Week 2 of Super Rugby and what we can expect

Will the Crusaders’ Blues Continue?

This weekend’s Super Rugby kicks off with the Crusaders hosting the Blues in Christchurch. This is always a big game and one to look forward to. The Crusaders have dominated Super Rugby since inception and the Blues have not done to badly themselves.

The Blues won their opening game and even though it was a close game it was against the defending champions. As with most of the New Zealand sides they have had a lot of personnel changes and this makes it difficult to read too much into the first week’s result. The same can be said for the Crusaders who lost stalwarts like Richie McCaw and Dan Carter. The lost they suffered to the Chiefs was significant as they were playing at home.

Does this mean the Crusaders will fall against the Blues? Well you never know although the Blues win was at home. Both sides still have game makers and breakers although not as many as in the past. The players still need to find each other as many new combinations have been created and it is only the second week of the season.

The teams have met 26 times in the past with the Blues winning only 11. This game should be much easier for them as explained. I can however not see them beating the Crusaders by too big a margin and will give it to them within 5 points

Crusaders

15 David Havili, 14 Jone Macilai, 13 Sean Wainui, 12 Kieron Fonotia, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Tim Boys, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Sam Whitelock (captain), 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Joe Moody. Substitutes: 16 Ben Funnell, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Mike Alaalatoa, 19 Jimmy Tupou, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 Ben Volavola, 23 Johnny McNicholl

Blues

15 Matt Duffie, 14 Melani Nanai, 13 Rene Ranger, 12 George Moala, 11 Tevita Li, 10 Matt McGahan, 9 Billy Guyton, 8 Steven Luatua, 7 Blake Gibson, 6 Jerome Kaino (captain), 5 Josh Bekhuis, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu, 3 Sione Mafileo, 2 Quentin MacDonald, 1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi. Substitutes: 16 James Parsons, 17 Sam Prattley, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19  Akira Ioane, 20 Kara Pryor, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Ihaia West, 23 Male Sa’u

Will the Brumbies stampede on or will the Waratahs stop them?

The Brumbies started the 2016 season with an impressive 52-10 win against the Hurricanes. Not that it was against the run of play, but most fans didn’t expect the margin. The Waratahs also had a good start to their campaign and it should be fair to say that the game Canberra on Friday is between the two Australian title contenders.

This is going to be a very closely contested game with both sides able to run the ball from just about anywhere on the field. Yet they both have strong packs and can dominate upfront. They have faced each other 27 times with the Waratahs winning 16. In all the average points difference is 1 but looking at the recent history the team that wins does so in style.

The flyhalves will play pivitol roles for both sides. Kurtly Beale can be an elusive runner while Christian Lealiifano has a dangerous kicking boot on him. The Tahs will have to stop Kuridrani and if they can do that the game should be theirs to win.

In this game discipline will play a big role as neither side will want a player sent off. My gut feel is telling me the Waratahs will win this game. The margin 10+ points.

Brumbies

15 Aidan Toua, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Christian Lealiifano (c), 9 Tomás Cubelli, 8 Ita Vaea, 7 David Pocock, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Blake Enever, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore (captain), 1 Scott Sio. Substitutes: 16 Josh Mann-Rea, 17 Allan Alaalatoa, 18 Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin, 19 Jordan Smiler, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Michael Dowsett, 22 Andrew Smith, 23 Nigel Ah Wong

Waratahs

15 Israel Folau, 14 Matt Carraro, 13 Rob Horne, 12 David Horwitz, 11 Zac Guildford, 10  Kurtley Beale, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Jed Holloway, 7 Michael Hooper (captain), 6 David Dennis, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Angus Taavao, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Paddy Ryan. Substitutes: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Matt Sandell, 18 Jeremy Tilse, 19 Sam Lousi, 20 Wycliff Palu, 21 Jack Dempsey, 22 Matt Lucas, 23 Bryce Hegarty

Can the Chiefs scalp the Lions?

The first game on Saturday will be the Chiefs hosting the Lions in Waikato. Both sides have their tails up after scoring wins away from home on the opening weekend of 2016. The Lions probably feels better than the Chiefs seeing as they had to make the big trek from South Africa to Japan. Still they played the new boys on the block, The Sunwolves, while the Chiefs beat the mighty Crusaders in their own back yard. If you want to see full on running rugby, both these sides can bring that to the party and will probably do so again this weekend.

The chiefs should be the favourites this weekend. Not only because the Lions had to make two day long flights across numerous time zones in the last 14 days, but also because they have won 13 of the 18 encounters between the two sides. It will be a high scoring game should history be anything to go by. Don’t be surprised by a 20+ victory margin either. I believe it will be closer than that but purely because of the traveling by the Lions the Chiefs will win by around 7 points

Chiefs

15. Damian McKenzie, 14. Latu Vaeno, 13. Seta Tamanivalu, 12. Charlie Ngatai, 11. James Lowe, 10. Aaron Cruden, 9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8. Maama Vaipulu, 7. Sam Cane (captain), 6. Tom Sanders, 5. Brodie Retallick, 4. Michael Allardice, 3. Hiroshi Yamashita, 2. Rhys Marshall, 1. Pauliasi Manu. Substitutes: 16. Nathan Harris, 17. Mitchell Graham, 18. Siate Tokolahi, 19. Taleni Seu, 20. Michael Leitch, 21. Brad Weber, 22. Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Glen Fisiiahi

 Lions

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnal Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Julian Redelinghuys, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Dylan Smith. Substitutes:  16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Fabian Booysen, 21 Jaco van der Walt, 22 Howard Mnisi, 23 Rohan Janse van Rensburg

Can the Hurricanes bounce back or will the Highlanders do it?

This is a game that both sides will want to win after losing their opening encounters last weekend. The Highlanders did so by a narrow margin and will look back at the game and wonder why? Probably because of ill-discipline and poor goal kicking. The Hurricanes, well they will know it was just because the Brumbies were too good for them.

This is a tough call to make as the Highlanders are defending champions yet the Hurricanes have won more games against them than what they have lost. Both sides have the players to make this a close fought affair and that it will probably be. The Hurricanes will try and dominate up front before setting their backline loose. The Highlanders will play the percentage game but can run it from anywhere on the field. The Highlanders to win by less than 5.

Highlanders

15 Ben Smith (co-captain), 14 Matt Faddes, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Teihorangi Walden, 11 Patrick Osborne, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 Shane Christie (co-captain), 6 Elliot Dixon, 5 Joe Wheeler, 4 Tom Franklin, 3 Josh Hohneck, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Brendon Edmonds. Substitutes: 16 Ash Dixon, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Siosiua Halanukonuka, 19 Liam Squire, 20 Dan Pryor, 21 Josh Renton, 22 Hayden Parker, 23 Jason Emery

Hurricanes

15 Nehe Milner-Skudder/James Marshall, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Vince Aso, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara (c), 8 Victor Vito, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Brad Shields, 5 Mark Abbott, 4 Blade Thomson, 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 2 Leni Apisai, 1 Reggie Goodes. Substitutes: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Loni Uhila, 19 Vaea Fifita, 20 Callum Gibbins, 21 Jamison Gibson-Park, 22 James Marshall/Jason Woodward, 23 Willis Halaholo

Reds or Force who will it be?

This might look like an obvious pick to make. The Reds are at home and therefore they should win against the much weaker Force side. Well if that is what you think, think again. These two sides have met 12 times with the Reds winning 6 and there has been a draw as well. The Force had 4 wins and the draw in the last 6 games between the two sides. The last game did go to the Reds however.

