Thread Tools

**dudeabides** · 05-12-2010, 07:13 PM

The big match this last weekend of the regular season is, Crusaders v Brumbies:

Quote:

Brumbies head coach Andy Friend has summed up what's at stake when his side visit the Crusaders in Christchurch by labelling the clash a Super 14 "quarter-final", the perfect description for our final Game of the Week this season.

It matters little that the Brumbies sit in fourth ahead of the Crusaders in sixth going into the match because, with the Waratahs and Hurricanes also facing off this week, the winner of this match will secure a top-four berth and the loser will see their season end.

The Crusaders will be thankful their destiny remains in their own hands after three consecutive losses on a nightmare tour derailed a campaign that saw them sitting first prior to that decline. A surprise loss to the Force in Perth was followed by defeats at the top-two Stormers and Bulls in South Africa, although the contentious nature of their five point reverse in Pretoria last week should at least give them confidence they can match it with the competition's benchmark should they reach the finals.

Their ability to recover from a short turnaround after a taxing African sojourn will be critical, although their hopes should be boosted by their strong record in front of their own fans and the fact that three of the Brumbies' four losses this season have come away from their Canberra fortress.

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder insists back-up scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i's breach of team protocol, which has seen him stood down from the bench for Willi Heinz, will not break his squad's concentration ahead of the must-win clash.

"It's an unfortunate thing to happen at this time of the season but we're not going to let it distract us," Blackadder said this week. "We're going to focus solely on our very important match against the Brumbies on Friday night. Kahn regrets the breach and will be doing his best to help prepare the team to win on Friday."

In other changes, Owen Franks replaces Wyatt Crockett at prop and Sam Whitelock comes in for Chris Jack at lock. Owen joins sibling Ben Franks in a front row that has been on constant rotation from match to match, while Sam joins flanker George Whitelock in a very brotherly pack.

Blackadder said the selections were down to performance: "Both (Franks and Whitelock) played very well in the match against the Bulls last weekend and we felt that they deserved to start in this match. It's great that we are playing the Brumbies, who I'm sure will look to play an open, attacking, game. It's winner takes all and we're all looking forward to it. We took a lot from that match against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld and are excited about getting back to AMI Stadium and playing in front of our home crowd."

The Brumbies started the season as the highest-rated Australian franchise, seen as something of an all-star team with the number of Wallabies jumping off their team sheet. But they've been relegated to the shadows by the flashy Reds and, at times, the Waratahs while they have chipped away without ever hitting the heights expected of them.

The cream has slowly risen to the top though and success here with a Waratahs loss in Sydney would see them take their place as the sole Australian representative in the play-offs. Only six teams have scored less tries than the Brumbies, who rely on prop Ben Alexander to cross more than any back, but their solid defence and experience in key positions has brought them within touching distance of the last ever finals in the current format.

Friend said the Brumbies had already adopted finals mentality for the clash: "This is a big game for both sides and is effectively a quarter final with the loser finishing up for 2010. In terms of challenges, they don't come much bigger than tackling the Crusaders in Christchurch but it's the job we have to get done if we're going to stay in this competition.

"Our performances have been building over the past few matches and we've put ourselves in a good position for the weekend. We were strong against the Reds and continued that against an in-form Highlanders side last week, and now we need to find the next gear in Christchurch." The Brumbies have just the one change from the side that dominated the Highlanders last week, with miracle man Julian Huxley returning from a hamstring injury to resume at fullback, pushing Mr Versatile Adam Ashley-Cooper out to the wing and Andrew Smith onto the bench. Stirling Mortlock's season and Brumbies career is over after he has failed to recover from a bulging disc in his back.

Friend hailed Huxley's inclusion: "We'll also bring Julian back which is a real positive for the side. Adam's been very impressive for us at fullback this season but in terms of the overall balance of the backline, it was believed this was our best option. Julian brings a great deal of experience to side and has a excellent kicking game which could be of benefit in what's forecast to be wet conditions on Friday night."

Crusaders captain Richie McCaw will receive a special presentation for reaching 100 Super Rugby caps, a feat he achieved against the Stormers two games ago.

