Daily Archives: 14 July 2014

Todd Blackadder

Todd Blackadder has welcomed the extra week break

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has welcomed having an extra week off to prepare for his team’s Super Rugby Semi-final clash at home in Christchurch. The Crusaders finished the regular season in second place which guarantees them extra week while the Sharks, Brumbies, Chiefs and Highlanders battle it out. How Blackadder manages the players over the next two weeks will be crucial as they look to reach their first final since 2011.

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Bakkies Botha

Springbok hard man, Bakkies Botha, showing his romantic side

Springbok and Toulon lock Bakkies Botha has spoken about life in France, the final 18 months of his career and what he has planned after rugby.

After his successful run with the Springboks in June against the World XV and Wales, the My Players website caught up with the 35-year-old during his off time in the South African bush.

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Joe Pietersen

Ex- Stormers & Biarritz utility back, Joe Pietersen

The Cheetahs have found a replacement for flyhalf Johan Goosen who will leave them to further his career in France.

According to reports, former Stormers back Joe Pietersen will play for the Cheetahs in next year’s Super Rugby competition.

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Steve Walsh

Steve Walsh

Sanzar has announced that South Africa’s Craig Joubert and Steve Walsh from Australia will referee the two Vodacom Super Rugby Qualifiers this weekend.

Joubert will be the man in the middle in Canberra, where the Brumbies host the Chiefs, while Walsh will be in action in Durban in the second Qualifier between the Cell C Sharks and the Highlanders.

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Allister Coetzee

Has Allister Coetzee reached the end of the road with the Stormers?

The Stormers’ Super Rugby regression will continue unabated in the years ahead if not for decisive intervention.

Four short years ago they were losing finalists. Just two years ago they topped the log and lost in the semi-final to the Sharks. In 2014 they finished 11th, having lost nine out of 16 matches and, more tellingly, lost any aura of being a formidable opponent.

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It's almost like the Blues' failure has been brushed aside because it's expected. Photo / APN

It’s almost like the Blues’ failure has been brushed aside because it’s expected. Photo / APN

The Blues are consistent – 10th last year and again this season.

That’s the upshot of winning 13 games and losing 19 in the two seasons John Kirwan has been in charge of a franchise which has flowered intermittently since their last 2003 title success.

It’s almost like the Blues’ failure has been brushed aside because it’s expected, that’s what they do, they are stuck in a cycle of under-achievement.

As most of the New Zealand focus turns to the work of the Crusaders, Highlanders and Chiefs in the playoffs, the Blues will go through their season debriefs and make plans for next year before delivering another version of onwards and upwards rhetoric.

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Warren Whiteley

Inspirational Lions captain, Warren Whiteley

The Lions exceeded expectations in their comeback season, while the Bulls, Cheetahs and Stormers all regressed, writes JON CARDINELLI. Take a bow, Johan Ackermann. The Lions came into this year’s competition with a public ambition to be competitive and a private ambition to avoid the wooden spoon. They exceeded expectations on every front, finishing the league stage with seven wins and in 12th place. That win total alone will ensure that the class of 2014 goes down in history. Their 34-10 hammering of the Stormers shouldn’t be forgotten, nor their two victories against the Cheetahs, nor that resounding win against the Bulls.

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Francois Steyn

Francois Steyn

The final log positions in the South African Super Rugby conference this year show just how crucial physical dominance is to success.

By Michael de Vries

The two derbies to end the regular season summed things up quite well – with the Lions running the Cheetahs ragged to secure their best-ever finish of 12th overall with seven wins, whilst the Sharks ground the Stormers down in a brutal clash at Newlands to finish a full 12 points clear of their nearest local challengers the Bulls.

The Durban side will carry South African hopes alone in the play-offs, and they will do it playing the physically and territorially suffocating style of rugby that has characterised successful teams from this country in recent years.

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Richie McCaw

Richie McCaw

The Crusaders are on track to have All Black captain Richie McCaw fully recovered in time for their Super Rugby semifinal.

Their convincing victory over the Highlanders in Christchurch at the weekend has secured the Red and Blacks top spot on the New Zealand conference, meaning they’ll miss the first round of the play-offs this coming Saturday.

Coach Todd Blackadder has told Newstalk ZB that McCaw is recovering well and should make for a timely return from a rib injury.

“He’s probably a week away,” Blackadder said.

“He probably would be ready to take contact at the end of this week and so he’ll be ready for that.”

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Jamie Joseph

Jamie Joseph, coach of the Highlanders

The Highlanders will attempt what no team has had a chance to do before – beat the Sharks in Durban, twice in one season.

They will meet in a preliminary knock-out match at Kings Park on Saturday, after the Sharks finished third on the Super Rugby standings and the men from Dunedin sixth.

The Highlanders beat the Sharks 34-18 in South Africa back in April, during a successful tour of the Republic.

Now they return to the venue where they have recorded only two other victories – 43-7 in 2005 and 23-19 in 2003.

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imageThe Brumbies will have a chance to avenge their defeat in the Super Rugby Final last year when they face defending champions Chiefs next week.

Under the stewardship of current Sharks coach Jake White, the Brumbies went down in Hamilton to fall short of claiming their third Super Rugby title last year.

Now under the guidance of former Wallabies flyhalf and Brumbies legend Stephen Larkham, the Canberra side comes into the match with a fair maount of confidence given their convincing win over the Force in the last round.

Ben Mowen will become the Brumbies’ most-capped skipper in what might also be his final game for the franchise given that he is heading to France to play for Montpellier.

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Jake White

Cell C Sharks coach Jake White

Sharks boss Jake White would like his side to use their performance against the Stormers at Newlands as a template for how to approach the play-offs.

Michael de Vries

Although his side may have fallen one try and 11 points short of their ultimate target on Saturday, White was understandably pleased with the ‘finals rugby’ his side played against a Stormers team that has recently found their best form of the season.

After a deflating defeat to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last week, White called on his best team to get them some momentum before the play-offs and they did just that in a game that had his stamp all over it.

The Stormers had the majority of possession but couldn’t make it count in the face of a committed defensive effort from the Sharks who pounced on some late counter-attacking opportunities to run away with the game in the end.

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