This is one of those encounters where you know that the scores will be high or the victory margin will be huge. To be honest the Force has always been a much better team away from home as long as they played in Australia. The Reds on the other hand has underperformed for a couple of seasons now. I am going with the Reds b y between 10 and 15 points

Reds

15 Ayumu Goromaru, 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia, 13 Samu Kerevi, 12 Karmichael Hunt, 11 Eto Nabuli, 10 Jake McIntyre, 9 Nick Frisby, 8 Jake Schatz, 7 Curtis Browning, 6 Hendrik Tui, 5 Rob Simmons (captain), 4 Cadeyrn Neville, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 Saia Fainga’a, 1 Ben Daley. Substitutes: 16 Andrew Ready, 17 Sef Fa’agase, 18 Sam Balakai, 19 Ben Matwijow, 20 Michael Gunn, 21 Scott Gale, 22 Sam Greene, 23 Junior Laloifi

 

Force

15. Dane Haylett-Petty, 14. Luke Morahan, 13. Ben Tapuai, 12. Junior Rasolea, 11. Semisi Masirewa, 10. Jono Lance, 9. Alby Mathewson, 8. Angus Cottrell, 7. Matt Hodgson (captain), 6. Brynard Stander, 5. Adam Coleman, 4. Steve Mafi, 3. Guy Millar, 2. Nathan Charles, 1. Pekahou Cowan. Substitutes: 16. Heath Tessmann, 17. Chris Heiberg, 18. Jermaine Ainsley, 19. Ross Haylett-Petty, 20. Ben McCalman, 21. Ian Prior, 22. Peter Grant, 23. Marcel Brache

Bulls to trample Rebels?

The Bulls might have lost against the Stormers last week while the Rebels won away from home against the Force, but that will mean nothing come Saturday. The Bulls have a young side while the Rebels side is more set. Again it will not mean much.

The Bulls have not lost to the Rebels and they will not be looking to do so at their holiest place, Loftus Versfeld. The Closest the Rebels has come to a win was in 2012 when they lost 41-30. Other than that they have not scored more than 10 points in a game against the Bulls, this while the Bulls have never scored less than 40. It might not be such a big score by the Bulls this weekend but they should win this one by no less than 10 points.

Bulls

15 Warrick Gelant , 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jan Serfontein, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Arno Botha, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Nic de Jager, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), Trevor Nyakane. Substitutes: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Jason Jenkins, 20 Roelof Smit, 21 Piet van Zyl, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Dries Swanepoel

Rebels

TBA

Will the Storm be too much for the Cheetahs?

For South Africa this will be the game of the weekend. Both teams are known for the running rugby they can produce through their backs. Both sides have strong forwards and can get the rolling maul to the work as well (ask the Bulls how well the Stormers make theirs work). The Cheetahs has never won this encounter by a huge margin and even though the Stormers has done so on more than one occasion it is never a one sided affair.

The teams have met 14 times with the Stormers winning 9. With an average of 50 points in a game and a winning margin of around 5 on average it does say a lot about these two sides. They like to play against each other and do so running the ball. The Stormers should win this one with ease and it will be with at least 10 points.

Cheetahs

15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Francois Venter (captain), 12 William Small-Smith, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Niell Jordaan, 7 Uzair Cassiem, 6 Paul Schoeman, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Maks van Dyk, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Charles Marais. Substitutes: 16 Jacques du Toit, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Luan de Bruin, 19 Francois Uys, 20 Boom Prinsloo, 21 Henco Venter, 22 Tian Meyer, 23 Niel Marais

Stormers

15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Juan de Jongh (co-captain), 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Oli Kebble. Substitutes: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Frans Malherbe (co-captain), 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Nic Groom, 22 Kurt Coleman, 23 Huw Jones

Can the Jaguars pounce again?

The Sharks did record a win in their opening game and yes it was away from and it was by 33 points, but it was against the Kings. Not South Africa’s strongest rugby province at the current moment or even for the last 20 years. The Jaguars also recorded a win and yes it was also away from home and yes it was a close call winning by 1 point. Still they did it against the Cheetahs, a team known for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

That it will be a good game I have no doubt. The Sharks will hope to build on the momentum they have. The Jaguars will want to show that they can continue winning and they should as the bulk of the team has played for Argentina at the international level. This game will be won up front and if that is the case it should go to the Jaguars, but discipline will be important as well and here they lack a bit. All I have to go on here is my head, my heart and my gut. My head says Jaguars, My heart says Sharks, and my gut says it will be a brilliant game won by a kick in the last minutes by the Jaguars.

 

Sharks

15. Willie le Roux, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Paul Jordaan, 12. Andre Esterhuizen, 11. JP Pietersen, 10. Joe Pietersen, 9. Cobus Reinach, 8. Daniel du Preez , 7. Jean-Luc du Preez, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Stephan Lewies, 4. Etienne Oosthuizen, 3. Coenie Oosthuizen, 2. Franco Marais, 1. Tendai Mtawarira (captain). Substitutes: 16. Kyle Cooper, 17. Juan Schoeman, 18. Lourens Adriaanse, 19. Hyron Andrews, 20. Philip van der Walt, 21. Michael Claassens, 22. Garth April, 23. S’bura Sithole

Jaguares TBA

Last weekend I got 8/8. Let’s see how I do this week. Follow me on twitter @djvanman or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vanman1979 and let me know your predictions.

A CRACKING START TO SUPER RUGBY 2016 AS THE STORMERS STEAL THE SHOW

The first weekend of Super Rugby 2016 has come and gone quicker than my salary. A good weekend of rugby it was though. High paced and electrifying rugby was seen. Only three really big victories and 4 games that could have gone either way. Any rugby lover would be happy with the rugby they saw.

The Blues beat the Highlanders but as predicted this one went down to the wire. The Highlanders will kick themselves for the yellow card they received. This probably made the difference in the game. Both sides struggled with kicking at goal. Blues 33-31 Highlanders.

The Hurricanes will look back at the Brumbies game and wonder what happened. Yes they missed a kick or two, but the Brumbies out played them. Even when the Brumbies were down to 14 men, and this happened twice, the Hurricanes didn’t look like they could buy a try. Brumbies 52-10 Hurricanes.

The Cheetahs once again showed us how you can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Leading 24-3 at one stage, they still managed to lose. True the Jaguars played with 13 men when the Cheetahs scored their tries. Still one would think that when you have a 21 point lead you can build on that. Hats off however to the Jaguars that stuck to their guns. They did not allow the scoreboard to put pressure on them and though before the break. A well-deserved win by the new kids on the block. Cheetahs 33-34 Jaguars.

The Lions travelled to Tokyo and although the Sunwolves had 4 world cup players in their team, the Lions were not overwhelmed at all. The Wolves played good rugby and the Lions did not have it all their own way. Both teams a gain missed crucial kicks at goal. Still it was a good show of running rugby. Sunwolves 13-26 Lions. Both sides still have some work to do going forward.

The Crusaders missed Richie McCaw and Dan Carter. Although they led the game for most of 65 minutes it was the last 15 minutes that mattered. The Chiefs came back and scored two late tries giving them a victory. Missed kicks at goal could have made the result much different but only that it would have given the Chiefs a bigger winning margin. Crusaders 21 -27 Chiefs.

