Rugby Strategist

Bulls go down to the Stormers

2011-03-19T23:47:00.000-07:00

Wow the Stormers dominated the Bulls last night at Loftus! I'm a staunch Stormers fan and even I was expecting something of a hiding playing a Super 15 game in Pretoria.

Was fortunate to be able to watch the game live in one of the corporate boxes and I couldn't believe how much Stormers support there was. At times it didn't sound like the Bulls were playing a home game! Maybe the audience just appreciated what a great game of rugby the two teams dished up...

One thing I can say about Pretoria is that irrespective of the weather, they know how to throw a party. Most of the evening was dominated with a steady drizzle and yet the braais were going in the street, fan parks and pubs were doing booming business and the mood in the street was fantastic both pre and post the game.

I will admit that 30 seconds before Bryan Habana scored that try which sealed the game, I had just SMS'd a friend asking which side he was playing on - couldn't believe how many mistakes he was making. Oh well - at least he bounced back.

I can't wait for the Pretoria to Sandton line of the Gautrain to be sorted out because I will be far more willing to watch games at Loftus. Our choice last night was a designated driver or to pay SA Cab - R1200 for 2 of us to go through. The Gautrain eliminates a lot of that driving risk.

Ironically we didn't pass a single road block coming back having gone the designated driver option but still better to be safer than sorry.

Well done Pretoria - it was fantastic having you!

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MTN gets in on rugby sponsorship

2011-01-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

An exciting new sponsorship deal that promises to inject a renewed sense of energy, excitement and fans into the national sport of rugby, was officially announced at the MTN head office in Johannesburg today (20 January).

MTN South Africa is partnering with the Golden Lions as the team’s main sponsor in what is believed to be one of the country’s most exciting sponsorship deals in years. The sponsorship will rejuvenate the game of rugby, drive involvement from the Lions supporters’ base and focus on player development. The initial deal is for a three-year period with the option to renew.

Speaking at the launch, MTN chief marketing officer Serame Taukobong stated that MTN had been waiting for the right partner with the right vision and shared objectives before stepping into the unchartered territory of rugby sponsorship.

“Both the sport of rugby and the Golden Lions are going through an exciting metamorphosis and as MTN, we are delighted to be integrally involved in this positive change,” said Taukobong.

“This sponsorship deal is the next step in the delivery of our promise to transform the game of rugby in South Africa. It is our intention to bring a new energy into the game from this season, through a combination of talented players, loyal supporters and top-class ‘sport-entertainment’,” stated Robert Gumede, chairman of the Lions.

“Every Lions game will become an event in itself, and will deliver much more than just 80-minutes of top-class rugby. Our partnership with MTN will enable us to deliver on this strategy and achieve success.”

Kevin de Klerk, president of the GLRU, stated: “The cutting-edge technology that MTN brings to the playing field through its innovative mobile platforms will enable us to communicate more effectively with our stakeholders and supporter base alike, in an interactive and experiential environment. This provides greater value to the supporter experience, enabling us to drive growth and becoming more accessible to a much broader fan base.”

Since its launch in 1994, MTN has placed a strong focus on connecting and developing communities, and sport is a cornerstone of this development. As the leader of mobile operations in developing markets, the company has always sought to invest in areas that celebrate the diversity of people, with the opportunity of unifying those communities using a common thread – in this case, rugby.

“The partnership is perfect for us, as our focus at MTN has always been on development. With our partners the Golden Lions, we are repackaging rugby this season into a channel of experiences to attract a wide cross-section of fans, some of whom have not followed this sport in the past,” said Taukobong.

The Golden Lions, under New Zealand coach John Mitchell is working hard to awaken the pride within its thousands of loyal fans, become a more professional unit and regain its status as the rugby powerhouse, not only in Johannesburg but across South Africa at large.

“When we made this investment step change to create a new business model for the future of rugby in SA, our aim was to drive and develop this franchise at every level. All of us want to see the Lions team make a strong comeback to regain its rightful title as leaders of the pack once again,” said Gumede.

“This initial three-year MTN contract will enable the union to continue attracting some of the best local rugby talent. We will also be in a position to bring back a number of South African foreign-based players to play for a professional and transformed team, and make them available for Springbok selection.
“With MTN on board as our partners at GLRU, I am confident that we will achieve and even surpass our initial goals,” concluded Gumede.

A common driver for both MTN and the new owners of the Lions is the nation-building ability of the game through a focused investment in the development of the sport at the grassroots level.

“MTN has the network to connect people and communities. With this new partnership, the Lions supporters’ base will enjoy a closer relationship with MTN as we create a Lions Ayoba culture. Together, we are looking to broaden the existing boundaries of the game and, through our technology, to expose a much wider audience to the thrilling sport of rugby as both spectators and participants,” explained Taukobong.

During the launch event, the new players’ kit featuring the MTN logo was revealed and shown off by some of the Lions team members.

SA Rugby annual 2011: The official yearbook of the South African Rugby Union

2011-01-06T00:32:00.000-08:00

Are you a rugby fan? Then you won't want to miss this!

Available from Kalahari for R165.75 (CLICK HERE), the 2011 SA Rugby Annual is the official and definitive record of the South African rugby season. Now in its 40th year, the SA Rugby Annual is widely considered to be one of the finest yearbooks in world rugby and the unrivalled ‘bible’ of the game in South Africa. This special 40th Edition of the SA Rugby Annual includes a definitive 2011 Rugby World Cup section, which chronicles, in unprecedented detail, the Springboks’ impact on the tournament from 1995 to 2007, and leading up to their title defence in New Zealand in 2011.

Not only does the 2011 SA Rugby Annual record the more than 200 first-class matches involving South African teams in 2010, but it also contains the detailed biographies of each and every one of the more than 700 players who appeared in those games – for whom the book therefore doubles as an invaluable keepsake to be passed down to children and grandchildren. The 2011 SA Rugby Annual paints an unbeatable picture of a watershed year in South African rugby, which saw the sport embrace a changing South Africa by taking the 2010 Vodacom Super 14 final to the previously uncharted rugby waters of Soweto.

This unique chapter in SA rugby history is covered in detail, while an updated records section, which includes the career details of all 825 Springboks since 1896, will settle any pub or braaiside argument. Over the past four decades, the SA Rugby Annual has become essential reading for every player, coach, administrator, sponsor and fan. Now, with its earlier, pre-Christmas release date, it has also become the perfect gift or stocking-filler for any rugby-mad son, brother, father, uncle, grandfather, nephew – practically any sports lover who wants to know anything about South African rugby but who didn’t know where to go looking for the answer.

R1500 risk free first rugby bet!

2011-01-02T00:16:00.001-08:00

Sports betting is growing in popularity in South Africa with a number of new players coming into the market. One of the big challenges we have noted is that many would-be punters are reluctant to make that first step and actually open an account and make their first bet.

The team from Sportingbet have an interesting promotion on the go at the moment. If you open an account with them and make a losing first bet, they will refund you up to R1500 of your first bet. That's not a bad deal, especially if you can land a really good call at your first attempt.

You can punt from as little as R8 a bet and the interface is very user friendly.

You can sign up by clicking HERE or on the banner link below:

Voices from the Back of the Bus: Tall Tales and Hoary Stories from Rugby's Real Heroes

2010-12-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

Voices from the Back of the Bus provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at international rugby at the height of a golden period. Recounted with genuine warmth and much humour, over a hundred players recall the scrapes, the games,the laughs, the glory and the gritty reality of the pre-professional game.

Packed with true rugby tales from the days when men played purely for the love of the game and of their nation, and multimillion-pound contracts and sponsorship deals were unheard of, this refreshing, revealing and often hilarious collection will inspire sports fans of all generations.

You can buy the book online for R107 by clicking HERE or on the book cover

Punting on the Boks

2010-11-20T01:56:00.000-08:00

I don't think that there is any doubt that the Boks will beat Scotland this afternoon - I guess the only real issue is by how far.

It is not even worth putting money down on the Boks to win.

The Boks are minus a couple of key players and one of the most interesting markets is around the first try-scorer.

I like Lwazi Mvovo (8/1) to score on debut, Juan Smith (20/1) and Francois Hougaard (18/1) to get the first points 5 pointer on the board.

(Odds supplied by World Sports Betting)

C'mon the Boks!

Great Moments in Currie Cup History

2010-11-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

Steeped in history and tradition, the Currie Cup dates back to 1891 and is one of the oldest rugby competitions in the world. The tournament is regarded as the cornerstone of South Africa's rugby heritage and the coveted gold trophy remains the most prestigious prize in South African rugby.

Great Moments in Currie Cup History traces the history of this competition from its very beginnings up to the end of the 2009 tournament, from the early domination by Western Province, the legendary Transvaal side of 1922, right up to the current domination by the Blue Bulls and Free State Cheetahs. Also included are fact and stat boxes, listing match records, the top try and points scorers, the winners of the Currie Cup since its inception and many other statistics that will excite all rugby fans.

Order the book from Kalahari now for R200 by clicking HERE or on the book cover.

Absa refocuses sponsorship strategy

2010-10-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

Absa continually reviews its sponsorship portfolio to ensure that our investments meet the needs of our business and are aligned to our strategy. Based on this review, we are consolidating our sponsorship portfolio to enhance the strategic focus thereof.

“One of the outcomes of Absa’s portfolio rationalisation is a change in our approach to stadium exposure. Thus, over the past few years, the decision was taken not to renew stadium naming rights, as evidenced by the discontinuation of naming rights of the stadia in Kimberley and East London. The decision regarding the Absa Stadium Durban is a continuation of this strategy,” said Happy Ntshingila, Absa Chief Marketing and Communication Officer.

Absa is a strong supporter of rugby in South Africa, and remains committed to the promotion of the sport, inter alia, through our involvement in the Absa Currie Cup. The bank also supports, among others, the Eastern Province Kings, three provincial rugby academies, including the Sharks Academy.

“In addition, we are in the final stages of negotiations to conclude a contract which will see Absa becoming the Official Team Sponsor of the Springboks,” stated Ntshingila.

He added: “This latest development will solidify Absa’s strategy of sponsoring leading teams and tournaments in two of the top sporting codes in the country, namely soccer and rugby.”

“Our strategy around our sports sponsorships has changed, and we are in the process of consolidating our properties so that we can focus on the league, national teams and development,” emphasised Ntshingila.

Regarding the Absa Stadium Durban naming rights, Ntshingila clarified that Absa was not the sponsor of the Sharks rugby team but had held naming rights over the Absa Stadium for the past 11 years. “It is this sponsorship that we are not extending. Our sponsorship of the Sharks Academy continues. We were never sponsors of any of the provincial rugby outfits,” concluded Ntshingila.

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SA rugby looks bright...

2010-08-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

For all the faults of the national team at the moment, there is some incredible young rugby talent in South Africa which has to set us up very nicely in the coming years.

This weekends games proved it with some cracking performances from the Sharks, the Lions, Western Province and the Bulls.

I have no idea how Gerhard Van den Heever is not in the Bok squad at the moment. He has got to be the best wing in the country right now.

In the Lions squad, Elton Jantjies has got to be one of the finds of the season. Cool under pressure, good runner, good kicker and good passer of the ball. His composure in the dying minutes of the game today was one of the highlights of the weekend and a contributing factor toward them beating Free State today.

In the Sharks side there is Pat Lambie who has excelled as a centre, flyhalf and fullback this year and with Mvovo on the wing, the team have got some nice options!

Rugby picks

2010-07-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

What is it with our infatuation to make players into something they are not?!