Crusaders: Colin Slade, Sean Maitland, Robbie Fruean, Daniel Bowden, Zac Guildford, Dan Carter, Andy Ellis, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (captain), George Whitelock, Sam Whitelock, Brad Thorn, Ben Franks, Ti'i Paulo, Owen Franks

Replacements: Daniel Perrin, Wyatt Crockett, Chris Jack, Thomas Waldrom, Willi Heinz, Tim Bateman, Jared Payne.

Brumbies: Julian Huxley, Pat McCabe, Tyrone Smith, Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Toomua, Josh Valentine, Stephen Hoiles (captain), George Smith, Rocky Elsom, Mark Chisholm, Mitchell Chapman, Salesi Ma'afu, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander

Replacements: Huia Edmonds, Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Ben Hand, Colby Faingaa, Patrick Phibbs, Brackin Karauria-Henry, Andrew Smith

Link

**dudeabides** · 05-12-2010, 07:13 PM

And other matches in Round 14:

Quote:

It could be said this season's Super 14 finals have started a week early as the top six face off in search of a place in the historic last ever play-offs under the current format.

Last week we told you to get your calculators out to work through the many permutations but this week the equation is a lot simpler - the winner takes all and the loser will have to wait until next year.

The Bulls have secured top spot and could controversially rest a number of stars against the Stormers, who must win to secure a home semi-final or potentially still miss out on the play-offs altogether with a loss. Third-through-sixth play each other in what are effectively play-off matches for top four spots, while the Reds, in seventh, need a bonus point win and hope a match above them ends in a draw or that the Stormers lose by a large margin if they are to sneak in.

In the round's other key battle, the Waratahs then welcome the resurgent Hurricanes to Sydney on Friday night. Undefeated on home turf, the Waratahs have hauled themselves up to third and have a chance of earning a home semi-final if a win coincides with a Stormers loss in Pretoria. A Hurricanes win would almost certainly see them join the Bulls, Stormers and the winner of the Crusaders-Brumbies game in the finals. The 'Canes have won four in a row after a strange run of four losses against South African opposition in the middle of an otherwise flawless season.

Waratahs coach Chris Hickey has made two forced changes for the match, with Dan Palmer coming in for key prop Benn Robinson (arm) and Rory Sidey replacing reserve outside back Sosene Anesi (shoulder) on the bench after the pair were injured in last week's win over the Chiefs. Hickey will continue with Berrick Barnes at No.10 after the fly-half's improved form last week compared to his stint at inside centre.

All Blacks centre Conrad Smith returns to the Hurricanes' starting line-up but flanker Victor Vito will miss a second consecutive match. Smith was ruled out of the Hurricanes' 44-21 victory over the Reds due to concussion, but was restored to the No.13 jersey in place of Jason Kawau, who was bracketed with Willie Ripia on the bench. Vito failed a fitness test on his calf muscle strain, meaning Michael Paterson will wear the No 6 jersey for a second consecutive week.

In the other change to the starting lineup, loosehead prop John Schwalger returns in place of Jacob Ellison who drops to the bench. Last week's hat-trick Hosea Gear retains his place on the wing outside in-form centre Ma'a Nonu in a backline that's really hitting its straps at the right time.

The competition's two in-form teams, the Sharks and Force, face off in one of the week's three dead rubbers. If only the second half of the season counted this would be a top of the table clash but disastrous opening have consigned these teams to the also-rans. There are still international jerseys and plenty of pride on the line ahead of Test season.

Sharks coach John Plumtree has stuck with the team that accounted for the Stormers last time out making just one, injury-enforced, change to the side. The injury to Willem Alberts sees Jacques Botes back in the starting line-up, the opening created on the bench provides an opportunity for scrum-half Charl McLeod.

The Blues host the Chiefs in a New Zealand derby with relatively little meaning. The inconsistent Blues, fittingly, are six and six going into the match and a win here would at least mean their frustrating campaign was more good than bad. The Chiefs, unlike the Sharks and Force, started the season brilliantly but have faded badly, failing to win since Round 8.