The Waratahs versus Reds game was true to form. Both of these sides can be contenders in Australia and it is always a hard game. The Waratahs made sure of the win in the first half and the Reds were always going to struggle to come back. The fact that they got two yellow cards didn’t help them much. Waratahs 30-10 Reds.

The Force v Rebels game remained true to history. The away side winning although this time it was with a slightly bigger margin than what we have come to expect between these two sides. The Force will rue the mistakes made on the attack as this gave the Rebels just what they needed. In the end a good old contest between two equally strong sides. Force 19-25 Rebels.

The Kings started well but then they just fizzled out against the Sharks. The Sharks were always going to win this one, but I expected much more of a fight from the Kings. The off the field woes of the Eastern Cape side has carried over on to the field. The Sharks can also not read too much into the victory taking into account the opponents. Hopefully the Kings can sort out their problems and rather sooner than later or it will be a long season for them. Kings 8-43 Sharks.

The game of the weekend was the Stormers versus Bulls game and the first half lived up to expectations with the home side leading only 9-6. The second half however was a totally different ball game. The Stormers came out with a vengeance and it showed. The play of the weekend being the driving maul from their own 22. It looked like a freight train without brakes and the Bulls could only look on as it stormed forward. At one stage it looked like the Bulls players falling back was helping the maul move towards their own tryline. The Stormers will be happy with their performance while the Bulls can’t take a lot of positives from the game. Stormers 33-9 Bulls.

SUPER RUGBY 2016 ABOUT TO KICK-OFF

The coming weekend sees the kick-off of Super Rugby 2016. A lot has been said and written about the new format and two debutant teams. Pre-season games have been played and many have read into this and what we can expect for the season to come. However until the first weekend is over we will not truly know where the teams stand. Here is a look at what the weekend holds in store for us.

The Blues will take on the highlanders in the opening game of the season. This is always a good game to watch as both teams can rate themselves as contenders for the number 1 spot in the New Zealand conference. The last couple of seasons however both of these sides struggled in the first couple of weeks. Expect some good running rugby. The Blues to take this one purely because they have the home ground advantage. Kick-off at 8h35 SA time at Eden Park.

The Brumbies will then take on the Hurricanes at the GIO Stadium at 10h45 SA time. This is another good match up with two of Australia’s top 3 teams playing against each other. The Hurricanes have never really lived up to their potential in the past, but they have been known to make the front runners stumble. The Brumbies is always a side to watch. Again I will give this to the Brumbies due to the home ground advantage, but they will have to counter the Hurricanes up front. If not they will struggle to win.

One of the games that will have most neutrals pinned to their seats will be the Cheetahs vs Jaguars game. Purely because everyone will want to see what the Jaguars are going to bring to the table. This game should be filled with fast paced action and a lot of running. However the scrum and rolling maul will play a big part as well. That is if the Jaguars will stick to the tried and tested Argentinian style of rugby. Most will give this game to the Cheetahs. But to be honest I see the Jaguars winning this one. This is the perfect game to finish off Friday’s action. Kick-off at 19h00 in Bloemfontein.

Saturday will see an early start for Lions fans. The Sunwolves host the Lions in Tokyo with kick-off at 6h15. This will have many neutrals up early as well. The Lions did not have the best of warmup games but I will not read too much into that. The Sunwolves are an unknown factor. Still if the Lions stick to what they do best, running the ball and using the forwards to get quick ball, they should win this one. Then again we all know what Japan did against the Springboks in the World Cup. I am hoping to see fast running rugby in this game.

The Crusaders and Chiefs game is one of the two games of the weekend for me. The Crusaders has lost some key players and this might impact on them in a negative way. The Chiefs, as we all know, are one of those teams that can have a brilliant game one week and the next look like they have not played together in months. This game will see some good running rugby with hard tackles and lots of turnover ball. This is another game where I am going against the main stream and pick the Chiefs to win.

In Australia the Waratahs and Reds will take each other one. Easy pick is the Waratahs to win. I just can’t see the Reds winning this one. Then we also have the Force and Rebels taking each other on. If history serves t be right the Rebels will win as they are playing away from home.

The Kings vs Sharks game should be an easy pick, but both sides have been going through some of the field issues. The Sharks struggled of last season and unless there has been a monumental mind shift in the squad i don’t believe that it has changed. Management and players are essentially the same. The Kings are in financial crisis and players are begging to get paid. This can’t be good for them either. Still the Sharks should win this one.

The Game of the weekend will end of the action on Saturday. The Stormers take on the Bulls. This is never a high scoring game and kicking should play a big part in the outcome. Still running rugby is always on the cards. The Stormers are under a caretaker coach of sorts and the Bulls have their tails up after some good warmup results. The game however is played at Newlands and it has become extremely difficult to beat the Cape side at home in recent seasons. The Stormers should win this by a slim margin.

SUPER RUGBY NOW MORE CONFUSING THAN GRADE 12 ALGEBRA

Super Rugby is just short of 6 weeks from kicking off and if anyone can make heads or tails of the new format then they will do good in grade 12 maths as well. 18 teams will compete in this year’s competition with 5 teams each from Australia and New Zealand, 6 from South Africa and 1 each from Argentina and Japan. What is making this new 18 team format so confusing is how they have created the conferences that will compete against each other and then how they will compete.

There will 2 Australasian conferences consisting of 5 teams each and 2 African conferences consisting of 4 teams. The Australasian conferences will effectively be a Australian conference and a New Zealand conference. The two Africa conferences will consist of three South African teams each and then one will have the Japanese team and the other the Argentinian team.  Now from here it starts getting very interesting as well as very confusing.

The Australasian conferences will see each team playing two of the other teams in there group home and away. They will then play one away game and one home game against one of the other teams in the conference. The African conferences will play each team in their group home and away. The Australasian conferences will then proceed to play a game against each of the teams in the other conference. The dame for the two African Conferences. We will then see Africa 1 playing against Australian conference and Africa 2 playing against the New Zealand conference.

The top team in each conference will proceed to the quarter finals joined by 4 wildcard teams. The wild cards will be selected 2 from each of the Australasian conferences and 1 each from the African Conferences. Effectively the runners up in Africa and second and third place in the Australasian conferences.

From there it is highest placed against lowest and so on. The winners will play against each other in the semi-finals. Again the highest placed against the lowest placed. An then we will have the final. All in all it will tae 135 matches to decide the winner of the competition. 59 more than in the European equivalent that has 24 teams. SANZAR could not make this any more difficult if they wanted to.

Why they didn’t just add 4 teams and made it 20 teams is beyond me. That way we could have had 4 groups or if you want conferences with 5 teams each. Had they added say Namibia and a team from Fiji this could have worked. Groups being drawn from a hat to make up the groups. Each team playing the others in the group Home and away and from there the top 2 teams in each group proceeds to the quarter finals and so on.

If SANZAR didn’t want to go this route they could well have gone back to each team playing each of the other teams once. This way the competition would still have been the same number of games but at least you would face all the competition not just some.

Now we have a competition that can potentially see a winner that has not played once against a New Zealand team or on the other hand an Australian team. How can you claim to be the best in the Southern Hemisphere if you did not once face a team from one of these countries? The same can be said if a team wins but they did not play against the Stormers or Bulls or for that matter the Lions or Sharks.

This might be the premier rugby competition for clubs/provinces/franchises in the world but currently it is nothing more than a farce.