Jean DeVilliers is one of the best centres in the world and when he is playing alongside Jaque Fourie (Probably THE best in the world) you have a potentially awesome combination. And yet we would rather play De Villiers on the wing so that we can accommodate Wynand Olivier at centre in a partnership that has yet to deliver anything?

It's the same with Ruan Pienaar. The guy wants to play scrumhalf - and he is actually quite good at it - but we keep him as a flyhalf / fullback / wing and maybe sometimes scrumhalf cover. It's bizarre.

John Smit - a faboulus hooker and a great captain to literally lead from the front, we insist that we must play him as a prop?

I dunno - a little bizarre and it does us no real favours...

Super 14 predictions

2010-05-29T07:54:00.001-07:00

After an absolutely intriguing Super 14 season, we are down to the final today and it is fitting that two great South African teams are going head to head.

From the word go, we backed the Stormers pre-season to win the tournament (12/1) and it is great to see them finally realise some of their potential.

As far as today's markets go, we're still heavily in favour of the Stormers. The Bulls don't have home ground advantage, their defence was leaky against the Crusaders whose attack has been described as "one dimensional" and the Stormers defensively are without question one of the best drilled sides in the history of the tournament.

With that in mind we've taken the following spread of bets:

First points via a Stormers try - 5/1
First try scorers:

Bryan Habana - 10/1
Gerhard VD Heever - 12/1
Pierre Spies - 14/1
Jaque Fourie - 14/1
Fourie Du Preez - 18/1
Joe Pietersen - 18/1

C'mon the Stormers!

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Supporters get screwed

2010-05-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

I have just watched the Lions rugby team get drubbed 59-10 by the Cheetahs and I re-affirm my view from last week that the Lions supporters get screwed.This is important - the supporters make the franchise - not the other way around.

Dick Muir can talk as much as he likes about rebuilding the Lions like he did with the Sharks but there is a fundamental difference; the Sharks had a strong brand and franchise.

Over the last decade, the Sharks had won trophies and consistently been able to attract thousands of fans to their stadium. The Lions have been consistently shocking for the last eight to ten years and Ellis Park has really battled to attract decent crowds to many of their fixtures.

That in turn has meant that the franchise hasn't been able to attract quality players. You only need to look at how Jaque Fourie has flourished at the Stormers to appreciate what the Lions have missed out on.

How do people like Killian and Baywatch come out every week and give it their absolute everything and have to leave the field with 50 points against their names? Their careers are only so long. Professionally they don't get the luxury of sitting back and waiting while different coaches "rebuild" their squads.

If there was enough money to entice Carlos Spencer to come and play then there was enough money to hire coaching staff with a plan!

Don't get me wrong - I have no issue with a side that goes through a slump. It happens to the best of the teams at some point in a cycle. I however have an issue when the administrators forget that it is the fans who they play for. The fans generate the sponsor and TV interest (read revenue).

It might be great for Lions administrators to entertain in their corporate boxes at Ellis Park, but they are killing the golden goose - their fan base.

You might argue that it is the TV revenue which drives these Super 14 franchises (I agree) but not so long ago when the Lions were a force in rugby they attracted decent TV viewing. Today I barely glanced at the game.

If fans aren't going to both coming out to watch the games then sponsors are also going to start asking questions about where to put their money. At the moment if you are having to weigh up sponsoring the Cheetahs - with a number of potential Boks in their lineups and a moderately successful Super 14 team and the disastrous Lions, it has to be a toss-up.

What sponsors wants to put their money behind a team that has no real big name players?

I don't have any numbers to back this up, but from a merchandising perspective I'd assume that the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers are far more successful "brands" than the Lions. At some point this has to become very apparent to sponsors.... who do you want your branch attached to?

Anyway I am having a heated debate with a Lions supporter who argues that Muir has done enough to stay and more money should just be thrown at him to resolve the problem...

... I am not so sure.

Without being too facetious does anybody want to bet that Andy Goode is busy penning a deal with Dick Muir to be their "inspirational flyhalf" for the Currie Cup and 2011 Super 15?

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Great chirp

2010-05-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hahahahah a brilliant chirp from Bobby Skinstad!

He is talking about Bakkies Botha and he said: "If you look on his business card you would probably see it says 'senior vice president of the offensive defence'"

Loving the way the Stormers are giving the Bulls a snot klap!

And yes the Lions are officially the worst side in the Super 14. They are really kak!

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Rugby sports betting selections

2010-05-13T13:34:00.001-07:00

It is the last round of the Super 14 and it looks like it is going to go down to the wire this year. There has been some grumbling about the Bulls sending their "second stringers" to take on the Stormers in Cape Town this weekend, but the reality is that the sides grumbling the most are those who need the Bulls to beat the Cape side.

So here are our selections for this week:

Crusaders vs Brumbies:
This should be an absolutely cracking game of rugby. Picking a winner here is incredibly difficult so we've decided to stick with the home side sneaking in. Prediction - Crusaders win

Waratahs vs Hurricanes
Excuse the pun for the moment but the Hurricanes blow very hot and cold. Hopefully they are on form and deal with the whinging Aussie side tomorrow. Prediction - Hurricanes to surprise

Sharks vs Western Force
Can't see the Sharks losing in front of their home crowd. Last weekend they showed they were a much better side than the results they had dished up. Sharks to win comfortably.

Blues vs Chiefs
Another tricky fixture. Every time I have backed the Blues they've dropped the ball. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, but wouldn't be surprised if I call it wrong. Blues to win

Reds vs Highlanders
The Reds have it all to play for. The Highlanders have blown a fuse and I can't see them winning this one. Reds to win.

Cheetahs vs Lions
Touched on the Cheetahs spirit in one of the previous blog posts. These guys deserve to go out on a high and the Lions should be buried without Baywatch there to throw his heart around

Stormers vs Bulls
It might be a contentious fixture but the Stormers will be going all out for a win. Losing in front of a packed Newlands is not an option so expect the Stormers to win.

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Imports - worth the money?

2010-05-08T11:31:00.001-07:00

Watching Sireli Naqlevuki fluff another critical Stormers ball on the line and gift the Sharks a try, it got me thinking about the various imports that South African rugby sides have called on this year and whether or not they have actually added any value.

There are not too many who have made positive contributions this season, and you have to wonder what message sends to young South African players trying to make a break into the big time.

Sireli Naqlevuki - He has had one or two decent games but he is one of those guys who looks good when things are good but when you need a good solid performer you tend to get a very lazy professional.

Andy Goode - SURELY Durban could find a better player than Goode to fill the flyhalf role. It doesn't send a very good message to aspirant flyhalves that you can pay decent money to an average performer.

Todd Cleaver - Actually the American hasn't been too bad a performer for the Lions before he got injured. But in a country which literally breeds world class loose forwards, what does it say about the long-term sustainability of the Lions if they want to find stop-gap players like this for their franchise?

Carlos Spencer - On the field, the New Zealander has been brilliant at times and at others he has overcomplicated an inexperienced Lions setup. Supposedly Spencer is going to be contributing off the field in a coaching role. It's hard to call his appointment / recruiting as a "success" when the side has conceded 530+ points and broken all the wrong records this year.

Not really too many of these "imports" have done much to add value to their franchises.

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Just women, no pride

2010-05-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Lions rugby team just has no pride. I’m watching the Cheetahs take on the Western Force in Bloem and you can see that they actually want to be there and want to win.

Neither the Cheetahs nor the Force has anything but pride to play for and yet they are going out there to entertain.

The Cheetahs don’t have money and every year they are pillaged by bigger unions taking their players… and yet they are still able to do the basics right, put on a decent performance and if they win today they will at least take 4 wins out of the competition.

The Lions, one of the richest unions around can go (rightly or wrongly) and hire overseas players like Todd Cleaver and Carlos Spencer and Springbok coaches like Dick Muir but can’t buy a win.

I feel sorry for guys like Michael Killian and Cobus Grobelaar who try week in and week out for the Lions and put their bodies and hearts on the line only to see 50 points a match being run up against them.

If there are any Lions fans left in South Africa, maybe they should look at switching allegiances to the Free state guys – at least you get some value for money!

Incredible game of rugby

2010-05-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

What an absolutely awesome display of rugby by the Crusaders and the Bulls at Loftus this evening... there didn't deserve to be a loser!

One could have been forgiven for thinking that they were watching a Super 14 final the way the two sides went at it. One positive as a Stormers fan - maybe they have taken some of the stuffing out of one of the sides we might have to face in the semis.

For me, one of the absolute highlights of that matchup was the way both sides literally played until the last whistle with no niggle or negative play. For sure you can understand Richie Mccaws frustrations at the end but on the whole you had two teams who literally gave it their all.

Congrats to both sides - you did the game of rugby proud!

Super 14 predictions

2010-05-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well the Super 14 is really down to the business end of the tournament now and no less than 7 teams would appear to be in with a shout for the knock out stages.

As a reminder here is how the log stands at the moment:

Bulls - 43
Stormers - 38
Crusaders - 34
Reds - 34
Waratahs - 33
Brumies - 32
Hurricanes - 32
Blues - 27
Chiefs - 26
Sharks - 25
Western Force - 18
Highlanders - 17
Cheetahs - 16
Lions - a real thanks for coming 5 points

Our predictions for this weeks fixtures

Hurricanes vs Reds - Hurricanes should win at home
Bulls vs Crusaders - It is hard to look beyond the Bulls at Loftus
Chiefs vs Waratahs - Chiefs have a lot to do in this fixture but I'd expect them to be quite fired up
Brumbies vs Highlanders - Brumbies are tantalisingly close to a playoff spot - they should put the Highlanders away
Lions vs Blues - I point blank refuse to give the Lions even a hint of being competitive
Cheetahs vs Force - The Cheetahs are walking wounded but we still think they will do the business against the Force
Sharks vs Stormers - Last week finally knocked the stuffing out of the Sharks and their playoff aspirations. Home ground advantage shouldn't be enough for them to stop the Stormers machine.

Happy punting

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More disappointment for Sharks fans

2010-05-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

The Sharks are over-rated this season and the Lions are kak... that's my final conclusion for this 2010 Super 14 season.

I don't know if the Sharks supporters are just super optimists or they get too much fresh air down by the beach but these guys genuinely thought:

A) They would beat the Bulls at Loftus (say what?!)
B) They were in contention for a semi-final spot (huh?! They were 9th on the friggin log before the weekend started!)

The Sharks fans were deluding themselves if they thought that the Bulls and Stormers were going to toss away points in the run in to the semi-finals in front of their home crowds.

As for the Lions - geez they've just been atrocious! Apart from the spirited performance against the Sharks two weeks back the Lions have been absolutely nowhere. The Cheetahs - who have far less resources - at least have shown a bit of "gees" or spirit even when they have lost key players and been outgunned.

Why is it that the Lions just can't seem to get it right? Money is not a problem, decent players are not even a problem... and yet they can't even burgle a win against the Force in front of the Ellis Park / Coca-Cola Park faithful...

... Will be interesting to see if Dick Muir survives another season here. Muir might have rebuilt the Sharks after a bad first year in charge, but this has been really disappointing and only he seems to see a plan.

C'mon the Stormers!

Rugby betting - Super 14

2010-04-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting weekend of Super 14 rugby ahead of us and we have made some controversial picks for this weekends fixtures.

We're backing all the home teams to come in:

Highlanders vs Waratahs - it is hard work to come to the House of Pain at this point in the season

Stormers vs Crusaders - Mouthwatering fixture but its hard to look beyond the Stormers at Newlands

Hurricanes vs Chiefs - Another interesting fixture but the bumps and bruises will add up for the Chiefs?

