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**dudeabides** · 04-20-2010, 02:21 PM

A preview of the upcoming matches of the round:

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The battle for the Super 14 play-offs is set to intensify this weekend with the Round 11 of this year's battle for southern hemisphere supremacy.

The Crusaders are currently setting the pace following their hammering of the Cheetahs in Christchurch last weekend and they will be confident of cementing their place on top of the pile against the struggling Western Force who suffered their seventh reverse of the season against the Blues last time out.

The Friday night match at the Perth Oval is the first of a testing run of games for the Crusaders, eight-time winners of the Super Rugby crown, with away trips to the Stormers and Bulls ahead of them but they have been boosted by the return of fly-half Dan Carter after recovering from a hip injury that ruled him out of the win over the Cheetahs.

The Bulls only trail the Crusaders on points difference and will look to reclaim pole position against basement side the Lions at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. The defending champions' bid for glory hit a bump in the road against the Reds last weekend with the Australian side producing a stunning win at the Suncorp Stadium. And the Lions, who are yet to break their duck this year following their ninth successive loss against the Sharks last weekend, are likely to feel the wrath of their South African rivals as a result.

The Reds' victory over the Bulls lifted them into the semi-final picture and underlined their title credentials but they will be under pressure to back up that performance with another of similar class against a Stormers who are looking to further their own post-season aspirations. Back-to-back victories over the Blues and most recently the Chiefs have seen Rassie Erasmus' side climb to third place in the table and their demolition of their Kiwi hosts in Hamilton last weekend was heralded as one of the most impressive displays of the season so far.

Both the Waratahs and the Brumbies remain in the hunt for the post-season and the two Australian rivals will square up at the ANZ Stadium on Saturday. The Tahs have arguably conceded home advantage by switching the game to Homebush rather than use their usual Sydney Football Stadium home but they will be hoping it inspires a return to winning ways having succumbed to the Crusaders a fortnight ago. The Brumbies are also looking to get their season back on track having been beaten on home soil by the Hurricanes last weekend and fact a must-win scenario if they are to remain in touch with the top four.

Victory over the Brumbies in Canberra breathed life into the Hurricanes campaign and they have the chance to further their revival against the Highlanders in Dunedin who are coming off a mauling at the hands of lowly force two weeks ago. But they may have to tackle their South Island foes without captain Andrew Hore who is a doubtful starter due to a knee injury picked up against the Brumbies. On the positive side for Cooper, openside flankers Karl Lowe (illness) and Scott Waldrom (impending fatherhood), along with scrum-half Piri Weepu (family bereavement) are all expected to return after missing the Canberra trip. The Highlanders have injury woes of their own with hooker Jason Macdonald ruled out of the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

A narrow victory over the Lions last weekend extended the Sharks winning run to four games - having lost their first five games - and a similar result against the Blues will keep their feint play-off hopes alive. But the Blues got their season back on track with a big win against the Force last time out following a drubbing against the Stormers and a victory would see them edge nearer a priceless play-off berth.

The latest action gets underway in Hamilton on Friday night with the wobbling Chiefs tackling the Cheetahs at Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs were handed a lesson by the Stormers last weekend and since then have seen fly-half Mike Delany and winger Leila Masaga sidelined by injury. But coach Ian Foster did receive some good news this week with All Blacks winger Sitiveni Sivivatu ready to return having recovered from a knee injury. Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske has been handed a timely boost with his captain Juan Smith returning to the mix having missed the last three games due to a family bereavement.

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**dudeabides** · 04-23-2010, 06:33 AM

Good one came to a draw with Chiefs v Cheetahs:

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A horror kicking display by Chiefs fly-half Stephen Donald cost his side victory as the Cheetahs snapped a five-game losing streak with a 25-25 draw at Waikato Stadium.

Donald missed all six of his kicks at goal and his replacement Callum Bruce also faltered with two efforts as the Chiefs failed to capitalise on a five-try-to-three performance. The match was riddled with handling errors by both teams as they missed golden opportunities that will haunt them all week. Chiefs coach Ian Foster was left wondering whether his decision to axe Richard Kahui, Brendon Leonard and Sione Lauaki was the right one.

The first half developed a repeating pattern where the Chiefs would score a try, Donald would miss his kick and then the Cheetahs would hit straight back. First the Chiefs sucked the Cheetahs to the left side of the field with multiple phases and then Tim Nanai-Williams attacked to the right, making the line break and putting Colin Bourke over in the corner.

An obstruction from the kick-off allowed Naas Olivier to boot the Cheetahs back within two. The Chiefs struck again in the right hand corner through Dwayne Sweeney, this time after a quick tap from a penalty near the tryline that the Cheetahs were slow to react to. Again the Chiefs went to sleep though, allowing Jaco Pretorius to wrestle to the line where he dropped the ball in a real let off for the hosts.

Toby Smith scored a third try for the Chiefs as they dragged defence central and spread it wide once more. The Cheetahs responded yet again, this time with a fantastic lineout drive involving around 10 players that allowed Davon Raubenheimer to drop over the line. Hika Elliot then scored the Chiefs' bonus point try shortly before half time after the Chiefs' own lineout drive, but Donald's miss left them a mere 20-10 ahead.