Here is the conferences and inter conference setup with games to be played:

 

Australasian Group
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	Blues	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Brumbies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Chiefs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Crusaders	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Force	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Highlanders	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	Hurricanes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
8	Rebels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
9	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
10	Waratahs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
South African Group
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	Bulls	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Cheetahs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Jaguares	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Kings	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Lions	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Sharks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	Stormers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
8	Sunwolves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Australian Conference
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	Brumbies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Force	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Rebels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Waratahs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
New Zealand Conference
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	Blues	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Chiefs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Crusaders	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Highlanders	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Hurricanes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Africa 1 Conference
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	Bulls	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Cheetahs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Stormers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Sunwolves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Africa 2 Conference
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	Jaguares	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Kings	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Lions	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Sharks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

 

Round 1

	26 February 2016	Blues	v	Highlanders	Eden Park, Auckland
	19:35

 

	26 February 2016	Brumbies	v	Hurricanes	GIO Stadium, Canberra
	19:40

 

	26 February 2016	Cheetahs	v	Jaguares	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
	19:00

 

	27 February 2016	Sunwolves	v	Lions	Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo
	13:15

 

	27 February 2016	Crusaders	v	Chiefs	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	[show]
	19:35

 

	27 February 2016	Waratahs	v	Reds	Allianz Stadium, Sydney	[show]
	19:40

 

	27 February 2016	Force	v	Rebels	nib Stadium, Perth	[show]
	18:50

 

	27 February 2016	Kings	v	Sharks	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth	[show]
	15:00

 

	27 February 2016	Stormers	v	Bulls	DHL Newlands, Cape Town	[show]
	17:05

Round 2[edit]

	4 March 2016	Crusaders	v	Blues	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	[show]
	19:35

 

	4 March 2016	Brumbies	v	Waratahs	GIO Stadium, Canberra	[show]
	19:40

 

	5 March 2016	Chiefs	v	Lions	Waikato Stadium, Hamilton	[show]
	17:15

 

	5 March 2016	Highlanders	v	Hurricanes	Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin	[show]
	19:35

 

	5 March 2016	Reds	v	Force	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	[show]
	18:40

 

	5 March 2016	Bulls	v	Rebels	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	[show]
	15:00

 

	5 March 2016	Cheetahs	v	Stormers	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein	[show]
	17:05

 

	5 March 2016	Sharks	v	Jaguares	Kings Park Stadium, Durban	[show]
	19:10

 

Bye/s: Sunwolves, Kings

Round 3[edit]

	11 March 2016	Blues	v	Hurricanes	Eden Park, Auckland	[show]
	19:35

 

	11 March 2016	Force	v	Brumbies	nib Stadium, Perth	[show]
	19:05

 

	12 March 2016	Highlanders	v	Lions	Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin	[show]
	19:35

 

	12 March 2016	Rebels	v	Reds	AAMI Park, Melbourne	[show]
	19:40

 

	12 March 2016	Sunwolves	v	Cheetahs	National Stadium, Singapore	[show]
	18:50

 

	12 March 2016	Kings	v	Chiefs	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth	[show]
	15:00

 

	12 March 2016	Stormers	v	Sharks	DHL Newlands, Cape Town	[show]
	17:05

 

Bye/s: Bulls, Crusaders, Jaguares, Waratahs

Round 4[edit]

	18 March 2016	Hurricanes	v	Force	Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North	[show]
	19:35

 

	18 March 2016	Waratahs	v	Highlanders	Allianz Stadium, Sydney	[show]
	19:40

 

	18 March 2016	Bulls	v	Sharks	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	[show]
	19:00

 

	19 March 2016	Sunwolves	v	Rebels	Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo	[show]
	13:15

 

	19 March 2016	Crusaders	v	Kings	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	[show]
	19:35

 

	19 March 2016	Reds	v	Blues	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	[show]
	18:40

 

	19 March 2016	Lions	v	Cheetahs	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg	[show]
	17:05

 

	19 March 2016	Stormers	v	Brumbies	DHL Newlands, Cape Town	[show]
	19:10

 

	19 March 2016	Jaguares	v	Chiefs	José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires	[show]

Round 5[edit]

	25 March 2016	Hurricanes	v	Kings	Westpac Stadium, Wellington	[show]
	19:35

 

	26 March 2016	Chiefs	v	Force	Waikato Stadium, Hamilton	[show]
	19:35

 

	26 March 2016	Rebels	v	Highlanders	AAMI Park, Melbourne	[show]
	19:40

 

	26 March 2016	Sunwolves	v	Bulls	National Stadium, Singapore	[show]
	18:50

 

	26 March 2016	Cheetahs	v	Brumbies	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein	[show]
	15:00

 

	26 March 2016	Sharks	v	Crusaders	Kings Park Stadium, Durban	[show]
	17:05

 

	26 March 2016	Jaguares	v	Stormers	José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires	[show]

 

	27 March 2016	Reds	v	Waratahs	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	[show]
	15:05

 

Bye/s: Blues, Lions

Round 6[edit]

	1 April 2016	Highlanders	v	Force	Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin	[show]
	19:35

 

	1 April 2016	Lions	v	Crusaders	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg	[show]
	19:00

 

	2 April 2016	Blues	v	Jaguares	QBE Stadium, Albany	[show]
	19:35

 

	2 April 2016	Brumbies	v	Chiefs	GIO Stadium, Canberra	[show]
	19:40

 

	2 April 2016	Kings	v	Sunwolves	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth	[show]
	17:05

 

	2 April 2016	Bulls	v	Cheetahs	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	[show]
	19:10

 

	3 April 2016	Waratahs	v	Rebels	Allianz Stadium, Sydney	[show]
	16:05

 

Bye/s: Hurricanes, Reds, Sharks, Stormers

Round 7[edit]

	8 April 2016	Chiefs	v	Blues	Waikato Stadium, Hamilton	[show]
	19:35

 

	8 April 2016	Force	v	Crusaders	nib Stadium, Perth	[show]
	19:00

 

	8 April 2016	Stormers	v	Sunwolves	DHL Newlands, Cape Town	[show]
	19:00

 

	9 April 2016	Hurricanes	v	Jaguares	Westpac Stadium, Wellington	[show]
	19:35

 

	9 April 2016	Reds	v	Highlanders	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	[show]
	19:40

 

	9 April 2016	Sharks	v	Lions	Kings Park Stadium, Durban	[show]
	17:05

 

	9 April 2016	Kings	v	Bulls	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth	[show]
	19:10

 

Bye/s: Brumbies, Cheetahs, Rebels, Waratahs

Round 8[edit]

	15 April 2016	Crusaders	v	Jaguares	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	[show]
	19:35

 

	15 April 2016	Rebels	v	Hurricanes	AAMI Park, Melbourne	[show]
	19:40

 

	15 April 2016	Cheetahs	v	Sunwolves	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein	[show]
	19:00

 

	16 April 2016	Blues	v	Sharks	Eden Park, Auckland	[show]
	19:35

 

	16 April 2016	Waratahs	v	Brumbies	Allianz Stadium, Sydney	[show]
	19:40

 

	16 April 2016	Bulls	v	Reds	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	[show]
	17:05

 

	16 April 2016	Lions	v	Stormers	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg	[show]
	19:10

 

Bye/s: Chiefs, Force, Highlanders, Kings

Round 9[edit]

	22 April 2016	Highlanders	v	Sharks	Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin	[show]
	19:35

 

	22 April 2016	Rebels	v	Cheetahs	AAMI Park, Melbourne	[show]
	19:40

 

	23 April 2016	Sunwolves	v	Jaguares	Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo	[show]
	14:15

 