Brumbies vs Reds - From a South African perspective the Brumbies would do us all a favour and knock the Reds back

Cheetahs vs Blues - The Cheetahs can take heart from their last fixture of a hard tour. They might surprise here

Lions vs Force - The Lions have to come good at some point this season and the Force look like they're going to be the team they do it against

Bulls vs Sharks -.... Sharks = FISH PASTE... that's all I am saying on the subject!

Happy punting!

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Reds on a roll

2010-04-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Wow the Reds are on something of a Tottenham Hotspur streak at the moment. They beat the Bulls last week and now the Stormers this morning, and are genuine contenders for a semi-final berth.

Quade Cooper has been an absolute machine for the Reds and even if he a pain in the arse, it is hard to dispute his talent.

Cooper is now in third place with 129 points in this season. He's scored tries (4), converted 23 tries, kicked 20 penalties and scored a drop goal. Not a bad tally and considering the next highest Reds scorers are on 20 points he's proving to be a machine for them.

If you're a stormers supporter - like me - then you will be super disappointed by the performance today. There is quite a lot of work to do to ensure a home semi-final. We've gotta secure points against the Crusaders (who got a surprise from the Force today), Sharks (who are going to get smashed this weekend by the Blues) and then a tricky fixture against the Bulls.

Bring it on!

Super 14 picks

2010-04-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

Wow - it is going to be another exciting weekend in the Super 14 and we're expecting the Sharks to stumble against the Blues this weekend - even in front of their home crowd

There are some tough fixtures to call but here are out picks:

Chiefs vs Cheetahs - Chiefs to win comfortably
Reds vs Stormers: Stormers to win but it will be tight
Force vs Crusaders: Even if they are blowing hot and cold Crusaders should make it
Highlanders vs Hurricanes: This is a tough fixture to call but its about time for the Hurricanes to fade.
Waratahs vs Brumbies: Waratahs should do well with the homeground advantage
Bulls vs Lions: Bulls shouldn't break a sweat here, the Sharks will have taken the stuffing out of the Lions
Sharks vs Blues: We think the Blues are going to surprise here

The Sharks had to work hard last week and they haven't looked like the most cohesive unit this season. We've lost money backing the Blues who have been the masters of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory but this might be the game they come right.

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Super 14 selections

2010-04-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

A colourful weekend in the Super 14 with three tough games to call.

Game 1
The Chiefs take on the Stormers in the first match. We're backing the Stormers to deliver the goods here. Chiefs are unpredictable and if the Stormers shift from the tried and tested game plan there could be some serious heartache

Game 2
The Brumbies take on the Hurricanes. I'm backing the Brumbies with a combination of home-ground advantage and perhaps a little less flamboyant play-making which will hopefully see them home. With Giteau at 10 it is hard to bet against them.

Maybe back Giteau for a try or points as well.

Game 3
The Blues versus the Force is one the first of the really tricky fixtures to call. We backed the Blues early on for a crack at the play-offs and they've pretty much (literally) dropped the ball in the big fixtures. The Force blow super hot and cold and nobody quite knows which side is going to rock up - go high on points here.

Game 4
It doesn't matter whether Dan Carter arrives for the Crusaders to take on the Cheetahs it's going to be one way traffic....in fact it probably doesn't matter whether the subs bench for the Crusaders arrive - they probably won't be needed. Cheetahshave lost before they've begun.

Game 5
THIS is a super tricky game. The Bulls may be the pace-setters but the Reds are a team that most would rather not play thisseason. Quade Cooper is looking dangerous and home ground advantage coupled with a sense that the Bulls are beatable, I'm backing the Reds to spring a surprise here.

Game 6
Sharks fans aren't going to like it, but the local derby is going to throw up the biggest surprise of the weekend when the Lions turn them into Fish Paste. It is a mistake to think this Lions side is short of talent - when their backs are up against the wall they will let pure adrenaline take them on.

Don't hate the player - hate the game!

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Thumbs up or thumbs down for Spencer?

2010-04-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

I heard an interesting thing the other day from one of my mates who is one of the more knowledgable and sensible armchair rugby fans I know.

As he is one of the last six remaining Lions supporters in South Africa I never miss an opportunity to put the boot in and remind him how his team has done and how poorly they have done in the transfer market.

I never miss a chance to remind him how the Stormers unloaded Earl Rose to them and more recently I’ve been pointing out what a kak season Carlos Spencer has been having.

Spencer (in my opinion) has been indifferent and in fact has probably cost the Lions more than he has added. When Burton Francis or even Herkie Kruger has played the Lions seemed to have benefited from their “keep it simple stupid” flyhalf play.

I said Spencer was passed his prime and his tricks are creating havoc for an unsettled backline and it would make far more sense for the ball to simply travel 9-10-12 and off to the wings.

My mate argued that Spencer was still a quality rugby player but was “too advanced” for the Lions team but was still a good acquisition.

So what’s the verdict – Spencer added value or been a costly blunder for the Lions this year?

———

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Rugby value bet?

2010-04-10T06:00:00.001-07:00

One of the best markets of the day appears to be in the Lions vs Red Super 14 Rugby match this afternoon.

The Lions are at home, backs against the wall and nobody is vaguely interested in them at the moment. 3/1 odds on a home win with guys like Jano Vermaak, Wikus Van Heerden and the very talented Wandile Mjekevu in their line-up… maybe a chance at a surprise?

Irrespective of that, there appear to be some really nice odds in the first-try scored market offered by World Sports Betting.

I’ve taken:

Wandile Mjekevu (Lions) 12 -1
Peter Hynes (Reds) 14-1
Quade Cooper (Reds) 16-1
Carolos Spencer (Lions) 20-1

and what I think is probably the best value bet of the weekend – Jano Vermaak 22-1.

Maybe the Lions surprise here….

———-

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Super 14 - weekend picks

2010-04-09T05:04:00.000-07:00

Exciting times in the Super 14 with the two premier South African sides - the Stormers and the Bulls - losing their first games on tour last weekend.

We were delayed in posting this week and the Bulls have already come in for us.

We've taken the points on offer from SportsPicks.co.za... note that as far as the Stormers punt goes its betting with heart not head so bear that in mind.

Chiefs vs Bulls +3.5: Bulls
Highlanders vs Force +5.5: Highlanders
Blues vs Stormers +7.5: Stormers
Crusaders vs Waratahs +8.5: Crusaders
Brumbies vs Cheetahs +20.5: Brumbies
Lions +7.5 vs Reds: Reds

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Easter Super 14 picks

2010-04-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

Hopefully the Easter weekend will be good to you. There don't look like too many surprises this weekend in the Super 14 rugby ...

... which normally means there is going to be an almighty upset somewhere along the lines.

The two potential upsets which I see are the Blues against the Bulls and the Sharks taking on the Reds.

The Bulls have had some defensive issues and the Blues in front of a home crowd have the ability to get some momentum going. The Bulls are going to need to haul in some of their attacking instincts and get the points when they are on offer.

As for the Sharks versus Reds game. I read somewhere that the Sharks have never beaten the Reds at Kings Park. I can't verify that and I am too lazy too Google it but I wouldn't be totally surprised. The Reds have been very hot and cold this season and the Sharks are desperate for points. It doesn't look like the most inspired Sharks backline with Goode at 10 and Tereblanche suddenly becoming a centre but home ground advantage should count in this instance.
Here are my picks

Hurricanes to beat the Crusaders
Stormers to beat the Force
The Blues to beat the Bulls
Chiefs to beat the Highlanders
Waratahs will thump the Cheetahs
Sharks will beat the Reds

Happy punting!

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10 and 15 for the Boks explored

2010-03-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

After 7 rounds of the Super 14 we’ve had quite a lot of time to look at some of the form players in the South African contingent.

The key area for most people are around flyhalf and full-back which are two positions likely to be up for consideration in the Bok setup later this year.

Flyhalf
Morne Steyn (Bulls) – No question he has been the best South African flyhalf on display and barring an injury he will be the one who wears the Number 10 jersey. The big question is who will be his backup.

Peter Grant (Stormers) – Grant has been solid, consistent and importantly he has shown a desire to attack the gain line. He’s striking up a good relationship with Juan de Jongh and Jaque Fourie. Personally I think he is a little underrated as a goalkicker but I’m in the minority.

Burton Francis (Lions) – Don’t underestimate the performance of Francis who is quickly showing up Carlos Spencer in the Lions number 10 jersey. Nothing has gone right for the Lions this season and yet commentators have remarked about the performance of Francis. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes a surprise inclusion in some of the Bok training squads this year.

Naas Olivier (Cheetahs) – The Cheetahs haven’t had it easy and have been on the backfoot for a lot of the tournament. Olivier has actually surprised this year and put in a pretty handy performance. I actually thought that Olivier and Meyer Bosman have been a good combination at 10 / 12 but while the latter might be in with a shout for the Boks, Olivier will not likely to step up beyond the Super 14.

Ruan Pienaar (Sharks) – The reluctant flyhalf. He does it because he and the Sharks are desperate for a decent number 10. Pienaar will always be there or there-abouts for the Boks because of his versatility but he just doesn’t seem to have “clicked” as the number 10.

Fullback
Zane Kirchner (Bulls) – We know Kirchner is good and must be the favourite to wear the number 15 jersey this year. However the Bulls defence has been leaky at times and not always the best organised. They’ve had no problems on attack but it doesn’t help if you’re letting in opposition runners.

Joe Pietersen (Stormers) – Having a golden season this year. Good with the boot, fantastic on attack. Kirchener may have the inside track but Pietersen has shown he can mix it with the best of them.

No representative (Lions) – there has been a bit of a revolving door at the Lions and nobody can seriously be considered in the running here.

Hennie Daniller (Cheetahs) – With that square jaw, Daniller is the poster boy of Free State rugby. Another under-rated player but one can’t see him fitting the mould of a Bok this year.

Patrick Lambie (Sharks) – While Stefan Terblanche would probably be the first choice fullback, Lambie appears to be an interesting prospect… earlier days yet.

Exciting weekend of Super 14

2010-03-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

A couple of exciting games in the Super 14 this weekend. The Brumbies vs. Chiefs game should be a cracker. We’re backing the Brumbies to pip the Chiefs with homeground advantage.

The Hurricanes are also taking on the Sharks and with the tour being largely unproductive for the Sharks, we’re betting that the Hurricanes will run out comfortable winners.

It will also be interesting to see how the Bulls do in their first game on the road. They take on the Force so its a relatively easy start for them.

On the local front, we are bullish about the Cheetahs prospects against the Reds. The Australian side have been handy but Meyer Bosman and the guys from the Free State have actually put up quite a good account of themselves at home and this will be one of the last opportunities for them to rack up some points at home!

Our predictions:

Highlanders to beat the Lions
Brumbies to beat the Chiefs
Cheetahs to beat the Reds
Hurricanes to beat the Sharks
Blues to beat the Waratahs
Bulls to beat the Force

Definately an interesting weekend of rugby!

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Another round of Super14 is here

2010-03-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

It’s Super 14 rugby action again this week this week.

The Blues vs the Brumbies is the trickiest of the games to call. We’ve been backing the Blues from the start of the tournament and they have failed to deliver, while the Brumbies have also blown very hot and cold.

Our picks:

Brumbies to beat the Blues
Bulls to beat the Hurricanes
Crusaders to thump the Lions
Highlanders to beat the Sharks
Stormers to beat the Cheetahs
Waratahs to beat the Western Force

Happy punting!