The Super 14 entertainers, the Reds, will be desperate to go out with a bang in front of their own fans when the Highlanders travel to Brisbane on Saturday. An unlikely set of results could still give the Reds hope of what would arguably be a deserved finals berth but they will most likely be looking to finish what has been an undoubtedly successful first campaign under Ewen McKenzie on a high. The Reds, the only team to beat both the Bulls and Stormers this year, may look back on their last-minute Round 1 to the Waratahs which, if reversed, would have put them in position to join the play-offs. The Highlanders, on the other hand, have struggled all year and only the winless Lions separate them from the bottom of the table.

The Cheetahs host the Lions in the battle of the South African cellar dwellers, although the Cheetahs have added credibility to their season with back-to-back home wins over the Blues and Force. The Lions are already record losers after their 12th straight defeat last week, and they should be as desperate as ever to avoid going 0-13 in a season. However, desperation hasn't helped them before and they simply appear out of their depth at this level.

With the advantage of playing last, the Stormers will know what they need to do when they visit the Bulls in Pretoria. By that point the Stormers could either be outside the top four or still sitting pretty in a play-off place, but most likely they'll need to win and possibly claim a bonus point to earn a home semi-final. The Bulls secured top spot last week, and could rest up to 13 stars to prepare for the finals.

Stormers wing Bryan Habana will be squaring up to his former team-mates at Newlands having missed the defeat to the Sharks in Durban with a rib injury. More Loose-head prop Wicus Blaauw is also available to bolster the scrum and captain Schalk Burger, who dislocated a finger in the game against the Sharks, is also good to go.

Bakkies Botha will lead a Bulls side featuring two debutants in wing Deon Helberg and back-row Gerrit-Jan van Velze and veteran centre De Wet Barry. In total there are 14 changes to the side that beat the Crusaders at Loftus Versfeld last weekend with Jacques-Louis Potgieter the only survivor. He moves to his favourite fly-half position, while regular impact players like Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Pedrie Wannenburg, Derick Kuün, Flip van der Merwe, Bandise Maku and Bees Roux will earn starts. But the Bulls will be without star wing Gerhard van den Heever, who is serving a two-week suspension for a dangerous tackle in last Friday's game against the Crusaders.

Super 14 enters play-off mode early | Rugby Union | Super 14 2010 | Rugby News | Scrum.com

**dudeabides** · 05-14-2010, 02:45 PM

Waratahs v Hurricanes:

Quote:

The Waratahs stormed in this year's Super 14 semi-finals with a hard-fought 32-16 victory over the Hurricanes to also end their rivals' post-season hopes.

Fullback Kurtley Beale and winger Drew Mitchell grabbed two tries each as the hosts ground down a determined defensive effort from the Hurricanes. The Waratahs dominated possession in the opening period with Beale crossing on the quarter hour before Mitchell claimed his first score ten minutes before the break. The boot of Berrick Barnes edged the Waratahs further ahead but Hurricanes scrum-half Piri Weepu kept his side in touch with three penalties of his own.

However, the Waratahs took complete control of the game with two quick tries after the break and then absorbed the best the Hurricanes could muster with a late try from replacement winger David Smith no more than a consolation. The win lifts the Waratahs above the Crusaders into a home semi-final berth but will have to wait for the result of the Stormers' clash with the Bulls to determine their opponents and see if they can hold onto home advantage in the final four.

link

Sharks v Force:

Quote:

The Sharks ended a mixed season on a high with a narrow 27-22 victory over the Force at Kings Park in Durban. Both sides endured miserable starts to their seasons before rallying in recent weeks, but it was the home side that secured a last hurrah in front of their fans.

The Sharks opened the scoring with an early try to wing Lwazi Mvovo but the boots of Brett Sheehan and James O'Connor edged the Force ahead after half an hour with four penalties. Ryan Kankowski powered over for the Sharks' second to reassert their dominance and as the break approached Ruan Pienaar slotted a three-pointer, which was immediately cancelled out by O'Connor for a score of 17-15 at the whistle.

Jacques Botes pounced for the Sharks' third eight minutes after the restart but again they were unable to pull clear of the feisty visitors. Winger Nick Cummins scored their first try as the hour struck, with O'Connor converting before Pienaar landed his second penalty, which proved to be the final score in both side's season.

