Sports After Dark

What a week is was with many top name All Blacks returning, some teams getting their seasons back on track, while others had their semi finals chances all but snuffed out.

Blues vs Waratahs
It is unlikely that the Waratahs could get any worse. Without a win since Week 1, the Waratahs are simply awful. The Blues certainly looked like a table topping team as they took apart their hapless opponents. Captain Troy Flavell led from the front scoring two tries and wall like defence restricted the Waratahs to only two penalty goals. The Waratahs have now not scored a try since last week against the Stormers, and even then it was a penalty try.

Highlanders vs Bulls
This loss effectively ends any chance the Highlanders had of making the top four, while the Bulls were somehow able to recapture their winning form after playing so badly against the Crusaders last week. The Highlanders played well in their last outing against the Blues but this week seemed devoid of ideas as they were pummelled into submission by the much larger Bulls pack. The win by the Bulls keeps them in the hunt for a semi final spot and will make their tour of Australasia a success no matter what the result of next week’s match against the Hurricanes.

Crusaders vs Stormers
The returning All Blacks played well in patches for the Crusaders, something that was to be expected for a group of players who haven’t played a competitive game of rugby in over four months. Fortunately for the Crusaders they have a somewhat soft draw for their returning stars who will get another run next week against the woeful Waratahs before having to step up against top four contenders the Force. The Stormers tried hard for the full 80 minutes but were just outclassed by the Red and Black Machine, and will now limp back to Cape Town with little chance of making the semi finals.

Reds vs Chiefs
With very little to play for these two cellar dwelling teams put on a good match in Brisbane which ended with the Chiefs earning their second victory of the season. In a tight struggle it was the Chiefs who kept their composure with first five Stephen Donald kicking the winning points late in the game. The loss is the seventh in the row for the Reds who are now dead last, while the Chiefs, who have little to salvage from this season, climbed to eighth.

Sharks vs Brumbies
In what has to be considered the upset of the round, the Brumbies  ended the Sharks unbeaten run in convincing fashion. With their season on the line, Brumbies’ second five Julian Huxley provided the spark his side needed to turn on their best outing of 2007. The Sharks had no answer to the high tempo game plan of their opponents, nor their staunch defence. The loss drops the Sharks to second on the table while the Brumbies are within striking distance of a semi final spot.

Lions vs Hurricanes
Despite welcoming back six All Blacks the Hurricanes’ season continued on its miserable way, all but ending last year’s finalists hopes of making the top four. Even after the long flight back to South Africa following losses to the Chiefs and Blues, the Lions looked like a completely different side as they clinically dissected their opponents. The educated boot of Andre Pretorius controlled the rhythm of the game and kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Lions, while the Hurricanes could only manage a single try via returning halfback Piri Weepu.

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The Super 14 Week 8 Wrap by Hamish McBrearty, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.