Betting on Varsity Cup?

2010-03-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I received an e-mail from Brent Graham who runs the Good For The Game and SportsPicks.co.za websites.

The mail was giving some tips on betting on the FNB Varsity Cup fixtures.

Now those who know me will know I am no shrinking violet when it comes to betting. I will take a plug on what colour tie somebody is wearing or whether Gill Marcus is going to be wearing a red tent or a brown tent when she delivers her MPC decision for the Reserve Bank.

I don’t know why, but betting on the Varsity Cup doesn’t sit well with me. There is something pure (untainted?) about this form of rugby that doesn’t need the influence of sports betting attached to it.

Of course the alternative argument there is that college American football and college basketball are big money in the US. This drives interest, sponsorship and TV revenue over there. This in turn has led to really well developed systems over there which means you have really cracking quality athletes moving into the professional ranks.

Dunno? Thoughts on whether betting on the Varsity Cup should be promoted?

Super 14 looking interesting this week

2010-03-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

The Super 14 is getting interesting. Just when you think a form team has been identified then one of the ” no-hopers” like the Cheetahs suddenly spring a surprise on the Hurricanes.

Here are our predictions for the week:

Chiefs to beat the Crusaders (but narrowly)
Waratahs to thump the Lions
Brumbies to beat the Sharks
Bulls to beath the Highlanders (although not by the 16.5 points on offer at Sportspicks.co.za)
Stormers to beat the Hurricanes
Reds to beat the Force

I would be high on points on the Reds game and probably look at first points via a try to the Reds. Would also go each way on points coming from a try in the Stormers vs Hurricanes match up.

Good SA rugby on Saturday

2010-03-07T00:08:00.000-08:00

There were important wins for both the Stormers and the Cheetahs yesterday as they put in credible performances against the Highlanders and the Hurricanes respectively.

I’m a Stormers fan so I am probably going to gush too much if I start with them so let’s take a look at the Cheetahs who were playing against a side which was tipped to thump them.

In Super 14 you have to win your home games – drop points when you have your fans behind you and it makes for a miserable trip on the road. The Cheetahs have dropped points – although impressively beaten the Sharks in the Tuna Tank – and then picked up the points against the Hurricanes last night in Bloem. While the rest of the season will probably be quite tough they can say they have beaten two “big name” teams and still have the chances for points against the Force and against the Lions.

The Stormers got the “bonus point monkey” off their backs with that late try from Bryan Habana but for me the critical point was that they did not concede a single point against the Highlanders. Everybody knows the Stormers can attack but it appears that they’ve now stepped up their defensive game as well and showing a lot more composure at the back – maybe the influence of Jaque Fourie?

It was also very noticeable that the team spirit is really high at the moment – smiles all round from Wicus Blaauw, Fourie and Schalk Burger just highlighted the upbeat attitude in the team.

It was also good that the youngsters such as Deon Fourie, Juan De Jongh could put in such measured performnaces and that Lionel Cronje was given some gametime as well.

One person who does deserve a mention is our big Fijian wing Sireli Naqweluviki. I had pretty much written him off as a contributor and couldn’t understand why they kept him around. He was potent yesterday and he went looking for work which was very pleasing to see.

It is still early days in the Super 14 but its good to see two SA sides wracking up wins after the less than thrilling performances last week…

Super 14 week 3 picks

2010-02-24T12:57:00.001-08:00

Wow – after an exciting week two of the Super 14 which blew a number of my predictions out of the water, I eagerly await the arrival of week 3.

Big scoreline being tipped on the Lions and Sharks games which are going to be interesting to watch.

My picks for the week on Sportspicks.co.za

* Crusaders to beat the Sharks (+12.5)
* Stormers to beat the Brumbies (+8.5)
* Hurricanes to beat the Lions (+22.5)
* Blues to beat the Reds (+4.5)
* Chiefs to beat the Force (+8.5)
* Cheetahs to beat the Highlanders (+8.5)
* Bulls to beat the Waratahs (+15.5)

Bullish on the Chiefs but I have a big question mark around the Waratahs conceding 15.5 points against the Bulls. Gonna be an interesting one

Awesome performance from the Stormers...

2010-02-20T11:14:00.000-08:00

… and the Bulls weren’t too bad either.

This Stormers side looks seriously classy. Obviously it is still early days in the competition but they now have 2 out of 2 in South Africa and to drop the Waratahs takes some doing. For me there were a couple of key performance points:

Stormers defence was top quality against some physically big opponents
They stayed on the boil for an extended periods in the game and were less hot and cold than last week
Juan de Jongh looks like a superstar in the making – mark my words he will be a Bok centre
Jaque Fourie has brought lots of composure to the backline and Habana has brought some good quality finishing to the side
How was that hit from Ricky Januarie on Phil Waugh?! He’s coming back to form nicely!
There was a moment in the first half where Gio Aplon was defending against that big Waratahs full back and he showed no fear making a great tackle – I don’t rate him as the ideal for the position but wow he showed guts!

The Bulls also showed their class today. The Brumbies made them sweat a bit but in the end the quality came through. Maybe the Brumbies have been softened up a bit for their clash next week against the Stormers… hope so!

Speaking of next Boks… Francois Hougaard and Gerhard van den Heever must be right up there. Van den Heever in particular is a potent finisher for such a young kid. Cracking player!

At least the Stormers and Bulls restored some pride to the home sides early in the competition!

Super 14 round 2 predictions

2010-02-18T12:20:00.000-08:00

So another week of Super 14 rugby is here and there are some interesting match-ups on the cards. Again it is hard to look beyond the home-teams but there are a couple of fixtures where I believe there could be the prospects of an upset.

A quick look at the fixtures

Highlanders vs. Blues
Reds vs Crusaders
Sharks vs Cheetahs
Lions vs Chiefs
Hurricanes vs Force
Bulls vs Brumbies
Stormers vs Waratahs

In most of the cases I have backed the home teams to win. The exceptions are the Reds versus the Crusaders and the Bulls versus the Brumbies.

Probably a bit of a brave decision to back the Lions against the Chiefs but they showed heart last week and might be trickier than some people are thinking they will be.

As for the Bulls versus the Brumbies - dunno I just get a funny feeling that the Brumbies could be the side which trips up the Bulls in front of their home crowd.

My thoughts on Super 14 round 1

2010-02-14T02:21:00.001-08:00

An interesting opening to the Super 14 with the Sharks being stunned at home by the Chiefs... there is going to be a lot of soul searching after THAT result!

Of the SA teams:

Bulls:
Played well against the Cheetahs but perhaps some question marks asked about their defence. The Cheetahs are not easy to play at home, especially when the play gets loose but to concede 30+ points against one of the "weaker" Super 14 outfits means that the Bulls need to sharpen up. Still look like a dangerous side.

Cheetahs
I actually thought they played quite well. They certainly were not over-awed by the far more fancied Bulls and they gave as good as they got. They're lacking punch and experience in one or two places but they showed heart. I suspect they are going to get caned when they go on the road but at least they look like they might be a handful at home

Lions
The Lions put in a really two-sided performance against the Stormers. They were nowhere in the first-half - despite having Carlos Spencer at flyhalf. When he was subbed at half time and that new scrumhalf and Earl Rose partnered at 9 and 10, the whole side seemed to change its attitude. Don't write them off after this first performance. I don't expect them to put up too much resistance away from home, but expect them to trouble a few sides when they play at home.

Sharks
Pah! They were munched at home by the Chiefs. I didn't watch the game but it left me smiling that the Tuna Tank was not that much of a fortress for them

Stormers
A very mixed performance from the Stormers. In the first half they looked like an awesome unit full of running. Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana and Juan De Jongh looked like they would trouble any backline. The second half it looked liked the side had, had enough and were already thinking about some beers after the game.

For the rest
I was disappointed with the Blues - I had money on them to beat the Hurricanes and they started off well enough. Unfortuanately they couldn't polish them off and next they knew the Hurricanes racked up 20+ points to knock them over.

Apart from the Chiefs who surprised, the Brumbies and Crusaders looked the pick of the rest with some powerful performances.

Bring on the second round! And if you haven't registered for Sportspicks.co.za then get yourself online and make your predictions for next week! Should be fun!

Super 14 Round 1

2010-02-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

Yes the premier rugby tournament in the Southern Hemisphere is finally here – can you feel the excitement?!

I’m super excited.

Below are our picks for the first round which kicks off early tomorrow morning. We think there is going to be a big upset on the cards with the Cheetahs stunning the Bulls. That’s probably not going to win us too many fans but I’ve just got a sneaky suspicion that the Bulls are gonna come a cropper.

There is still time to get your predictions in on Sportspicks.co.za

Here we go:

Blues to beat the Hurricanes
Brumbies to beat the Force
Cheetahs to beat the Bulls
Crusaders to beat the Highlanders
Waratahs to beat the Reds
Stormers to beat the Lions
Sharks to beat the Chiefs

For those who are playing the Super 14 Dream Team competition below is my team for Round 1. Would love to hear your selections:

1. Wicus Blaau
2. John Afoa
3. Keven Mealamu
4. Anthony Boric
5. Bakkies Botha
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Derick Kuun
8. Richie McCaw
9. Rory Kockott
10. Peter Grant
11. Gerhard VD Heever
12. Jaque Fourie
13. Waylon Murray
14. Bryan Habana
15. Hosea Gear

Happy punting!

Super 14 betting and predictions

2010-02-05T13:07:00.001-08:00

7 days until the kickoff of the 2010 Super 14 competition and it looks like the bookies are expecting a pretty open contest this year.

Here is the betting at the moment:

Crusaders – 3/1
Bulls – 5/1
Brumbies – 5/1
Hurricanes – 8/1
Sharks – 9/1
Chiefs – 10/1
Blues – 12/
Stormers – 12/1
Waratahs – 12/1
Western Force – 50/1
Highlanders – 80/1
Cheetahs – 100/1
Lions – 125/1
Reds – 125/1

I have put money down on the Stormers (My team) as well as the blue boys from Auckland – I think that those odds look really good and both sides are in with a shout this year.

Roll on the Super 14!

Wow!

2010-01-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

It has been ages since I posted on this blog but with the Super 14 now getting nearer and some interesting announcements coming out, I've decided to up my contributions again.

I was very impressed with the news out of the Lions camp that it had secured the services of Carlos Spencer for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Spencer is a hard player and probably the right kind of guy that is needed in the Lions setup at the moment.

A young player like Burton Francis needs to be mentored by somebody who has been through a lot of the scraps that Spencer has been through and I think he could have a very positive influence on a Lions side which was just starting to show some fire toward the end of last year.

Roll on Super 14!

Currie Cup predictions

2009-10-31T02:58:00.001-07:00

The Currie Cup finally comes to a conclusion today as the Bulls host the Cheetahs in a match where nobody is giving the team from the Free State any real chance.

I'm a big believer that nobody wants to play the Cheetahs in a semi-final or final simply because they play like they have nothing to lose. A side like that is terrible to play against as they tend to yank you out of your comfort zone.

While I suspect the Bulls will win I think there is little harm in putting a few bucks down on the Cheetahs for a shock factor.

One area where I think punters could have a lot of fun is around the first try-scorer. I've backed Bryan Habana (9/1) Jacques Louis Potgieter (33/1) and my good old fashioned try scoring banker Fourie Du Preez (18/1).

C'mon the Cheetahs!

Cracking stuff

2009-10-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

Luke Watson might not want to slate Sireli Naqelevuki but that high-tackle cost us... I don't think he touched the ball or made any other real contribution to the game except to make that tackle.

