Sports After Dark

Sorry for the lack of updates recently, between work and starting law school I just haven’t had a lot of time, but now I’m back and ready to show you who’s hot and who’s not going into Week 6

Week 5 was a tipping nightmare, 2 draws, 2 major upsets and a minor upset. Very few people would have picked the Bulls to beat the Brumbies in Canberra, but they did. Even fewer would have picked the Stormers to win in Wellington against the Hurricanes, but they did.

For the second week in a row no Australian team managed a win, with the Force and Waratahs fighting to a draw, and the Brumbies and Reds losing. New Zealand teams fared only slightly better with one win, coming from the Blues, a draw from the Chiefs and the Hurricanes, Highlanders and Crusaders all losing.

Week 6 only features 6 games, the Crusaders and Chiefs are both returning from South Africa and have byes.

Highlanders vs Reds
Here are two teams who have limited abilities, but they know their limitations and play well within them. The return of Nick Evans last week ignited a previously lame Highlanders’ back line, while the Reds’ back line seems to get worse with every outing. The Highlanders’ defence against the dominating Blues showed how much heart the southern men have, while the Reds’ loss last week came largely from poor options under pressure. The Highlanders will be too good at home and the Reds will find themselves still stuck near the bottom of the table.

Brumbies vs Stormers
The Brumbies suffered a shock loss at home last week, while the Stormers surprised everyone by beating the Hurricanes. Traditionally the South African teams have not travelled well in Super Rugby, but three wins from three away games last week shows this is one tradition that is fading away. The Brumbies are a far cry from the team that has won two Super Rugby titles and are languishing in 10th place, tied with the Stormers. The Stormers failed to score a single try in their first two matches, but looked like world beaters against the Hurricanes, threatening will every back line movement. If the Stormers play like that again, they will be far too good for the Brumbies, but that’s a big “if”.

Force vs Hurricanes
Home fans are yet to see the Force win a Super 14 game in Perth, something that must weigh heavily on the players’ minds. For the Hurricanes, consistency has always been a problem and this season is no exception, after squeaking out two one point victories, the Hurricanes came completely unstuck last week. The return of Conrad Smith from a long eye injury will boost the Hurricanes’ back line. Smith joins captain Tana Umaga in a dynamic midfield combination, while rookie first five Blair Stewart gets his first start. The Force are only a point below the Hurricanes on the table, but have not played well in their last two outings and need take some points this weekend, as they strike a very difficult schedule soon. If Stewart is able to set the explosive Hurricanes’ back line alight, the Hurricanes should rack up another win.

Blues vs Lions
The table topping Blues take on the surprising Lions in Auckland in the match of the round. The Lions were supposed to finish near the bottom of the table, but instead have beaten several contenders and currently sit in third place. While these teams are close on the table, they play completely different styles. The Blues play a helter-skelter attacking style and are capable of scoring from anywhere on the field, while the Lions play a conservative forward based game and rely on the boot of Earl Rose to control the tempo and kick penalties. While the clash of styles will produce a wonderful spectacle for fans, the Blues have far too much fire power and should come away with an easy win.

Waratahs vs Bulls
Of all the Australian teams in the Super 14, the Waratahs have been the most disappointing. Many of the Brumbies’ top players have retired or left for Northern Hemisphere clubs, leaving the Waratahs as the top Australian team, but their on field performances this season have not lived up to expectations. The Bulls did not play well in their opening home stand, but their convincing victory over the Brumbies last week suggests they have turned the corner. The Bulls play a similar style to the Lions, and the style seems to be working this year as both teams are currently in the top four. The massive Bulls’ forward pack should dominate the Waratahs, starving their back line of quality ball, and with Derek Hougaard able to kick penalties from anywhere in the opposition half, the Bulls will rack up another road victory.

Cheetahs vs Sharks
Last weekend, with time up, somehow the Sharks were able to score a length of the field try, followed by a sideline conversion to retain their unbeaten record. While the Cheetahs could only manage a draw with the luckless Chiefs. The Cheetahs ferocious opening quarter has set them up for a number of wins, but for the last two weeks they were unable to turn early dominance into point and came away with a loss and a draw. Meanwhile the Sharks have rapidly become something fans haven’t seen in a number of years: a South African team capable of winning the Super 14. Even away from their Durban stronghold the Sharks will be too good for the Cheetahs.

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• Super 14 Week 14 Preview

The Super 14 Week 6 Preview by Hamish McBrearty, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.