**dudeabides** · 05-14-2010, 02:47 PM

Crusaders v Brumbies:

Quote:

The Crusaders booked a place in this year's Super 14 semi-finals and a provisional home tie with an emphatic 44-20 victory over the Brumbies in Christchurch.

The Crusaders, sixth on the table going into today's game, played at pace and defended stoutly to stifle a Brumbies team who always looked threatening. Playing much of the second half in another Christchurch pea souper, the Crusaders put together a complete performance to break a three-game losing streak and assure themselves of yet another play-offs appearance. Dominant in the set pieces, and with a running game which time and again pierced the Brumbies' defence, the Crusaders win was sealed with some superb defensive work.

Some scrappy Crusaders' play early on was reflected in fly-half Dan Carter's kicking, as he pulled two early penalties wide. The Brumbies capitalised on the let-offs with some sharp running, Adam Ashley-Cooper looking particularly dangerous down the left wing. But it was the Crusaders who opened the scoring after 12 minutes, Daniel Bowden moving the ball wide and Zac Guildford straightening play with a scintillating run before linking with McCaw, whose inside pass found Sean Maitland to touch down

Carter finally found his kicking boots to add the extras but the Brumbies replied barely five minutes later as the Crusaders lapsed again into the laboured passing that had earlier gifted the Brumbies a couple of intercepts. A hint of offside in both had saved the Crusaders in the opening minutes, but there were no such concerns as Brumbies centre Tyrone Smith latched onto Bowden's looping pass to canter in. Brumbies centre Matt Giteau's conversion made it 7-7, but two tries in 10 minutes to the Crusaders stretched out the lead to 19-7.

No.8 Kieran Read featured in both, showing impressive pace to chase down Guildford's kick ahead and slide over in the tackle, then finding tighthead prop Owen Franks with his final pass after a rampaging run to give the Crusaders their third try. Giteau and Carter traded penalties, and the Crusaders went to the half-time break with a handy 22-10 lead.

The Brumbies began the second half in style, prop Ben Alexander crossing for his seventh try of the season after a move which stretched three-quarters of the paddock, sparked by an elusive run from fullback Julian Huxley. But McCaw restored the margin five minutes later as the Crusaders showed commendable patience and purpose in pounding the Brumbies line, recycling the ball until the gap opened and McCaw was driven over.

A couple of Carter penalties extended the lead, then Guildford was rewarded for an impressive game with his sixth try of the season and just two minutes left on the clock. Replacement hooker Huia Edmonds, on after Stephen Moore was injured early, crossed in injury time for a consolation try and retiring flanker George Smith, given the ball in his last game for the Brumbies, pulled the conversion wide.

The win continued the Crusaders' impressive home record against the Brumbies -- they had won nine of their 17 clashes against the Australians in Christchurch, including two of their three finals.

"I thought we defended pretty well," captain Richie McCaw said on Sky televison afterwards. "It's something we've put a lot of focus on this year, and it's starting to pay dividends. I'm pretty proud of the way the boys went -- the last three weeks have been tough, but this is the right end of the season to play well."

link

**dudeabides** · 05-15-2010, 02:04 PM

Stormers v Bulls:

Quote:

The Stormers crushed an under-strength Bulls side 38-10 at Newlands on Saturday to book a home tie against the Waratahs in this season's Super 14 semi-finals.

The one-sided victory brought the curtain down on the regular season and confirmed the final four line-up - with the Bulls set to play 'host' to the Crusaders at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto in the other semi-final after the New Zealanders accounted for the Brumbies in our Game of the Week.

Stormers winger Bryan Habana grabbed two tries in his first outing against his former side who fielded a largely inexperienced side safe in the knowledge that they were already guaranteed a home semi-final. Habana crossed after just four minutes to send the Stormers on their way with fly-half Peter Grant adding the extras before his Bulls counterpart Jacques-Louis Potgieter put the visitors on the board after ten minutes.

The Stormers continued to dominate proceedings and the Bulls' indiscipline allowed Grant to extend his side's lead and Habana added his second try midway through the half with his pace carrying over in the corner. The Bulls had little answer to the Stormers' high intensity and the hosts were soon rewarded again with in-form lock Andries Bekker crashing over for his side's third try just short of the half hour that Grant again converted. The Bulls raised their game before the break but found no way through a determined Stormers' defence and in the end Grant had the last say in the half with his third penalty that carried him through the 500 Super Rugby points milestone.