Apart from that I think both semi-finals went way beyond their expectations and fans were treated to a phenomenal weekend of rugby.

How good was that tackle by Schalk Burger on Fourie Du Preez?! It was a monster and I think even the great Du Preez will remember it for the rest of his rugby career. Brilliant stuff!

So now the final comes down to the Bulls vs. the Cheetahs - lets hope we get the same treat next weekend.

Currie Cup - weekend predictions

2009-10-10T03:37:00.000-07:00

The Currie Cup is getting tight and this weekend will decide the Semi's with a couple of big games on the cards.

Griquas vs. Sharks
The Sharks have pulled in all their big guns for this fixture and its hard to look beyond them to win here but seeing as I am supporting Province to finish top and I think Griquas are going to prove to be hostile hosts I have put a few bucks down on Griquas to surprise.

I REPEAT - this is me betting with my heart not my head - but damn I hope Griquas give the "Fish Paste" boys absolute carrots this afternoon. They'll be my hero's ...

... at least until the MIGHTY MIGHTY Province boys run on to the field

Boland vs Cheetahs
The Cheetahs have it all to do today and will be out to play running rugby. Boland have been nowhere in this competition and I don't expect that to change this weekend.

Cheetahs to win and first points to come courtesy of a Cheetahs try

Lions vs Western Province
2009 has been a long season for the Lions and an even longer one for their supporters. Injuries have proven a headache and they've come out on the wrong end of some close fought fixtures. Last weeks game against the Sharks being a perfect case in point.

They've got nothing really to play for against the log-leaders Western Province and I don't expect them to put up much resistance this afternoon - last weekend was their guts and determination fixture while this week they're simply going through the motions.

Predictions - Province to win, first points from a Province penalty.

Good effort from the Lions

2009-10-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

I thought the Lions played well last night against the Sharks. Bearing in mind that the Sharks had all their international players to pick from and the Lions are falling apart at the seams in terms of injuries, they were in the game up until the last minute when Ruan Pienaar sunk that penalty.

Have to say my team (Western Province) are looking very tough to beat and with their Aussie import, it looks like they haeve some real depth to call on!

It would be very nice to pick up the Currie Cup this year!

Currie Cup picks - Three rounds to go

2009-09-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Currie Cup is in an intriguing place right now and a lot of the teams have plenty to play for in the last three rounds.

Western Province vs Griquas
First up is the critical WP vs. Griquas fixture which will have a huge bearing on how the semi-finals shape up.

Province are looking for a win in front of their home crowd to secure a Newlands semi-final, while Griquas need three points today to pretty much lock up a playoff place and bump out the Cheetahs.

I can't see Province losing at home and looking at the odds on first points scored, nothing really jumps out at me. R2.50 on first points scored via a Griquas penalty looks the most attractive considering Naas Oliviers kicking boot.

Lions vs. Boland
A bit of a nothing game with the Lions playing for pride and Boland just going through the motions.

The Lions are unlikely to lose today but just to be facetious to the Lions supporters I put R5 down on Boland to win at 33/1 but don't really expect anything to come out of it.

Bulls vs. Cheetahs
This is going to be a hugely physical and entertaining clash if both teams come to the party today.

What the Cheetahs lack on defence, they more than make up for in their attacking abilities and I've actually tipped them as an upset for today. I've also added put quite a bit down on the first points coming via a Cheetahs try.

Not totally convinced that the Cheetahs will have the ultimate fire-power to overcome the Bulls in Pretoria but they've certainly got the ability to make a game of it and they're always good value for an upset.

Currie Cup predictions

2009-09-19T00:54:00.000-07:00

Another round of the Currie Cup is here and there are some very interesting fixtures up this weekend. Last night Western Province went top of the log with an average victory over the Leopards and that has put the pressure on the other five sides competing for three more places in the semis.

Griquas vs. Lions
Geez what a fixture this could turn out to be!

The Lions are showing signs that they may be discovering some form and confidence but taking on the Griquas in Kimberly could be like walking in to a street-fight in Hillbrow on New Years Eve.

Points here for Griquas and they could be in for the play-offs, if the Lions drop points here then they are probably out of the running for the top 4.

First points are probably going to come from the boot and I am backing the Griquas to score first.

Prediction: Win for the Griquas.

Boland vs. Bulls
A tough fixture but I suspect the Bulls will come away as winners here.

A small bet on the Bulls scoring first courtesy of a try.

Sharks vs. Cheetahs
If this fixture was being played in Bloem I would have money down on the Cheetahs to upset here. The Free State side hasn't played the worst rugby this season, even if it has been a little inconsistent.

The Sharks welcome back Boks Ryan Kankowski, Jannie du Plessis and Odwa Ndungane on the bench so they'll have depth and their fanatical supporters behind them but don't expect one-way traffic.

Prediction: First points scored to come via a try and the Sharks to come away as winners.C

New Zealand vs. Australia

2009-09-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

The final game of the Vodacom Tri-Nations kicks off in about half an hour and in reality it is a bit of a non-event considering the Springboks wrapped up the tournament last week.

However for the Australian and All Black coaches there is plenty on the line. Both have been under some serious fire for the way their sides have performed.

While I expect the All Blacks to come out on top I'd expect both sides to run the ball - they've got very little to lose and I've got an each way bet on the first points being scored via a try.

In terms of my try-scorers I don't think you can look beyond Matt Giteau (18/1) and Dan Carter (16/1). Giteau has been in good try-scoring form and Carter looks like he is coming back to his best - with a running game on the cards - I'd expect these two to be prominent.

Currie Cup predictions

2009-09-12T00:14:00.000-07:00

The Currie Cup is getting really interesting and there are some big fixtures on the cards today.

Cheetahs vs Western Province
I am torn here. I am an out and out Province fan but I have a concern that this Cheetahs side could be a real handful in their own backyard.

I haven't put any money down on a winner but I have gone each way on the sides scoring tries as the first points on the board.

Bulls vs Sharks
Another tough fixture to call with both sides being evenly matched. Travelling to Loftus though is a tough ask and I reckon the Bulls will prevail here.

Gone with the Bulls to score first via a try.

Tri-Nations predictions

2009-09-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

The Tri-Nations decider kicks off in a few hours time and it looks likely to be a titanic clash. The All Blacks are favourites to win after the Aussies found a couple of chinks in the Bok armoury last week.

Judging from the media war that has accompanied the two teams this week one can imagine there is no love lost between these teams.

A couple of bets here:

Gone with the Boks to win

First points scored - gone each way on tries and also put a few bucks down on a drop goal. Traditionally the Boks have reverted to the old fashioned drop kick when they want to put a side on the back foot and I wouldn't be surprised to see them try it here.

First try scorer again was split four ways on Fourie Du Preez, Pierre Spies, Joe Rockockoko and Richie Mccaw.

C'mon the Boks!

Pleasing to see

2009-09-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest I am not a Lions rugby fan by the stretch of anyones imagination, but it is an absolute pleasure to see them starting to string together some competitive performances again in the Currie Cup.

South African rugby needs a strong Lions side - they dominate in the money stakes and they have the ability to produce world-class players. To see them lurching from season to season with weak and inconsistent performances is not good and its great to see some of the new faces coming through.

While it is great that Griquas have gotten off to such a flyer and are comfortable at the top of the Currie Cup log it means that both the Lions and the Cheetahs are facing the prospect of missing the knock-out rounds of the competition which will hurt them financially and damage their ability to retain good players.

I see Earl Rose had another shocker in his comeback game for the Lions - really think it is time for him to go and take up another sport methinks....

Transformation again

2009-09-06T01:26:00.000-07:00

I was reading on the Keo.co.za website that Peter DeVilliers - the Springbok rugby coach - has been labelled a traitor by a group called the Transformation and Anti-Racism Rugby Committee (TARC).

They feel that by only selecting Habana, Pietersen and The Beast in his run-on lineup, Div has turned his back on the whole transformation thing.

Veiled threats and press statements from TARC are pointless - at this point they need to come out and say that they would rather we include weaker players rather than be a winning professional unit.

Apart from Chilliboy there are no real international calibre players of colour that spring to mind in the tight forward stakes. We are absolutely spoilt for choice in the loose forward space although I actually think that the Griquas captain and number 8 could be the type of player to watch in the near future.

At scrumhalf we have Ricky Januarie - who can't get game time and Heini Adams - but neither of them is in the same ball park as Fourie Du Preez at the moment.

Flyhalf? Nope there ain't too many players who stand out here whether they are black, white, pink or purple.

Centres... hhmmm Adrian Jacobs who is in the match day squad and gets a fair amount of game time.

Wings - In terms of specialist wingers the choices are Habana, Pietersen, Ndungane, Nokwe - they are all players of colour and there on merit.

Fullback - Personally I think Zane Kirchner has a lot to offer South Africa in the fullback role but with Frans Steyn having to be included somewhere and Ruan Pienaar also having to make up the backline numbers at the moment its a juggling act that there is no immediate solution to.

It is all good and well for TARC to talk about lack of transformation but with due respect where would they like these players to play? And why are they blaming the national coach for not buying into transformation.

Have a look at the Currie Cup sides. Almost all of the provinces meet or beat unofficial quotas and the players are there on merit. It is unfortunate that these are the best players in the world at the moment and there are only 15 players allowed on the field at any given stage... but unfortunately that is the rules of rugby and maybe TARC need to take it up with the IRB if they don't like it?

Currie Cup predictions

2009-09-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

The Currie Cup is starting to look very interesting and there are a couple of big games up for this weekend.

Cheetahs vs Lions
The Cheetahs play host to a Lions side that is just starting to find its feet. The Lions will have been boosted by their performance last weekend and I've put money down that they will overcome the Cheetahs - even if they are playing in Bloem.

I suspect it could be quite a tightly fought game but if the Lions strike early then they could have the Cheetahs on the back foot. Also backed the Lions to score the first points via a try.

Western Province vs Bulls
The big game of the weekend sees Western Province hosting the Bulls in a critical game for both sides. I think home ground advantage is going to hold the key to this fixture and I'm expecting Province to sneak home - but it is going to be tight.

With Peter Grant having moved to second choice kicker for Province, both teams have relatively light-weight first choice goalkickers so I expect both sides to be looking to run the ball and seek out bonus points which could become increasingly important as the group stage starts to wrap up.

I have gone each way on a try being the first points scored by either side - WP (3/1) and Bulls (5/1)

Tri-Nations betting

2009-09-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

Australia and South Africa clash today with the Springboks needing just two points to wrap up the Tri-Nations.

Again I don't see how anybody can look beyond the Springboks today - even if they do have a couple of walking wounded.

I'm expecting both sides to play a running game. The Boks want the points and the Aussies have nothing to lose so I'm banking on the first points to come from a try. I've gone each way on the sides at 3/1 for the Boks and 5/1 for the Aussies.

First try-scorer is a tricky one and I have tried to cover my bases taking Spies (22/1) and Du Preez (20/1) again this week and then Matt Giteau (16/1) and James O'Connor (14/1).

Odds supplied courtesy of World Sports Betting.

Currie Cup predictions

2009-08-29T02:47:00.000-07:00

Another weekend of the Currie Cup is here and there are some very interesting fixtures for this weekend

Sharks vs. Western Province
First up Western Province travel to Durban to take on the Sharks. I'm a Province fan so I always put money down on them to win but I think there is a good chance of them beating the Sharks today.

The Sharks have had problems finding an effective 9/10 combination and could have their hands full.