	23 April 2016	Hurricanes	v	Chiefs	Westpac Stadium, Wellington	[show]
	19:35

 

	23 April 2016	Force	v	Waratahs	nib Stadium, Perth	[show]
	17:40

 

	23 April 2016	Stormers	v	Reds	DHL Newlands, Cape Town	[show]
	15:00

 

	23 April 2016	Kings	v	Lions	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth	[show]
	17:05

 

	24 April 2016	Brumbies	v	Crusaders	GIO Stadium, Canberra	[show]
	16:05

 

Bye/s: Blues, Bulls

Round 10[edit]

	29 April 2016	Chiefs	v	Sharks	Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth	[show]
	19:35

 

	29 April 2016	Force	v	Bulls	nib Stadium, Perth	[show]
	19:05

 

	30 April 2016	Highlanders	v	Brumbies	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill	[show]
	17:15

 

	30 April 2016	Blues	v	Rebels	Eden Park, Auckland	[show]
	19:35

 

	30 April 2016	Reds	v	Cheetahs	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	[show]
	19:40

 

	30 April 2016	Lions	v	Hurricanes	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg	[show]
	17:05

 

	30 April 2016	Stormers	v	Waratahs	DHL Newlands, Cape Town	[show]
	19:10

 

	30 April 2016	Jaguares	v	Kings	José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires	[show]

 

Bye/s: Crusaders, Sunwolves

Round 11[edit]

	6 May 2016	Crusaders	v	Reds	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	[show]
	19:35

 

	6 May 2016	Brumbies	v	Bulls	GIO Stadium, Canberra	[show]
	19:40

 

	7 May 2016	Sunwolves	v	Force	Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo	[show]
	14:15

 

	7 May 2016	Chiefs	v	Highlanders	Waikato Stadium, Hamilton	[show]
	19:35

 

	7 May 2016	Waratahs	v	Cheetahs	Allianz Stadium, Sydney	[show]
	19:40

 

	7 May 2016	Sharks	v	Hurricanes	Kings Park Stadium, Durban	[show]
	15:00

 

	7 May 2016	Kings	v	Blues	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth	[show]
	17:05

 

Bye/s: Jaguares, Lions, Rebels, Stormers

Round 12[edit]

	13 May 2016	Highlanders	v	Crusaders	Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin	[show]
	19:35

 

	13 May 2016	Rebels	v	Brumbies	AAMI Park, Melbourne	[show]
	19:40

 

	14 May 2016	Hurricanes	v	Reds	Westpac Stadium, Wellington	[show]
	19:35

 

	14 May 2016	Waratahs	v	Bulls	Allianz Stadium, Sydney	[show]
	19:40

 

	14 May 2016	Sunwolves	v	Stormers	National Stadium, Singapore	[show]
	19:45

 

	14 May 2016	Cheetahs	v	Kings	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein	[show]
	17:05

 

	14 May 2016	Lions	v	Blues	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg	[show]
	19:10

 

	14 May 2016	Jaguares	v	Sharks	José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires	[show]

 

Bye/s: Chiefs, Force

Round 13[edit]

	20 May 2016	Crusaders	v	Waratahs	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	[show]
	19:35

 

	21 May 2016	Reds	v	Sunwolves	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	[show]
	15:05

 

	21 May 2016	Chiefs	v	Rebels	Waikato Stadium, Hamilton	[show]
	19:35

 

	21 May 2016	Force	v	Blues	nib Stadium, Perth	[show]
	17:40

 

	21 May 2016	Lions	v	Jaguares	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg	[show]
	15:00

 

	21 May 2016	Sharks	v	Kings	Kings Park Stadium, Durban	[show]
	17:05

 

	21 May 2016	Bulls	v	Stormers	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	[show]
	19:10

 

Bye/s: Brumbies, Cheetahs, Highlanders, Hurricanes

Round 14[edit]

	27 May 2016	Hurricanes	v	Highlanders	Westpac Stadium, Wellington	[show]
	19:35

 

	27 May 2016	Waratahs	v	Chiefs	Allianz Stadium, Sydney	[show]
	19:40

 

	27 May 2016	Kings	v	Jaguares	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth	[show]
	19:00

 

	28 May 2016	Blues	v	Crusaders	Eden Park, Auckland	[show]
	19:35

 

	28 May 2016	Brumbies	v	Sunwolves	GIO Stadium, Canberra	[show]
	19:40

 

	28 May 2016	Stormers	v	Cheetahs	DHL Newlands, Cape Town	[show]
	15:00

 

	28 May 2016	Bulls	v	Lions	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	[show]
	17:05

 

	29 May 2016	Rebels	v	Force	AAMI Park, Melbourne	[show]
	16:05

 

Bye/s: Reds, Sharks

Round 15[edit]

	1 July 2016	Chiefs	v	Crusaders	ANZ National Stadium, Suva, Fiji	[show]
	19:35

 

	1 July 2016	Brumbies	v	Reds	GIO Stadium, Canberra	[show]
	19:40

 

	2 July 2016	Sunwolves	v	Waratahs	Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo	[show]
	14:15

 

	2 July 2016	Hurricanes	v	Blues	Westpac Stadium, Wellington	[show]
	19:35

 

	2 July 2016	Rebels	v	Stormers	AAMI Park, Melbourne	[show]
	19:40

 

	2 July 2016	Cheetahs	v	Force	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein	[show]
	15:00

 

	2 July 2016	Kings	v	Highlanders	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth	[show]
	17:05

 

	2 July 2016	Lions	v	Sharks	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg	[show]
	19:10

 

	2 July 2016	Jaguares	v	Bulls	José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires	[show]

Round 16[edit]

	8 July 2016	Blues	v	Brumbies	Eden Park, Auckland	[show]
	19:35

 

	8 July 2016	Reds	v	Chiefs	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	[show]
	19:40

 

	8 July 2016	Lions	v	Kings	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg	[show]
	19:00

 

	9 July 2016	Crusaders	v	Rebels	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	[show]
	19:35

 

	9 July 2016	Waratahs	v	Hurricanes	Allianz Stadium, Sydney	[show]
	19:40

 

	9 July 2016	Force	v	Stormers	nib Stadium, Perth	[show]
	19:45

 

	9 July 2016	Bulls	v	Sunwolves	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	[show]
	17:05

 

	9 July 2016	Sharks	v	Cheetahs	Kings Park Stadium, Durban	[show]
	19:10

 

	9 July 2016	Jaguares	v	Highlanders	José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires	[show]

Round 17[edit]

	15 July 2016	Blues	v	Waratahs	Eden Park, Auckland	[show]
	19:35

 

	15 July 2016	Reds	v	Rebels	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	[show]
	19:40

 

	15 July 2016	Sharks	v	Sunwolves	Kings Park Stadium, Durban	[show]
	19:00

 

	16 July 2016	Crusaders	v	Hurricanes	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	[show]
	17:15

 

	16 July 2016	Highlanders	v	Chiefs	Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin	[show]
	19:35

 

	16 July 2016	Brumbies	v	Force	GIO Stadium, Canberra	[show]
	19:40

 

	16 July 2016	Stormers	v	Kings	DHL Newlands, Cape Town	[show]
	17:05

 

	16 July 2016	Cheetahs	v	Bulls	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein	[show]
	19:10

 

	16 July 2016	Jaguares	v	Lions	José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires	[show]

Finals[edit]

Quarter Finals[edit]

	22/23 July 2016	Team 1	v	Team 8		[show]