The Cheetahs capitalised on a string of handling errors by the Chiefs early in the second half, scoring through WP Nel and the brilliant Meyer Bosman to edge ahead 22-20. They could have had another had Jongi Nokwe not received a horror bounce when trying to land on his own kick through to the in-goal.

The Chiefs saw dropped star Kahui come on for the hapless Donald, and they quickly regained the lead through captain Liam Messam after the backs made a long-range break down the left. The Cheetahs have right to complain that the ball was illegally turned over to start the attack, after the referee called it out at the breakdown before it had been played by the scrum-half.

Olivier landed a penalty from the same spot they should have had one the previous time to even things up with around ten minutes left. The Cheetahs tried to set up a late lineout drive but lost the ball yet again, and the Chiefs summed up the night's performance with their own last-ditch effort as Sitiveni Sivivatu ran the ball down the blindside and was tackled into touch.

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**dudeabides** · 04-23-2010, 03:05 PM

Reds v Stormers:

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The Reds continued their surge for a Super 14 play-off place by out-lasting the high-flying Stormers 16-13 at Suncorp Stadium on Friday.

Centre Will Chambers scored the home side's try in front of a bumper crowd of 30,259 as they fought back from an early score by giant Stormers lock Andries Bekker. Fly-half Quade Cooper landed 11 points with the boot, eclipsing eight from his opposite number Peter Grant.

The result leaves Ewen McKenzie's Reds handily placed in third prior to the Crusaders and Bulls' weekend games, while their losing bonus-point has moved the Stormers top temporarily on points difference.

The Reds proved once again that behind their flash exterior lies a truckload of guts and heart and they defended resolutely in the closing stages to deny their rivals, ensuring that they picked up back-to-back victories over South African contenders. Last weekend's 19-12 victory over the champions, the Bulls, was added to an earlier thrashing of the Crusaders and marked the underdogs as genuine contenders.

Cooper and his halfback partner, skipper Will Genia, have lit up the tournament this year but conspired to gift the Stormers an early lead. Cooper's kick-off went out on the full and the Stormers attacked, with Reds centre Anthony Faingaa bringing down Bekker just in the nick of time as the lock ignored Bryan Habana's outside run. The Springbok rounded off the opening try moments later though as a Genia mistake was punished first by a carry from Duane Vermeulen and then by Bekker forcing his way over.

Cooper missed his opening pair of penalties but found his range to slot two long-rangers before the break and ensure that it was a one-point game at the hooter. He snaffled the lead after the restart with his third kick of the night and was then the architect of Chambers' score. With the Reds showing patience and good ball retention, Cooper struck with a cross-kick, which bounced invitingly for midfielder Chambers to crash over.

Grant pegged the home side back with two shots from the kicking tee, but the Reds had the defence to see out another vital win in what is becoming a fairytale season. Genia almost had the last say when he forced his way across the Stormers' line in the dying seconds, to rob them of a consolation point, only to be denied by the TMO.

Force v Crusaders:

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The Western Force upset the title-chasing Crusaders with a 24-16 victory in their clash at the ME Bank Stadium in Perth.

Displaying enterprise and efficiency usually associated with their storied rivals, the Force fought back superbly from a 13-0 half-time deficit to avenge a sequence of near misses against the only side they had never beaten in their five-year history. The Crusaders started the 10th round in pole position but by failing to collect even a bonus point they risk losing ground at the start of a road trip that features tough assignments against the Stormers and Bulls.

The Force, twice held to 23-23 draws against the Crusaders, held their nerve in the final 10 minutes after Daniel Carter had given the visitors a 16-14 buffer against the run of play. A 95-metre breakout try completed by impressive blindside Matt Hodgson when the Crusaders looked likely to score before surrendering one of 24 costly turnovers proved decisive. Replacement hooker Nathan Charles surged 85m downfield before he was lowered; Cameron Shepherd loomed in support and when he was scragged metres from the line Hodgson scooped up a borderline pass before flopping over.

David Hill, the former Waikato and Chiefs pivot, then twisted the knife with a 78th minute penalty as the Crusaders continued to irritate South African referee Jonathan Kaplan. They were on the wrong end of an 8-14 penalty count - it was 1-7 midway through the second spell as the Crusaders were sloppy at a breakdown dominated by Wallabies openside flanker David Pocock.

The Crusaders made a deceptive beginning when scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i realised the goal line defence was non-existent in the fourth minute. Fotuali'i's snipe was the first example of the Crusaders ability to collect points once they finally gained field position - a rarity in an opening spell where the Force's enterprise went unrewarded. Captain Nathan Sharpe turned down two kickable penalties in the quest for tries as they placed the Crusaders defence under extreme pressure, at one point bashing away for 12 phases before botching a lineout after turning down a handy three-pointer.