My predictions:

Province Win
First points - WP try

Lions vs Bulls
It has been a pretty forgettable season for the Lions so far but I have a sneaky suspicion they are going to shck the Bulls this afternoon.

The return of "Baywatch" and Alberts and the final sacking of Earl Rose may be just the "clean-slate" that the Lions need to get themselves back on track.

My predictions
Lions to win
First points - Lions try
First try scorer - Jano Vermaak

Griquas vs Cheetahs
The Griquas have looked fearsome at home and the bookies may not agree with me but I don't see how they can lose to the Cheetahs this afternoon.

I've got the Griquas to win and the first points to come via the boot for Griquas.

Happy punting!

Boks vs Australia predictions

2009-08-29T02:39:00.000-07:00

Well the Boks take on an Australian side which is definately down in the dumps after four successive losses and rocked by a couple of injuries.

On current form I don't see how you can bet against the Springboks.

Our predictions for todays match

- Boks to win
- First points scored - Australia Try
- First try scorers - Bryan Habana / Matt Giteau with Fourie Du Preez a handy 25/1 outsider

Go the Boks!

Rugby Predictions

2009-08-21T22:45:00.001-07:00

Some BIG rugby games on this weekend and I can see plenty of jibes being dished out depending on who comes out on top.

Australia / New Zealand
The Australians take on the All Blacks this weekend in what is sure to be an entertaining match up. Both sides were comprehensively outplayed by the Springnoks in their Tri-Nations encounters when they travelled to South Africa with Australia definately faring the worst.

Despite that we're actually backing the Australians to bounce back here and give the All Blacks a surprise or two. We've put down a few bucks on the first points being courtesy of an Australian try and first try-scorer to be Matt Giteau.

Let's see how that plays out

Griquas vs Sharks
Domestically the first game of the afternoon is the Sharks taking on the high-flying Griquas side.

We got 3/1 odds on Griquas beating the Sharks and we thought we would take it on the back of the current Griquas form. The loss to the Bulls was narrow last week and I think it might have given them some confidence to carry them through today.

Western Province vs Lions
I honestly don't think you can look beyond Province here today. The Lions form has been atrocious and minus Willem Alberts and Baywatch Grobelaar AND playing in the Province back yard, I don't see how they can expect to win.

Win for Province and first points courtesy of a Province try.

Rugby predictions - Saturday 15 August 2009

2009-08-15T00:25:00.000-07:00

From The Betting Hub blog

Saturday provides an interesting day of rugby in the Currie Cup and we've made a couple of bold predictions for today that could pay off handsomely.

Boland vs. WP
This is the one game on the day where we are not going with the home-side. Upfront I will declare my bias for Western Province as I am an unashamed supporter.

Predicting a WP win with the first points coming from a WP try

Lions vs. Sharks
Probably going to irritate the Sharks supporters - but without their first-choice scrumhalf (who is a points machine with his goalkicking) and battling to find a flyhalf to give them forward momentum - I reckon that the Lions can beat this Sharks team.

Things haven't gone the way of the Lions for a couple of the earlier fixtures but there seems to be some self-belief returning to the side.

I have gone with the Lions to win and first points courtesy of a Lions try.

Griquas vs. Bulls
The high-flying Griquas side play host to the Bulls in a fixture that the men from Pretoria will probably not be relishing.

I don't think anybody likes to go and play at Kimberley at the best of times but games against a physical Griquas side which is winning is a stretch.

We have picked Griquas to upset and score early with a try as the first points.

Let's see how these play out.

Giteau gets off?!

2009-08-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

That's impossible - how can Matt Giteau not be cited for that "tackle" or assault on Fourie Du Preez.

It was probably one of the worst non-tackles I have seen this year and coming from a player of Giteaus class and ability, it is simply shocking.

Not citing a player for an incident like that sends the wrong message out to players and fans alike and without trying to come across as "sour grapes" - one has only to think of Bakkies Botha and Schalk Botha serving "sentences" for dirty play and then wondering where the consistency is.

Bakkies got four weeks for charging into a ruck and Schalk got eight weeks for "intentional contact with the face" (I think that was the end decision, not eye gouging).... what Giteau do in that instance?

Simple does it

2009-08-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

I have to say that was probably one of the most accomplished performances from a Springbok side that I have seen in a long time.

Yeah we have been on a high and the wins against the All Blacks were good but the composure that we showed throughout the match was brilliant.

The Morne Steyn success story continues and if you look at the last five matches - if we hadn't had a kicker to put the points on the board, our record would look rather shoddy.

Somebody said a fair thing to me the other day: "Super 14 rugby is won by try-scoring sides, Test match rugby is won by sides whose kicker takes the points that are on offer"

Was just reading the match summary on the Keo.co.za website and one word that stood out - Simplicity - that I think is what the Boks did well. They played a tactically simple - not naive - game of rugby and they won it comfortably.

Good side.

Fired up looking New Zealand haka

2009-08-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

... Little worrying for the Boks.

We do seem to have started well though.

Made it...

2009-07-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Phew well eventually the Springboks got home but it certainly wasn't as comfortable as it could have / should have been.

Guess I didn't have anything to be worried about after all....

Pienaar had an indifferent game and the fact that he scored a try shouldn't count too much in his favour - it was a straightforward run-in for him.

If the All Blacks had been down an extra 8 points at the half-time whistle then the second half could have been far more straightforward and allowed our team to run.

Thought our backline looked the most effective it has in a longtime. Defence was solid and on attack the All Blacks always looked like they were going to be making a lot of tackles. Apart from where Conrad Smith slipped through I thought we looked top drawer and Frans Steyn impressed me for the first time in a long while - good composure and decision making.

Hope the Devilliers injury isn't too serious.

Amongst the forwards the two guys who impressed me were Bismarck Du Plessis and Bakkies Botha. Both of them put in some good solid graft. I am not a Bismarck fan but he worked hard today and things happened every time he touched the ball - was good to see.

A nice start to our Tri-Nations campaign.

Boks. vs All Blacks

2009-07-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

I don't mean to be negative about this match up against the All Blacks but I just have a niggling bad feeling about this fixture....

... Hope the Boks prove me wrong.

Well done Bulls

2009-07-18T23:02:00.001-07:00

I have to tip my hat to the Blue Bulls side yesterday - they played with serious "gees" to get them through a tough home game against Western Province.

As an out and out Province supporter, I thought the result was encouraging. I think some players let us down and I Duvenhage made a bad mistake not taking the 3 points on offer when we had that penalty in front of the posts but all in all an encouraging performance.

For me the biggest disappointment on the day was AGAIN Sireli Naqelevuki - I think he either has to shape up or ship out - his novelty factor has worn off for me. He had one bull run down the touchline where he flattened somebody but that was about it.

For the rest of the time, he was dropping passes, dawdling around and missing tackles / opportunities to work.

In comparison the Bulls had a 20 year old in his first year of big-league rugby (Gerhard Vd. Heever) and a scrumhalf who was playing as a makeshift wing..... How many balls did these guys drop? How many times did they secure ball from the up and unders? How many tries did they score? How often were these two involved in defensive tackling?

Go back and look at that game? Go and see Van den Heever tackle the prop with Mangweni to disallow the try. Go and see why Van den Heever is there scoring the tries. Go and see how Hougaard patrolled the sidelines and got stuck in.

It is all good and well having a big winger who is supposedly a try scoring machine but on the strength of yesterdays performance I would be disappointed if he kept his place in the Province starting line-up. There must be hungry young wings in the Cape that we could be looking to include?!

C'mon Rassie....

Tri-nations thoughts and predictions

2009-07-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Tri-Nations kicks off shortly and I must say that as far as I can see, the money must be on Australia to take the trophy this year.

Australia are the outsiders according to the guys over at World Sports Betting, but this year is probably going to one of the closest contested tournaments ever.

New Zealand are on form but have not really had a run against some decent Southern Hemisphere opponents and the Australians are playing really well at the moment.

There seems to be some real poise in the Australians and they seem to have a great ability to control the play. Think they are going to be a real handful for anybody.

The Springboks of course are as unpredictable as they come. On form they can challenge and beat the best in the world and the lineup has a great deal of battle hardened experience... their ability to control the game though appears to be in serious doubt.

Even though I am an ardent Springbok supporter I'm afraid my money is down on Australia..

Promising young players

2009-07-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am not a Bulls fan but for me the most under-rated (under talked about?) young player in South African rugby is Gerhard Van den Heever (pictured).

For a 19 year old he has got Super 14 experience - and rightly so. He is big, he's damn fast, he scores tries and (for me) most importantly he just has a cool head on his shoulders.

He doesn't seem to get wrapped up in off the ball incidents or do weird and wonderful things when he is under pressure. He puts his head down and he does what a winger is supposed to do - goes for the line.

I like him - think he has some serious potential.

On the Western Province side, one of the most talked about players is Morgan Newman. He also seems to have stepped up in the last few weeks and seems to be a pretty solid choice in midfield - but that Juan de Jongh kid who came on late in the second half in the game against the Sharks looks like he could be a real handful.

(he reminds me a bit of a Brent Russel type)

Apart from the Ebersohn brothers - any other youngsters catch the eye this weekend? Didn't think that the new Sharks flyhalf did the business I'm afraid - hopefully he improves a bit. Burton Francis over at The Bulls also blew very cold on the weekend.

Disappointment

2009-07-05T01:03:00.000-07:00

Disappointment - that is the only word I can use to describe the Springbok loss at Ellis Park (Or Coca-Cola Park as it is now less than fondly know. This is our damn fortress where we hardly ever lose - 8 years is a long time in international sport.

I personally felt it was disrespectful to both our fans as well as the British & Irish Lions players and supporters for us to make wholesale changes to the squad.

The Lions have toured for the last 5 weeks playing up to two games a week against some bruising opposition and you have not once heard them complain - we decide to basically write off the last test match by replacing 10 players?!

(And then we stick Pierre Spies on the wing? Bizarre)

If this is how we are planning to go into the Tri-Nations then I worry for our side. While the Lions side has some good individual attackers the Australian and All Black back 3's who have played together a lot will make mincemeat of a defence if it is not prepared.... I hope Div has a plan here.

The discipline shown by the Boks in this series has also been poor and the only reason it hasn't seen the side meltdown is because as a team we carry a lot of experience and skills which made sure we were on the winning side.... What's going to happen when we are on the backfoot in the Tri-Nations?!

2nd test - Boks vs. the B&I Lions

2009-06-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

The 2nd test match between the British & Irish Lions and the Springboks was an intriguing face-off.

The loss of Burger in the first 30 seconds of the match gave the Lions something to get back "go forward" and they never really looked like giving it up until some late second half substitutions changed things around.

Some observations on the game:

Uncontested scrums:
From the 45th minute of the test match there were uncontested scrums and yet we still stuck to three genuine front-rankers while the Lions enjoyed far more mobility

Jaque Fourie:
Fourie was again expected to come off the bench and make an impact. While I appreciate what Adi Jacobs brings to the side, I don't understand why Peter Devilliers is so hesitant to pair Jean Devilliers with Fourie considering the size and strength of the B&I centres?!

Spies better off the bench:
If you're looking for a way to incorporate the foraging ability of Brussouw as well as Burger and Juan Smith then why not move Burger to 8 and let Spies come off the bench as the impact player for the last 20 minutes or so? Sure he could inflict a lot of pain if used in this manner?

Headache at flyhalf?:
Ruan Pienaar had a competent performance at flyhalf last week but this time around he just didn't click. The side looked far more structured when Steyn came on. (I'm not a Steyn fan but he did the job today).