 

	22/23 July 2016	Team 2	v	Team 7		[show]

 

	22/23 July 2016	Team 3	v	Team 6		[show]

 

	22/23 July 2016	Team 4	v	Team 5		[show]

Semi-Finals[edit]

	29/30 July 2016	First-seeded Quarter Final winner	v	Fourth-seeded Quarter Final winner		[show]

 

	29/30 July 2016	Second-seeded Quarter Final winner	v	Third-seeded Quarter Final winner		[show]

Final[edit]

	6 August 2016	Higher ranked Semi-Final winner	v	Lower ranked Semi-Final winner		[show]

The schedule and conference groups care of Wikipedia.com

 

SUPER RUGBY TEAMS FOR WEEK 1 2015

Here is the team selections for the first week of Super Rugby action in 2015.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Crusaders v Rebels, Christchurch – 08:35

Crusaders

15 Colin Slade, 14 Robbie Fruean, 13 Kieron Fonotia, 12 Tom Taylor, 11 Johnny McNicholl, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 Matt Todd (captain), 6 Richie McCaw, 5 Dominic Bird, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Ben Funnell, 1 Joe Moody

Substitutes: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Alex Hodgman, 18 Wyatt Crockett, 19 Scott Barrett, 20 Jordan Taufua, 21 Billy Guyton, 22 Ryan Crotty, 23 Nathaniel Apa

Rebels

15 Mike Harris, 14 Dom Shipperley, 13 Tamati Ellison, 12 Mitch Inman, 11 Tom English, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Nic Stirzaker, 8 Scott Higginbotham (captain), 7 Colby Fainga’a, 6 Sean McMahon, 5 Lopeti Timani, 4 Luke Jones, 3 Laurie Weeks, 2 Pat Leafa, 1 Toby Smith

Substitutes: 16 Ben Whittaker, 17 Cruze Ah-Nau, 18 Paul Alo-Emile, 19 Sam Jeffries, 20 Scott Fuglistaller, 21 Luke Burgess, 22 Bryce Hegarty, 23 Sefanaia Naivalu

Brumbies v Reds, Canberra – 10:40

Brumbies

15. Robbie Coleman, 14. Henry Speight, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 12. Christian Lealiifano, 11. Joseph Tomane, 10. Matt Toomua, 9. Nic White, 8. Jarrad Butler, 7. David Pocock (Captain), 6. Scott Fardy, 5. Sam Carter, 4. Rory Arnold, 3. Ben Alexander, 2. Josh Mann-Rea, 1. Scott Sio

Replacements: 16. Stephen Moore, 17. Jean-Pierre Smith, 18. Ruan-Henry Smith, 19. Jordan Smiler, 20. Ita Vaea, 21. Michael Dowsett, 22. James Dargaville, 23. Lausii Taliauli

Reds

15 Jamie-Jerry Taulagi, 14 Chris Kuridrani, 13 Chris Feauai-Sautia, 12 Samu Kerevi, 11 Lachie Turner, 10 Karmichael Hunt, 9 Will Genia, 8 Jake Schatz, 7 Liam Gill, 6 Curtis Browning, 5 Marco Kotze, 4 James Horwill, 3 Sam Talakai, 2 Saia Fainga’a, 1 James Slipper (captain)

Substitutes: 16 James Hanson, 17 Ben Daley, 18 Sef Faagase, 19 Ed O’Donoghue, 20 Adam Korczyk, 21 Nick Frisby, 22 Duncan Paia’aua, 23 Campbell Magnay

Lions v Hurricanes, Johannesburg – 19:10

Lions

15. Andries Coetzee, 14. Ruan Combrinck, 13. Lionel Mapoe, 12. Howard Mnisi, 11. Courtnall Skosan, 10. Marnitz Boshoff, 9. Ross Cronje, 8. Warren Whiteley (captain), 7. Derick Minnie, 6. Jaco Kriel, 5. Franco Mostert, 4. Martin Muller, 3. Ruan Dreyer, 2. Malcolm Marx, 1. Schalk van der Merwe

Substitutes: 16. Armand van der Merwe, 17. Corne Fourie, 18. Jacques van Rooyen, 19. Robert Kruger, 20. Warwick Tecklenburg, 21. Faf de Klerk, 22. Elton Jantjies, 23. Stokkies Hanekom

Hurricanes

15 Jason Woodward, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (captain), 12 Rey Le-Lo, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Blade Thomson, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Brad Shields, 5 James Broadhurst, 4 Mark Abbott, 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 2 Dan Coles, 1 Ben Franks

Substitutes: 16 Brayden Mitchell, 17 Reggie Goodes, 18 Chris Eves, 19 Callum Gibbins, 20 Victor Vito, 21 Chris Smylie, 22 James Marshall, 23 Matt Proctor

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Blues v Chiefs, Auckland – 08:35

Blues

15 Lolagi Visinia, 14 Charles Piutau, 13 George Moala/Hamish Northcot, 12 Francis Saili, 11 Tevita Li, 10 Ihaia West, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Jerome Kaino (captain), 7 Brendon O’Connor, 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Hayden Triggs, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 James Parsons, 1 Tony Woodcock.

Substitutes: 16 Matt Moulds, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Akira Ioane, 20 Luke Braid, 21 Jamison Gibson-Park, 22 Simon Hickey, 23 Hamish Northcott/Ben Lam

Chiefs

15 Tom Marshall, 14 Tim Nanai-Williams, 13 Charlie Ngatai, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 James Lowe, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Brad Weber, 8 Maama Vaipulu, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Johan Bardoul, 5 Mike Fitzgerald, 4 Matt Symons (captain), 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Pauliasi Manu

Substitutes: 16 Rhys Marshall, 17 Jamie Mackintosh, 18 Siate Tokolahi, 19 Michael Allardice, 20 Tevita Koloamatangi, 21 Augustine Pulu, 22 Marty McKenzie, 23 Bryce Heem

Sharks v Cheetahs, Durban – 17:05

Sharks

15. SP Marais, 14. S’bura Sithole, 13. Waylon Murray, 12. Heimar Williams, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Cobus Reinach, 8. Tera Mtembu, 7. Renaldo Bothma, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4. Mouritz Botha, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis (captain), 1. Tendai Mtawarira

Substitutes: 16. Kyle Cooper, 17. Dale Chadwick, 18. Matt Stevens, 19. Marco Wentzel,20. Jean Deysel, 21. Conrad Hoffmann, 22. Fred Zeilinga, 23. Odwa Ndungane

Cheetahs

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Clayton Blommetjies, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Michael van der Spuy, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Joe Petersen, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Jean Cook, 5 Francois Uys (captain), 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Danie Minnie.

