Sports After Dark

The business end of the Super 14 is now, semi finals places are up for grabs and this weekend’s games will make or break some team’s chances.

There are currently three teams tied for fourth place, the Chiefs, Brumbies and Bulls, with the Force only a point behind. The Hurricanes are also in with a mathematical chance, but need several results to go in their favour if they are to progress. The way the draw has worked out for this round sees several key match ups which will go a long way to determining semi finalists.

Crusaders vs Hurricanes
The round kicks off with this all New Zealand affair from Christchurch. The Crusaders currently sit on top of the table and are really hitting their stride late in the season. Having not conceded a try in their last two outings is a testament to their disciplined and structured defence. If the Hurricanes are to keep their slim hopes alive, they need a bonus point win in this game, something which may prove difficult as the Crusaders have not lost of home game in two seasons. Despite the attacking flair shown by the Hurricanes last week against the Cheetahs, they will need to lift their game several notches if they are to challenge the defending champion Crusaders. Even without midfield maestro Aaron Mauger, the Crusaders will be too good and end the Hurricanes semi final hopes.

Brumbies vs Force
Just a few weeks ago the Force were being hailed as a Super 14 contender, but after two crushing defeats their season is at a crossroads. A win here would keep them in touch with the front runners, while a loss would effectively end the semi final hopes. The Brumbies find themselves in a very similar position, but come into this match with better form and much more confidence. Coming off the bye at possibly the best time of the season, the Brumbies will be refreshed and desperate to make the push to the semi finals, while the Force have had another week to repair their defensive woes, they are once again likely to be cut to shreds by a much better team.

Red vs Cheetahs
This is one of only two matches this weekend without semi final implications. The Reds are in complete turmoil, having lost nine consecutive games and sit dead last on the table. A win here could save them from the wooden spoon but seems unlikely given their consistently bad play this season. The Cheetahs will be looking to score at least one win on tour and this is the perfect place for them to start.

Chiefs vs Sharks
The Chiefs may have only won four games from ten, but nine bonus points have kept them in the running for the semi finals. The test for them is now, against a Sharks team that is looking to become the first South African team to beat all five New Zealand franchises in one season. The Sharks do not need this win as badly as the Chiefs, but it would go a long way to securing their semi final status. This match has many fans excited as both teams play such similar styles, using bruising and combative forward play to set up their exciting back lines. The clash between loose forwards will be especially interesting, as both sides boast fast, ball playing loosies, but, with both sides so even matched, this game is likely to come down to goal kicking and on their home turf the Chiefs’ Steven Donald has been one of the most accurate kickers this year.

Waratahs vs Highlanders
With no hope of reaching the semis, these two teams are only playing for pride. The Waratahs would appear to have the edge coming into this game off a win, but that win came against the only team more inept than them, the Reds. The Highlanders showed hints of the form they are capable of against the Crusaders but were shut down by smothering defence. Even with all their injury worries, the Highlanders will still be too good for the Waratahs, actually the Highlanders B team would probably be too good for them too.

Lions vs Bulls
The Bulls showed last weekend against the Stormers what a good team they can be when their forwards win the battle up front. Their problem this season has been, despite having the biggest forward pack in the Super 14, they have lost that battle too often. Against the Lions, this is where the game will be won and lost again. Both the Bulls and Lions like to muscle the ball up front and control the game with tactical kicking and keep the scoreboard ticking over with penalty kicks. As this game is played at altitude, anywhere in the opponent’s half will be within range for both team’s goal kickers. This is also a local derby between the Northern Transvaal and Transvaal regions, adding extra spice to an already mouth watering prospect. The Bulls are the slightly better team here and should win this one, but these local derbies sometimes produce stunning upsets.

Stormers vs Blues
The Blues campaign hit a bit of a bump when they were beaten last week by the Sharks. That loss will make the run to the semi finals tricky for the Blues, with the rest of their games being played away from home. If they can stick to their game plan a win here is the likely outcome, but the Stormers will have seen how well the Sharks knocked the Blues off their game plan and will likely employ similar tactics. Whether last week’s loss was just a blip or the beginning of the end for the Blues depends largely on the outcome of this game: A win and they will likely claim a home semi final, a loss and they could find themselves fighting to stay alive.

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The Super 14 Week 12 Preview by Hamish McBrearty, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.