Dunno

Southern Kings

2009-06-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

I thought that the Southern Kings side that they put out to take on the British & Irish Lions wasn't a bad one and thought it bodes well for the potential for this franchise.

Obviously a lot of the players in this setup still are committed to other franchises but there is some talent out there that hasn't yet been utilised.

I thought Gary Owen (the ref) interfered with what was otherwise a good game. That penalty try he awarded was completely unnecessary and the second yellow-card against the Kings was odd considering the number of high tackles that the B&I Lions got away with.

On the penalty try, my understanding is that you can only award a penalty try when a definate try was stopped by a professional foul - the ball spewed out the side of the scrum and the opposition scrumhalf picked it up and I'm pretty sure Owen was unsighted - by all means give the penalty if they had collapsed the scrum but not because the Lions couldn't control the ball....

Sigh

Busy weekend

2009-06-05T23:55:00.000-07:00

It's a bit of a crazy sporting weekend and of course there is rugby on the go as well.

Got a coupla outside bets open this weekend which will be interesting to see how they play out. The match ups are also quite close so they're not completely out the money options either:

Cheetahs to beat the British & Irish Lions
Argentina to beat the England in Manchester
Barbarians to sneak past Australia
USA to shock the Welsh
Could be an interesting day of rugby!

Cheetahs vs B&I Lions...

2009-06-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

I backed the Royal XV - basically a Griquas side - to beat the B&I Lions last week and for a while it looked like I was in the money on that bet... But eventually they gave it up in the last few minutes.

Today the British & Irish Lions get a crack at the Cheetahs side and I'm taking an outside bet on the Cheetahs to surprise here... provided they haven't had orders to lose that is ;-)

I don't think you can take the B&I Lions thumping the Golden Lions as a fair reflection of ability. The Golden Lions were missing key players in Ludik and Rose and their management are in absolute disarray - you would have done better to send them out against a school team...

Anyway go Cheetahs!

Hhhhhmmmmm

2009-05-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm hearing this second hand so maybe I've got it wrong but did Peter Devilliers really tell the international press that this British & Irish Lions side wasn't as good as the 1974 touring side?! (or more specifically didn't show the same "character".)

Div are you nuts?!

Anyone ever tell you never to grab a tiger (or in this instance a Lion) by its tail?

You might believe that they are kak and you might know that you have the best players in the world at your disposal and available to take on some ordinary opposition - but remember that was exactly the attitude our media and players had to the last B&I Lions side that toured here and we know how that turned out.

Anyway the Boks have now put all the pressure on themselves - hope they know what they are doing...

Mils Muliaina

2009-05-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have to tip my hat to Mils Muliaina - the captain of the Chiefs side which got thumped in Pretoria last night.

Everyone who was watching the final and listening to the speeches was very impressed by the way he spoke and to be able to cap it off with a "baie dankie" (thank you) to the Loftus crowd and the TV viewers was the mark of a world class sportsman and statesman.

The Bulls may have thumped the Chiefs on the field but Muliaina won more than a few supporters over yesterday.

Well done to the Chiefs and the Bulls for a hugely entertaining final.

Super 14 final tickets

2009-05-23T23:58:00.000-07:00

Tickets for the Vodacom Super 14 final clash that is going to be contested next weekend at Loftus Versfeld between the Vodacom Bulls and the Chiefs will be available as from Monday, 25 May.

Tickets for the public:

The public can obtain tickets from Loftus’ Ticket Office from 8:00 on Monday morning. The Ticket Office is open on weekdays from 8:00 – 16:00.

Tickets will also be on sale at Computicket outlets from 9:00 on Monday morning as well as on Computicket’s website - www.computicket.co.za

Prices:
Main Pavilion: R300
East Pavilion: R250
North Pavilion: R150
Scholars – South behind the poles: R100

Credit card bookings:
Credit card bookings can be done for the east upper pavilion only, subject to availability of tickets. For credit card bookings phone 012 420 0700.

Season Ticket Holders:

Please note that your season ticket is NOT valid for the final.

However, season ticket holders have the first option to buy their seats and this can be done at Loftus’ Tickets Office on Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:00 – 16:00. You will be able to purchase your seat (s) by doing a credit card booking – 012 420 0700

Prices:
Main Pavilion Season Ticket: R260
East Pavilion Season Ticket: R220
Scholars – South behind the poles: R100

In order to buy your seat(s), you need to have the following information of you season ticket:

Name & surname of holder or the company’s name
Reference number

Top rugby

2009-05-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

Geez how good was the Bulls vs. Crusaders semi-final?! It was probably one of the best Super 14 games I've watched in the whole time I've been following Super rugby.

One can't help but wonder how influential that sin-binning just before the half-tim break was in terms of getting the Bulls back in the game.

From a technical perspective I loved the way that both teams adjusted to the others playing style. The Crusaders mashed the Bulls up front in the early scrum exchanges and that bomber up-and-under that led to a Crusaders try was a perfect show of exploiting weaknesses / structures in the Bulls setup.

Even better than that though was the way the Bulls realised that their gameplan wasn't working and changed tactics. When they realised the Crusaders weren't committing men to the rucks they started to find ways to suck guys in and the Ndungane try proved the system worked.

On the strength of that performance Morne Steyn and Fourie Du Preez have to be the first choice scrumhalf and flyhalf combination for the Lions. Steyn has answered his critics with some solid performances and shown he's not just a kicker but he's prepared to make the tackles and attack the gain line when it is necessary.

I think Du Preez had a lot to do with changing the style of the game that the Bulls played and that highlights his value to the team. He kept his cool and didn't put any undue on the new centre combination which I thought showed a lot of intelligence. Good job

Pierre Spies was also good - he looked for work and every time he got the ball there was a feeling something was going to happen.

There is something different about the Bulls this year. They're not just a smash and bash type of team - they can adjust and THAT is a sign of class.

Well done Bulls - you cost me a few bucks on my Crusaders bet but it was worthwhile watching an SA team playing so well.

Selection grumble

2009-05-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

I have a grumble .... Was just reading on Sport24 that Brad Barritt has flown in to fill in for the Sharks at centre. This follows injuries to Frans Steyn, Waylon Murray and Adi Jacobs have robbed them of their experienced players in midfield.

Remember that Barritt was lured overseas earlier this year with promises of a big money contract at Saracens.

Now suddenly injuries are hitting the Sharks' setup and instead of going through their existing structures they are going to pull a player from another club to fill in.

The Stormers did a similar thing earlier this year when they called up their old hooker Tiaan Liebenberg from France to come fill in.

Now I don't argue that either Liebenberg or Barritt add value - hell anybody to save the Stormers from Schalk Brits - but it does make a mockery of selection policies and talent development within your own setup.

Yes they will probably know many of the calls and moves, but surely they've made their bed and picked which side they want to play for?

Is the player motivated to play for you considering he is been treated as little more than a hired-gun for a few weeks?
What message does it send to other players in your setup? Something like you can train as hard as you like, put in all the extra hours etc... but at the end of the day if we need somebody we're going to pull from outside ranks

Any thoughts on the subject?

Sports - changing world order

2009-05-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

I believe quite strongly that a combination of the IPL and the economic (financial) crisis will fundamentally change sport across the globe. I'm probably going to say a few things that are going to be considered a little controversial but it's something I've been intrigued by for quite a while now.

Broadly speaking up until a few years ago the financial power of world sport remained in two major power centres - the US and Europe (Specifically the UK).

Even now the big money in rugby, soccer, motorsport and golf still emanates from these parts... but I don't expect that to last.

Some predictions:

I expect in five years time that Bangladeshi cricket will have overtaken English cricket in the test and One Day International rankings
Argentina rugby will be stronger than the European nations within seven years
In less than a decade I don't believe that the English premiership will be regarded as the leading football league in the world
Clubs like Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea will be competing with clubs from places like South America, the US and Asia in a global league in the not too distant future as opposed to the UEFA tournaments.
Bit of a wild one but I believe that South Africa will have one competitive football team in this tournament in ten years
I believe that the premier rugby competition - which will usurp the Super 14 - will be played out of either South Africa or Japan inside the next seven years and will work along the same lines as the IPL cricket system with either a bid or draft offering to pick sides.
Motorsport will be dominated by Chinese and Indian manufacturers and representatives and the Middle East and mainstream Asia will host most of the glamour races
Support for international brands such as the Springboks, All Blacks, Proteas, Wallabies etc will decline over the next ten years with cross-border franchises attracting greater support.

Obviously there are a lot of people who don't want to hear about the changing global world order but at the end of the day it is a numbers game - China, India, the rest of Asia and Brazil to some extent are growing rapidly at all levels...

Look at what China achieved at the last world Olympics
Look at the support the IPL has attracted - it's HUGE money and prestige that far outweighs what the international cricket boards can afford to pay their players.
F1 used to be the domain of the European manufacturers... suddenly the likes of Toyota are coming in and the Middle East is pouring money into development of tracks and teams - things are going to look very different in a few years time...

Does it sound like lunatic fringe stuff or do you think there is some merit to it all? Would love your input?

Grrrr .... it was good while it lasted....

2009-05-03T00:09:00.001-07:00

Hhhhmmmm and so the Stormers are back on the losing side of the scoreboard and on top of that they've picked up injuries to Schalk Burger, Conrad Jantjes and JD Moller to go with the host of other walking wounded.

The season has been a disaster in general and injuries have robbed the side of experienced and promising young players.

We've now got three games left and personally if I was Rassie Erasmus I would rather give the younger players a bit more of a run just to see who steps up to the plate and who doesn't.

In my last post I touched on the age of players like AJ Venter, Willem De Waal etc. Where are the new players coming through for the 2010 season? By persisting with the older players you don't create a healthy feeder channel for the following year and then you have this inevitable dip in form when the new guys come into the system 'en masse...

Tiger Bax didn't exactly cover himself in glory when he came on for Jantjes yesterday against the Chiefs but you can't judge the guy on a single performance.

Give guys like Morgan Newman (pictured), Des Fontain and Bax a chance to play the rest of the season with little pressure on them and if they step up to the plate then you have a base
from which to build on next year.

Phew!

2009-04-24T23:36:00.000-07:00

The Stormers finally got a win on the road! I was starting to worry that my team was going to be an absolute wood-spoonists - at least now we know that the Lions and Cheetahs should finish beneath us again!

It looked like somebody finally lit a fire under Sireli Naqelevuki as well - he was piling into rucks, charging through half-gaps and looking for work from the moment he got that try - HOW BLOODY REFRESHING!

What is going to be interesting to watch is how Rassie Erasmus / Stormers management / Western Province management are going to approach the 2010 season.

The side isn't getting younger and despite their stars, they are battling to string together consistent performances.

2010 is going to be an interesting year for the team:

Percy Montogemery, Willem De Waal, Wylie Human, Bolla Conradie and even Gcobani Bobo to some extent aren't getting any younger (Bobo's had a great season in my opinion)
Injuries to Nick Koster and Tonderai Chavanga haven't helped but Rassie decided to play the likes of Human in favour of blooding new youngsters
The scrums this year have been a mess - we're so keen to be mobile that we're not winning the basics like scrums to unleash a decent set of backs
Peter Grant is rumoured to be moving to the Western Force.

On top of that I'm not a huge Schalk Brits fan and the backup hooker we used this year (Tiaan Liebenberg) was drafted in from France... doesn't look like much in the continuity department.

As a Stormers supporter, I think it would be good to see us making a bid for the likes of Louis Ludik, Jaques Fourie and Heinke VD Merwe from the Lions and maybe Potgieter the Cheetahs flyhalf....

