Disastrous results for SA teams in Super 14
IT was a disastrous weekend for South Africa’s Super 14 franchises with three of the four teams well beaten and the only win coming in a derby.
The Bulls retained their position on top of the log courtesy of a Brumbies win, 21-11, over the Waratahs, and the Sharks are still third despite their shock 25-13 loss to the Reds in Brisbane.
The Cheetahs and the Lions prop up the bottom of the log and the first nine sides are within six log points from one another.
With the Stormers annihilating the toothless Lions 56-18 at Newlands on Saturday after the Lions led 12-3 towards the end of the first quarter, Rassie Erasmus’ Cape-based side gave glimpses of what they are capable of after three losses in their previous four matches.
It’s a reprieve for Erasmus who was under pressure to turn the side around. It also ensured more pressure for Lions coach Loffie Eloff whose side – a good one on paper – were again outplayed and now have only one win from their five outings.
Eight unanswered tries to two after the Lions’ exploitation of Stormers’ mistakes tell the story.
They stole a lineout, hooked a tight-head and then went to pieces as Schalk Burger pounced on a ball Jannes Labuschagne missed from a kick- off after the Lions’ second try.
And that, as they say in the classics, was that.
How good the Stormers really are, remains unanswered, because the Lions were awful. What the Stormers did do, however, was grab their opportunities and what makes their big win remarkable and the performance of the Lions even worse, is the fact that the Stormers played disjointedly from the 19th minute.
The Stormers were beaten in the scrums, and for once the opponents had more forwards in the backline than the home team. Real opposition will prove whether this is the right thing to do or not.
Where to for the Lions? For all the talk of good team spirit, there is something drastically wrong. It is a moot point whether that can be turned around, even if it is identified.
Whereas the Lions’ lethargy led to a shocking display, the Sharks’ lack of drive and spirit saw them go down 25-13 to the Reds who took advantage of the seemingly disinterested visitors to Brisbane.
They have now, over 14 seasons of touring Australasia, won only one match in Australia and 13 in the more difficult rugby country of New Zealand.
Missed tackles, poor handling and turnover ball brought an end to their unbeaten record. The aggressive tackling of the Reds and their ability to run proved to be just too good and too much for the Sharks who continued to play for position without enough possession to take it further.
What this match did prove was that Francois Steyn is not a flyhalf. He replaced Ruan Pienaar who limped off after 33 minutes.
Steyn’s lack of reaction speed closer to the scrum forced him to take the inside break more often than not and he kicked poorly under pressure.
However, the low point of his handling was when he dropped a perfectly good pass behind his line.
Adi Jacobs also missed more tackles in midfield than he will care to remember.
Scrumhalf Rory Kockott was not his usual self behind the scrum or with the boot and the pack was well held and often bettered by the lighter, younger Reds pack.
When John Smit moved to hooker, his lineout throwing also did not help the team’s cause.
The Cheetahs scored right at the end of both halves and deserved their two tries despite losing 47-12 against the Blues in North Harbour. It was their sixth successive defeat in five matches.
They’re not a bad side but until the Cheetahs learn to take their opportunities and tackle when it is needed, they will remain on the receiving end against good sides. However, it was their passing and catching that were at a mediocre level.
The Chiefs worked hard for their 14-10 win over an unimaginative Highlanders side at Invercargill – their sixth successive win over the Otago-based side. Neither of the two sides looked like title challengers in the 23-all draw between the Crusaders and Western Force in Christchurch.
|
Disastrous results for SA teams in Super 14