A yellow card for centre De Wet Barry added to the Bulls' woes after the break and the boot of Grant extended his side's lead before man of the match Jacque Fourie notched his side's third try on the hour. Habana ended the game in the sin-bin as the Bulls grabbed a consolation score through replacement Ruan Snyman.

Reds v Highlanders:

Quote:

The Reds secured fifth place with a 38-36 victory over the Highlanders in a thriller at Suncorp Stadium. The Reds continued to build their reputation as the competition's great entertainers with a wonderful try seconds after the kick-off. Quade Cooper's perfect inside ball set Peter Hynes on an arching run through the Highlanders defence and a simple switch from Will Chambers allowed Digby Ioane to dive over.

Radike Samo, freshly arrived from Japan, rolled back the years and no doubt brought tears to the eyes of Brumbies fans with the Reds' second, the former Wallaby barging over after an overlap had been created by Cooper's miss-pass. The Reds' third try was forged by another breathtaking piece of skill from their fly-half. After a neat inside ball from lock Van Humphries, Cooper threw an audacious flick pass 10 metres to the waiting Hynes, who had the pace to finish.

The bonus point was wrapped up by the break and it was Cooper again as the pivot pulled out a sidestep and just reached the line with an outstretched arm. Humphries saw yellow before the hooter after a mass brawl, apparently sparked by Jimmy Cowan having a rip at the lock's headgear.

Israel Dagg pounced immediately after the break for the Highlanders' first try, chipping over Cooper and scoring in the corner, and the New Zealanders continued to press against a lethargic Reds with a try to loose-head Chris King. The home side's descent continued with Fetu'u Vainikolo's score taking the visitors to within two and the flying winger was on hand to snatch the lead by darting through from close range after some patient build-up play.

Cooper hauled the Reds ahead again by firing a scoring pass to replacement Poutasi Luafutu before adding the extras but Jason Rutledge hit back immediately for the Kiwis, grounding the ball against the post for Dagg to convert. As the noise inside Suncorp reached deafening levels the Reds had one more try in them, and it was Luafutu scrambling over after a rolling maul before Cooper curled in the conversion. With the clock red Dagg lined up a 55 metre penalty, but the ball fell short to spark celebrations for the Reds.

Blues v Chiefs:

Quote:

The Blues secured a rousing end to their campaign with a 30-20 win over the Chiefs in a New Zealand derby at Eden Park on Saturday. Rudi Wulf bagged a second-half brace for the home side, crashing over in the corner on both occasions after some quick hands and a strong set move, to put his name forward for All Black honours at the end of the season. Fullback Paul Williams had earlier scored the opener for the Blues, pouncing from close range after an offload in sight of the line.

Centre Benson Stanley struck before the break after exploiting a huge overlap with a darting run up the middle and despite some woeful kicking from Stephen Brett the Blues were up at half-time with Chiefs No.8 Colin Bourke in the bin after playing the ball on the floor.

Pacy halfback Alby Mathewson scored off a solid scrum to extend their lead but the visitors hit back with some patient play yielding a try to back-rower Liam Messam. Wulf's double took the Blues clear and secure the bonus point but the Chiefs had the final say with a late individual try going to wing Savenaca Tokula.

Cheetahs v Lions:

Quote:

Elsewhere on Saturday, the Cheetahs finished with a flourish by handing the Lions a crushing 59-10 defeat in Bloemfontein that left the hapless visitors without a win all season. Six tries before the break from winger Bjorn Basson (2), scrum-half Sarel Pretorius (2), lock Barend Pieterse and centre Corne Uys put the hosts firmly in control with four conversions from the boot of fly-half Naas Oliver cementing their advantage.

A solitary penalty from fly-half Herkie Kruger was all that the Lions had to show for their first half efforts but they did breach the Cheetahs' line shortly after the break through winger Michael Killian. But the Cheetahs were soon back on the front foot and further tries from fullback Hennie Daniller (2) and replacement prop Coenraad Oosthuizen heaped further woe on the toothless Lions.