Substitutes: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 BG Uys, 18 Maks van Dyk, 19 Carl Wegner, 20 Boom Prinsloo, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Willie du Plessis, 23 Cornal Hendricks

Bulls v Stormers, Pretoria – 19:10

Bulls

15. Jurgen Visser, 14. Bjorn Basson, 13. JJ Engelbrecht, 12. Jan Serfontein, 11. Francois Hougaard, 10. Handre Pollard, 9. Piet van Zyl, 8. Arno Botha, 7. Lappies Labuschagne, 6. Deon Stegmann, 5. Victor Matfield (captain), 4. Jacques du Plessis, 3. Werner Kruger, 2. Adriaan Strauss, 1. Trevor Nyakane

Substitutes: 16. Callie Visagie, 17. Morne Mellet, 18. Dayan vd Westhuizen/Neethling Fouche, 19. Grant Hattingh, 20. Pierre Spies, 21. Rudy Paige, 22. Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 23. Jesse Kriel

Stormers

15. Cheslin Kolbe, 14. Johnny Kotze, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Dillyn Leyds, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Nic Groom, 8. Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7. Michael Rhodes, 6. Rynhardt Elstadt, 5. Ruan Botha, 4. Jean Kleyn, 3. Vincent Koch, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. Steven Kitshoff

Substitutes: 16. Bongi Mbonambi, 17. Oli Kebble, 18. Wilco Louw, 19. Jurie van Vuuren, 20. Nizaam Carr, 21. Louis Schreuder, 22. Kurt Coleman, 23. Huw Jones

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15

Waratahs v Force, Sydney – 07:05

Waratahs

15 Israel Folau, 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Rob Horne, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Jacques Potgieter, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Dave Dennis (captain), 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson

Substitutes: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Jeremy Tilse, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Sam Lousi, 20 Mitchell Chapman, 21 Stephan Hoiles, 22 Brendan McKibbin, 23 Matt Carraro

Force

15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Kyle Godwin, 12 Solomoni Jnr Rasolea, 11 Marcel Brache, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 Chris Alcock, 6 Angus Cottrell, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Sam Wykes (captain), 3 Tetera Faulkner, 2. Nathan Charles, 1 Pek Cowan

Substitutes: 16 Heath Tessmann, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Oliver Hoskins, 19 Steve Mafi, 20 Brynard Stander, 21 Ian Prior, 22 Zack Holmes, 23 Luke Burton

Let the games begin

THE REAL REASON THE SPRINGBOKS LOST AGAINST AUSTRALIA

Having watched the test between the Springboks and Wallabies on Saturday, and being dissappionted in the end. It is very clear why we lost the game by one point.

Naas Botha pointed out that Clancy, the ref, had a bad game. Did he really? Bar the yellow card given to Habana, he did not make many mistakes. Ok maybe Australia’s first try had an eliment of obstruction in it. But was he bad? No.

The Springbok forwards had a big game. We showed dominance in the scrum and lineouts. We created turn over ball. They tackled like men possessed. Vermeulen, Coetzee and Louw played with heart and guts.

The front row worked for once an Etzebeth came to the party. Matfield was in the lineouts but that was it. Why De Jager replaced Etzebeth and not Matfield only Meyer can answer.

Tha backs were another story. Pienaar’s kicks didn’t work except for one. Morne couldn’t get his backline away. Le Roux kicked more in this one game than the whole season.

Serfontein and De Villiers in the midfield never featured. Hendricks and Habana tried but with out much ball they can’t be blamed for poor performance.

Come the yellow card and we weather the storm. Win a penalty and get out of jail free card. All Steyn has to do is kick it into touch. Our lineout. Our ball. We control the game. Oops he goes for distance and it is into the hands of Australia.

We win the turnover but cough it up again. And the end result is Australia score the winning try.

Supporters and experts blames referee Clancy. We blame coach Meyer.  We look for excuses everywhere. But we don’t blame the players.

Botes breaks new ground in Absa Currie Cup

Veteran Cell C Sharks flank Jacques Botes will break new ground in the Absa Currie Cup competition on Friday as he extends his Absa Currie Cup record to 150 matches, which will make him the first player ever to reach this significant milestone.

Interestingly the player will mark this achievement against the Steval Pumas, the team he first represented in SA’s premier domestic competition. Botes made his provincial debut for the Pumas in 2002 and remained at the union until 2004 before joining the Sharks in 2005.

The Cell C Sharks face the Steval Pumas at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Friday in the opening match of the weekend and with both teams having had good starts to the competition it could prove to be a thrilling clash.

In Saturday’s matches GWK Griquas host the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Kimberley, the Vodacom Blue Bulls take on DHL Western Province in Pretoria and the EP Kings go up against the Xerox Golden Lions in Port Elizabeth.

In Nelspruit, history and form favours the Cell C Sharks as they have won 17 out of the 19 matches between the sides since the 1996 season and they remain one of only two unbeaten teams in the competition.  The home team, however, proved against GWK Griquas and the Toyota Free State Cheetahs that their pack could stand their ground and that they can score tries, and they will bank on these skills to challenge the visitors.

The match-up between GWK Griquas and the Toyota Free State Cheetahs is expected to be hard-fought as the teams both attempt to bounce back from defeats last weekend. This will mark the second clash between the teams in the series. They met in Bloemfontein two weekends ago and the home team secured a narrow 34-27 victory. With former Free State backline coach Hawies Fourie at the helm at GWK Griquas, he is expected to use his knowledge of the visitors’ structures and some players to register their first victory in the series. Interestingly the Free State have won the last five matches between the teams.

The Vodacom Blue Bulls will face another tough test against log-leaders DHL Western Province, this time in Pretoria, following their heavy 41-17 defeat against the Cape side at DHL Newlands earlier in the month. The visitors will enter the clash as overwhelming favourites following three victories in as many matches, but the hosts will be desperate to build on their first victory in the series at home last week. With DHL Western Province’s attack proving to be one of their main strengths, the Vodacom Blue Bulls will have to tighten up their defence significantly to prevent the Capetonians from registering their second successive Absa Currie Cup victory at Loftus Versfeld.

The Xerox Golden Lions, meanwhile, will look to bounce back strongly from their first defeat in the series against DHL Western Province when they line up against the EP Kings in Port Elizabeth. The Premier Division newcomers have their backs against the wall after three defeats and only one log point to show for their efforts so far in the series. They are also still carrying the scars of the 60-19 hiding by the Johannesburg team two weekends back. Given this the EP Kings will have to deliver their best performance yet to topple the Johannesburg side.

Team News

Cell C Sharks coach Brad Mcleod-Henderson has handed scrumhalf Conrad Hoffmann his first start while Springbok lock Stephan Lewies continues his return from injury off the bench. In the Steval Pumas camp coach Jimmy Stonehouse has handed former Western Province scrumhalf Dylon Frylinck a start, while Springbok Sevens star Rosko Speckman will start on the wing and JW Bell at fullback. The match will be particularly special for centre JW Jonker, who will play his 50^th Absa Currie Cup match.

GWK Griquas coach Hawies Fourie, meanwhile, named an unchanged side for their Heartland derby against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, while the Bloemfontein coach has made only one change to his team, with lock Henco Venter being promoted to the starting team, while Waltie Vermeulen is drafted onto the bench.

In the Vodacom Blue Bulls camp, flyhalf Joshua Stander could make his debut after being bracketed alongside Jacques-Louis Potgieter for their clash against DHL Western Province. Potgieter is nursing a rib injury and will be given until Saturday to recover. The other changes to the run-on team were the inclusion of scrumhalf Piet van Zyl, hooker Callie Visagie and prop Werner Kruger. Meanwhile, DHL Western Province coach Allister Coetzee made only one change to his starting team, which sees Springbok Jaco Taute earn his first Absa Currie Cup start for the union as a replacement for the injured Michael van der Spuy. Pat Howard has been drafted onto the bench as cover.