Brett Sheehan and Hill were also astray once Sharpe regulated his policy of all out attack while the Crusaders made the most of their infrequent raids deep into Force territory through a wonky Fotuali'i dropped goal and a Carter penalty. However, the Crusaders 13-point lead was insufficient as the Force regrouped magnificently with two tries within 10 minutes of the resumption.

It was third time lucky for the Force when another gift three-pointer was spurned for a close-range lineout and drive that ultimately led to hooker Ben Whittaker marginally applying downward pressure. There was no doubt about the Force's next try - again from an attacking lineout rather than a penalty - when prop Pek Cowan proved unstoppable when peeling from a perfectly executed rolling maul. Hill added the extras from wide out to give the home side the lead for the first time at 14-13 but the Force's momentum then threatened to stall when he was off line with two penalty attempts.

Carter's dropped goal in the 69th minute - once the Crusaders belatedly made it within range - raised the prospect of another narrow escape before Charles made his crucial break. The Crusaders head to Cape Town to meet the Stormers who spurned their chance to take the outright lead when they were outlasted 13-16 by the resurgent third-placed Reds in Brisbane.

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**dudeabides** · 04-24-2010, 01:07 PM

Waratahs v Brumbies:

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The Waratahs held their nerve to see off the Brumbies 19-12 in a patchy Aussie derby in Sydney on Saturday. The result keeps the Tahs in the hunt for honours at the end of the season but leaves the Brumbies adrift of the top four.

A cagey first half saw Tahs pivot Daniel Halangahu trade three penalties with his opposite number Matt Giteau, with Brumbies skipper Stephen Hoiles involved in a constant dialogue with referee Steve Walsh over some debatable calls. One such call saw a try for Adam Ashley-Cooper wrongly chalked off for a tackle infringement, infuriating the visitors. Both sides sought to pick off mistakes rather than make the running themselves, leading to a stodgy contest.

After the break the Brumbies dominated territory and looked to turn the screw but were hit on the break by the home side. Kurtley Beale hacked the ball ahead and was narrowly beaten to the bounce by Ashley-Cooper, but the Tahs did not have to wait long for the first try. Berrick Barnes chipped an inch-perfect kick in behind the Brumbies and Lachie Turner pawed the ball in and trotted around under the posts.

The Brumbies responded with a penalty from Giteau, but as the game descended into an endless stream of reset scrums there was little action aside from a barnstorming run by Tahs forward Dave Dennis to write home about.

Hurricanes v Highlanders:

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The Hurricanes kept their Super 14 play-off hopes alive with a narrow 33-31 victory over the Highlanders at Carisbrook.

Their fifth victory in 10 matches did not come easy as the Highlanders, already out of play-off contention, went toe to toe to take two well-earned bonus points from the match. Both sides scored five tries each, with the Hurricanes managing one more conversion as both of their kickers struggled in the variable wind.

The sides produced a feast of tries in the first 40 minutes as they bagged four each. Each time the Hurricanes scored, the Highlanders replied quickly as both sides, making hardly any handling errors, moved the ball wide effectively. Hurricanes flanker Karl Lowe got the scoreboard ticking after just four minutes and five minutes later, Highlanders skipper Jimmy Cowan replied.

Hurricanes lock Michael Paterson was next to cross but the Highlanders levelled 12-12 through No.8 Alando Soakai. Halfback Tyson Keats and fly-half Aaron Cruden were next to score for the Hurricanes, with wing Ben Smith and hooker Jason Rutledge keeping the Highlanders in touch at 26-24 at halftime.

The second half, in contrast, turned into an arm wrestle in which neither side could get the upper hand and the tries dried up as fatigue began to take a toll. Hurricanes loose forward Victor Vito was held up in the 69th minute but the Hurricanes were not to be denied. From the resulting scrum, centre Ma'a Nonu crashed over for a converted try. But the Highlanders were not finished. They grabbed possession with time up on the clock and after pounding at the Hurricanes defence, replacement forward Bronson Murray scored.

Bulls v Lions:

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The Bulls returned to the top of the super 14 table with a 51-11 win over local rivals the Lions at Loftus Versfeld.

Having slipped to defeat at the hands of the Reds last weekend, the reigning champions restored a five-point cushion at the top thanks to a late blitz of tries. After leading 12-8 at half-time the men from Pretoria scored five tries in the last 17 minutes to ensure maximum points. Springbok fly-half Morne Steyn bagged a personal haul of 26 points, from a try, five penalties and three conversions.

The only try of the first-half went to the visitors, with the lightning fast Wandie Mjekevu capitalising. Herkie Kruger slotted an early penalty to settle the Lions' nerves but four penalties from Steyn ensured a narrow lead for the Bulls at the break. With the game in the balance the Lions suffered the worst possible start to the second half and conceded after only a minute, Derick Kuun the recipient. Steyn landed the conversion and extended the Bulls' lead with his fifth three-pointer.

Winger Gerhard van den Heever pounced for a quickfire brace just after the hour to take the game away from the Lions but they had to wait for their vital fourth try, Steyn popping up with five minutes left. After that the Lions crumbled and Wynand Olivier and John Mametsa crashed over to put an added sheen on the scoreline.

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