The IRB claimed the reasoning behind the change was to depower the engagement and in this repect the change in a success, however it tilts the balance too far in favour of the attacking team and makes defending at the scrum far more difficult.
3. Troy Flavell as captain. While Flavell’s sin binning was debatable, a captain should never put himself in that position. Steve Devine’s stomp at the same ruck was worse, but Flavell’s well earned reputation as a dirty player means referees keep a close eye on him and it was Flavell who saw yellow, not Devine.

So the Super 14 is under way for 2007, my post match wrap this season will be mostly limited to Crusaders matches, however I will be providing a full round up of results on either Sunday or Monday as well as a full round preview on Thursday or Friday. Looking forward to the Force vs Highlanders game later on tonight where we’ll start to get an idea if Matt Giteau is with the big bucks he’s being paid. Enjoy!

What a feast of sport we have coming up this weekend! IRB Sevens from Wellington, Commonwealth Bank Series and the opening weekend of the Super 14 rugby competition. I don’t think I’ll be moving far from the couch this weekend.

First up is the IRB Seven World Series stop in Wellington. I don’t usually watch the Sevens circuit but I always watch the Wellington leg.

There has been some controversy regarding the participation of Fiji in this tournament following their recent coup. Most of the controversy came from Trevor Mallard saying he would like to see Fiji not progress far in the tournament. The fact of the matter is nobody outside of politics cares, we just want to see good Sevens rugby. The favourites for the tournament have to be the hosts New Zealand who are tied for the lead in the series with South Africa. England and Fiji would also have to be contenders.

So far there has been twol upsets when Tonga beat Argentina 14-12, and Canada shocked Australia26-12.

Later tonight the Super 14 gets underway with the Crusaders taking on the Blues in Auckland. This year’s Super 14 is getting under way before any Super rugby tournament in the past and in my opinion it’s too early. However it will be an interesting competition in several respects, firstly because the NZRU has taken 22 All Blacks from the New Zealand teams for “conditioning”. These players will be back in week 8, making the competition much harder for the New Zealand teams. The second interesting aspect of the Super 14 will be how the front row players adjust to the new scrum engagement sequence. For years referees have called, “Crouch and hold, engage!” From this year referees will call, “Crouch, touch” at which point the props will touch the opposing prop on the shoulder, then “pause, engage!”

The Crusaders have an excellent back line on paper, despite missing several All Black including play maker Dan Carter. The forward pack looks weaker that normal without the front line All Blacks and veteran prop Greg Sommerville who is out injured for the entire Super 14. The Blues team have also be weakened with the loss of several All Blacks but are able to field a strong team and even have the luxury of leaving All Black Luke McAlister on the bench in favour of Sam Tuitupou. The Blues biggest weakness is Troy Flavell who is untested as captain at this level. Flavell has earned a reputation as a dirty player having served serveral long suspensions for foul play, but played very well in last year’s Air New Zealand Cup and may have changed his ways.

My prediction for this match: Crusaders by less than 12.

Finally the Commonwealth Bank Series continues in Australia with England taking on Australia in Sydney tonight and New Zealand against Australia from Melbourne on Sunday night. Unfortunately these games will have little bearing on the tournament unless England can beat Australia tonight. An Australian victory will mean that New Zealand will meet Australia in the best of three finals series.

Currently England are 81/1 after 16 overs and look to be making good progress to setting a defendable total. Provided that the English batsmen do not throw away wickets, as they have most of this summer, and they amass a total around 250 this is their best chance of beating Australia who are resting captain Ricky Ponting.

Well, I’m off to enjoy wall to wall sports, I’ll be posting some post match analysis through out the weekend.