In Port Elizabeth EP Kings coach Carlos Spencer has named Junior Springbok Aidon Davis as the replacement for their captain Luke Watson, who has been ruled out due to concussion, while prop BG Uys comes in Lizo Gqoboka who is being rested. At flyhalf George Whitehead replaces Gary van Aswegen, who is nursing a groin injury. His Xerox Golden Lions counterpart Johan Ackermann, meanwhile, made several changes to his team with the most notable being the inclusion of Andries Coetzee at flyhalf, which made way for Ruan Combrinck at fullback, while captain Warren Whiteley reclaims his position in the loose trio after returning from the Springbok tour to Argentina.

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division round four fixtures:

Steval Pumas vs Cell C Sharks

Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

Kickoff: 19h10

Date: Friday, 29 August

Referee: Ben Crouse

Assistant Referees: Marius Jonker and Stefan Breytenbach

TMO: Johan Greeff

TV: SS1

GWK Griquas vs Toyota Free State Cheetahs

Venue: GWK Park, Kimberley

Kickoff: 15h00

Date: Saturday, 30 August

Referee: Jaco van Heerden

Assistant Referees: Jaco Peyper and Francois de Bruin

TMO: JJ Wagner

TV: SS1

Vodacom Blue Bulls vs DHL Western Province

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Kickoff: 17h05

Date: Saturday, 30 August

Referee: Craig Joubert

Assistant Referees: Rasta Rasivhenge and Cobus Wessels

TMO: Willie Vos

TV: SS1

EP Kings vs Xerox Golden Lions

Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Kickoff: 19h10

Date: Saturday, 30 August

Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen

Assistant Referees: Francois Pretorius and Lusanda Jam

TMO: Jason Jaftha

TV: SS1

Whitely returns for Xerox Golden Lions against EP Kings

Xerox Golden Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has named his 22-man outfit, which will face the EP Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

Ackermann has made a few changes to the Xerox Golden Lions backline, following last weekend’s match against DHL Western Province. Ruan Combrinck will start at his preferred position of fullback, Lionel Mapoe will run out at right wing and Stokkies Hanekom reverts to the outside centre berth for this match. 

Alwyn Hollenbach returns to action and will start at inside centre, while Andries Coetzee will fill the flyhalf slot.

In the forwards, the Xerox Golden Lions welcome back captain Warren Whiteley at eighthman. Jaco Kriel will also start this match alongside Whiteley in the loose trio. In the front row, Armand van der Merwe will make a start at hooker.  

The match will kick off at 19h10.

 Xerox Golden Lions: 15. Ruan Combrinck 14. Lionel Mapoe 13. Stokkies Hanekom 12. Alwyn Hollenbach 11. Courtnall Skosan 10. Andries Coetzee 9. Ross Cronje 8. Warren Whiteley (c) 7. Warwick Tecklenburg 6. Jaco Kriel 5. Franco Mostert 4. MB Lusaseni 3. Ruan Dreyer 2. Armand van der Merwe 1. Schalk van der Merwe.

Replacements: 16. Robbie Coetzee 17. Jacques van Rooyen 18. Willie Britz 19. Derick Minnie 20. Kwagga Smith 21. Ricky Schroeder 22. Howard Mnisi

Taute at inside centre for DHL Western Province

Jaco Taute will make his first Absa Currie Cup start in DHL Western Province colours, after being named at inside centre for Saturday’s meeting with the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Pretoria (kick-off 17h05).

Springbok Taute replaces the injured Michael van der Spuy (hamstring) in the No.12 shirt in the only change to the DHL WP starting XV from last weekend’s 27-14 win over the Golden Lions.

Former SA Under-20 star Pat Howard, a Round One try-scorer against the EP Kings, replaces Taute on the bench – meaning just two changes overall to the Province 22 from last week.

Taute scored a valuable try off the bench last week after replacing Van der Spuy in the 59th minute and his experience will be a major boon for the unbeaten and table-topping DHL Western Province outfit ahead of Saturday’s clash at Loftus Versfeld.

DHL WP coach Allister Coetzee told www.wprugby.com: “This is a great opportunity for Jaco. I’ve said before that his size and skill-set could make him into the ideal centre and he now has an opportunity to show us just that.

“Jaco is still very young (at 23 years of age) but he’s already very experienced having played Test and Super Rugby at centre before.

“But his skill and strength aside, his communication is his biggest attribute and I look forward to seeing him operate in the No.12 jersey.

“Your depth is tested quite severely during the Absa Currie Cup,” added Coetzee, “so having versatile players like Jaco (in our squad) is a good thing – especially ahead of a big game like Saturday.”

The Bulls picked up a welcome 30-25 win over the EP Kings last weekend and will be determined to make it back-to-back victories in front of their home support as they also look to avenge their Round Two defeat to DHL WP in Cape Town two weeks ago.

“We will respect any team we play against and it doesn’t get much bigger than playing against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld – no matter what happened last time between us,” said Coetzee.

“The Bulls did well to beat the EP Kings. Don’t look at the scoreline, they’ve come off a difficult few weeks and it was a big and valuable win for them.”

The DHL WP team for Saturday (v the Blue Bulls, away) is as follows: 15. Cheslin Kolbe 14. Kobus van Wyk 13. Juan de Jongh (captain) 12. Jaco Taute (First Absa Currie Cup start for DHL Western Province) 11. Seabelo Senatla 10. Demetri Catrakilis 9. Nic Groom 8. Nizaam Carr 7. Michael Rhodes 6. Siya Kolisi 5. Manuel Carizza 4. Jean Kleyn 3. Pat Cilliers (vice-captain) 2. Stephan Coetzee 1. Alistair Vermaak

Replacements: 16. Neil Rautenbach 17. Brok Harris 18. Ruan Botha 19. Rynhardt Elstadt 20. Louis Schreuder 21. Kurt Coleman 22. Pat Howard

Referee: Craig Joubert Assistant referees: Rasta Rasivhenge, Cobus Wessels Television Match Official: Willie Vos

Rugby Federation Set for Name Change as IRB Becomes World Rugby

The International Rugby Board will become World Rugby from November 19, 2014 as part of a major rebranding programme.

The new brand, including a new logo, will be launched at the IRB World Rugby Conference and Exhibition in London on November 17-18.

Global Rugby participation has boomed by more than two million to 6.6 million players over the past four years, driven by the commercial success of Rugby World Cup, the IRB’s development strategies and record investment, strong and vibrant Unions and Rugby’s re-inclusion in the Olympic Games.

With Rugby aspiring to inspire and engage new audiences and players around the world, the rebrand reflects the organisation’s mission to build a stronger connection with fans, players and new audiences worldwide.

The rebrand will have no impact on Rugby World Cup 2015 branding or positioning, which will remain as it is with its iconic logo throughout the current event cycle.

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “Rugby continues to thrive, reach out and engage new audiences and participants in record numbers and the IRB has been at the heart of that growth.”

“We are committed to furthering that growth beyond our traditional family and fan base with a public that expects to be entertained, informed and interacted with. This move is more than just a name change, it is a mission statement.”

IRB Chief Executive Brett Gosper added: “In a crowded global entertainment and sporting marketplace, the role of the IRB has evolved from Game regulator to Game inspirer.”

“With this we must continue to appeal to those who know and love the sport and its heritage, while attracting, engaging and inspiring those who have no connection with the sport across multiple cultures and languages around the world.”

“World Rugby collectively has the ingredients and tools to do just that. Rugby’s global appeal is founded and positioned on its unique character-building values and inclusive ethos and we want everyone to feel connected with the sport and Rugby’s ongoing success story.”

“World Rugby clearly aligns our name with our mission and allows us to organise new and existing consumer facing properties in a way that they will be more impactful and more appealing to the sport’s growing global fan base.”