British and Irish Lions squad announced

2009-04-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

The British & Irish Lions have named an enlarged squad to take on South Africa in their upcoming tour....

Still don't think they have enough firepower or cohesiveness to take on the Southern Hemishphere sides but they might surprise.

Backs: Lee Byrne, Rob Kearney, Shane Williams, Leigh Halfpenney, Ugo Monye, Luke Fitzgerald, Tommy Bowe, Tom Shanklin, Jamie Roberts, Brian O’Driscoll, Keith Earls, Riki Flutey, Ronan O’Gara, Stephen Jones, Mike Phillips, Harry Ellis, Tomas O’Leary

Forwards: Jamie Heaslip, Andy Powell, David Wallace, Stephen Ferris, Alan Quinlan, Joe Worsley, Martyn Williams, Alun-Wyn Jones, Paul O’Connell (c), Donncha O’Callaghan, Simon Shaw, Nathan Hines, Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Andrew Sheridan, Phil Vickery, Euan Murray, Jerry Flannery, Lee Mears, Matthew Rees.

Foreign players...

2009-04-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

... it's interesting - at the start of the 2009 Super 14 season and post the Rugby World Cup, a lot of noise was made about the outflow of quality players into the big money European leagues. If all was to be believed, South Africa was facing a MASSIVE talent drain....

A few rounds left in the Super 14 and we've got two of the top four teams on the table.

In contrast South Africa has effectively had two "foreigners" in our ranks - Sireli Naqelevuki and Todd Clever.

As a Stormers fan, I've been very unhappy with the performance of Naqelevuki and I have no idea what he has done to enjoy regular starts for us - yes injuries have been a problem but he just looks like he has no interest.

Todd Clever (Cleaver?) has been a really valuable addition to the Lions lineup - plenty of enthusiasm and some nice skill as well - an example of foreign talent boosting a local franchise.

Next year, I believe that Peter Grant has been considered for the Force so that will be another guy going out... wonder whether there will be any big name foreign signings for the local franchises.

Canterbury re-takes the field

2009-04-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

The SA sporting fraternity is breathing a collective sigh of relief after the announcement that the Canterbury brand will continue to be available in South Africa. The Canterbury distribution rights, previously held by Canterbury International SA, have now being granted to prominent local sporting equipment business, Super-Brands (Pty) Ltd.

Now managed by Dunslaz Distributors (Pty) Ltd, one of Super-Brands’ subsidiary companies, the renowned Canterbury label will remain on local shores and retain its agreement with SA Rugby as the official clothing and equipment sponsor of the Springboks.

“We are pleased to report that the globe’s most successful rugby brand will once again be marketed and distributed locally,” comments Super-Brands CEO, Cuan Chelin. “The venture is incredibly exciting for us and we hope that, with the support of our retailers, partners and consumers, we are able to grow and sustain the celebrated Canterbury brand.”

The Group, which also distributes prominent sporting brands, Dunlop, Slazenger and Karrimor, will now start to address issues that arose from the liquidation of Canterbury SA thereby developing a platform for further growth on this dynamic global brand.

“These next few weeks will be spent visiting some of our largest customers and affirming our commitment to the label’s success,” comments Chelin. “We foresee great potential for this brand within the local market and believe that we can engineer a smooth transition which will see Canterbury retain its position as one of the South Africa’s most revered sporting brands.”

About Super-Brands:
Super-Brands (Pty) Ltd, is the holding company for My Appliances (Pty) Ltd and Dunslaz Distributors (Pty) Ltd, which distributes a range of sporting equipment and consumer and home appliances. The company, highly regarded for providing value-driven products with a premium appeal, holds an impressive portfolio of consumer brands, including the likes of Dunlop, Slazenger, Karrimor, Sonic, Swiss Diamond and Pedrini.

Go.....

2009-04-11T01:44:00.001-07:00

Jean Devilliers! What an individual try!

Maybe that will be the try that gets the Stormers into this match.... Great stuff.

C'mon boys!

Brave or stupid

2009-04-10T02:12:00.000-07:00

I am not sure which one I am but I've decided to put a couple of bucks on the Cheetahs to beat the Sharks in their Super 14 game tomorrow.

Dunno if I am brave or stupid but I reckon a return back to Bloemfontein may just be the psychological boost the Cheetahs have been seeking.

Funny

2009-04-04T03:11:00.001-07:00

Geez the Aussie commentators are pulling some beauts out today!

Watching the Stormers vs Waratahs game and I think it was Phil Kearns said something along the lines of: "The ref has just penalised the Stormers player for fondling a Waratahs head...."

They're also giving Sireli Naqelevuki a helluva lot of grief about his weight and his unwillingness to run... They've got a point - he's looking seriously sluggish at the moment...

Unbelievable

2009-04-04T01:44:00.001-07:00

Can't believe the Lions have managed to blow a 29-10 lead to go down 36-29 to the Chiefs!

The Lions actually looked really good in the first half and they took the fight to the Chiefs in almost every aspect of the game. They just can't keep it going for 80 minutes and they took a real bruising in this game.

Chiefs must be in the running for a Super 14 final now considering who they were missing for this game.

Its hard to work out whether its a management / coaching issue or a player issue... The problem is that they buy into guys like Pretorius (who had a much better game this time around) and Mentz but are battling to bring fresh eyes and fresh legs into the setup.

Also gotta wonder whether Loffie Eloff can keep his job for another season and whether Heynecke Meyer is the man to turn this Lions side back into a potent force.

Super 14 so far...

2009-03-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

Intriguing Super 14 so far...

... The sublime play such as that delivered by the Chiefs vs. Bulls last week and then the ridiculous as the Crusaders and Stormers tried to spend the match handing their opponents the opportunity to win the game.

As a reminder here is the table:

The Sharks have looked brilliant as have the Chiefs in the last few weeks.

Conversely the Lions and Cheetahs have looked out of their depth and while the Cheetahs have a chance to go and hide out in Bloem, the Lions are now having to go on tour.... Wouldn't want ot be them I'm afraid.

The Stormers missed a golden opportunity to pick up away points on the weekend with a very average performance but at least they looked "competitive" even if the game itself was awful.

SA players of the tournament for me so far?
--- hhhhmmm Rory Kockott and Fourie Du Preez - the two scrumhalves have been exceptional value for money

Best newcomer:
---- Gerhard van den Heever - the Bulls winger - looks like a real talent

Still some time to play and the S14 looks very close this year so things could change each week. It's going to be intriguing to watch...

Hhhhmmm

2009-03-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Lions finally got a Super 14 win on the table when they beat the Brumbies at home last night.... It has taken me 24 hours to recover from the shock before blogging on the subject.

I guess it is always good when an SA side beats an Australian side but geez they made it hard work for themselves.

There are a couple of guys I feel genuinely sorry for in SA rugby - Cobus "Baywatch" Grobbelaar, Louis Ludik, Heinke VD Merwe and Jaques Fourie.

Baywatch and Ludik are guys who simply try their hearts out game after game and they deserve to be on the winning side from time to time.

When it comes to Fourie - you almost wish he could be playing for a class side - between him, Adi Jacobs and Jean Devilliers, he is probably one of the best "pure" centres in South African rugby and yet he keeps turning out for the Lions every year.

Sorry to say but I think Andre Pretorius is finished.... His performance yesterday was weak and his kicking out of hand was directionless. The side has been banking on a Pretorius recovery for the last two seasons and finally he is fit and starting again and he's not delivering....

Dunno we'll watch the next few weeks and see how this Lions side plays out... So long as they don't interfere with the Stormers rebound to make the Semis.... ;-)

Happy Irish...

2009-03-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

So the Irish have done it - the Grand Slam, the Six Nations and the Triple Crown.... Going to be some very happy and probably some very drunk Irish fans out there tonight!!!

Well done guys.

Schoolboy rugby festivals here again

2009-03-13T01:56:00.001-07:00

The Easter weekend brings a number of top rugby festivals to the SA schools scene.

Three of the top festivals in Johannesburg include those hosted by KES, St Johns and St Stithians:

KES:
St Johns:
I have to say, I think St Johns have the pick of the bunch this year.

Affies Hoër Seunskool
FNB Invitation XV
Glenwood High School
Golden Lions
Helpmekaar Kollege
Jeppe Boys’ High School
Maritzburg College
Monument Hoërskool
Paarl Boys’ High School
Paul Roos Gimnasium
Outeniqua Hoërskool
St John’s College

St Stithians:

FNB Invitation
Bishops
St Davids
St Andrews
St Stithians
St Charles
Boland Landbou
Parktown Boys
St Alban’s
Wynberg

Sports Trader - Super 14 predictions

2009-03-12T20:25:00.001-07:00

Another weekend of the Super 14 is here and the results look a little easier to pick this time around.

We are only picking one upset and that is the Western Force to beat the Crusaders who have plenty of injury woes. As a Stormers fan I'm hoping (praying?!) that the side clocks up a big one against the Lions who have looked out of sorts - KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID boys.

Friday fixtures:
Blues vs. Cheetahs - Blues win
Brumbies vs. Waratahs - Brumbies win

Saturday fixtures:
Crusaders vs. Western Force - Western Force win
Highlanders vs. Chiefs - Highlanders win
Reds vs. Sharks - Sharks win
Stormers vs. Lions - Stormers win

From the Sports Trader blog

Super 14 Dream Team update

2009-03-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

I'm currently 2663 out of 12317 managers in the Super 14 Dream Team competition.

Ditched my dependance on The Stormers players and started making some selections with my head rather than my heart.

Pierre Spies and Gear of the Hurricanes have been inspired selections for the first few weeks.

My team for this week:
- Mark Gerrard
- Joe Rokocoko
- Paul Williams
- Stirling Mortlock
- Jean Devilliers
- Matt Giteau
- Rory Kockott
- George Smith
- Richie Mccaw
- Luke Watson (yeah yeah I know)
- Bakkie Botha
- Johan Muller
- Kevin Mealamu
- Bismarck Duplessis
- Al Baxter...

Tag Rugby Development Trust

2009-03-06T21:49:00.001-08:00

We are a unique charity that introduces primary school children in developing Countries to Tag Rugby through volunteer tours that build a positive legacy through local involvement and UK support.

The website provides details on past and future tours, gives information on how individuals or companies can get involved with our charity.

We hope you enjoy clicking through the pages of the site & would appreciate any feedback you have that may help us improve the experience.

Martin Hansford
TRDT Chairman
http://www.trdt.co.uk/

SA launches rugby academy

2009-03-04T09:40:00.001-08:00

With the growth of professionalism in rugby there is a real demand for quality rugby education. Rugby has also expanded rapidly over the last few years and is now a truly global sport.

The Investec International Rugby Academy South Africa (IRASA) courses are specifically designed to assist in progressing or achieving a career in playing or coaching rugby, and more importantly, to achieve excellence in this area. The Investec Academy provides inspiration and a high performance avenue for promising players and coaches. Courses on offer range from our flagship High Performance Courses, Advanced Courses for 16-18 year olds and Development Courses for club players. For players there is a high degree of focus on position specific analysis and tuition, mental toughness, rugby intelligence and skill development, with an impressive line-up of former and current international coaches and players delivering their quality expertise.

For coaches it is a rare opportunity to work intensively with the world's best coaches in a practical environment. The high performance, development and advanced courses work in tandem with the players' courses where the coaches' course participants work through the International Rugby Academy blueprint with the various specialists employed on that particular course on how to identify talent, design a game plan and drill the team to best utilise that talent, analyse performance and implement remedial coaching.

http://southafrica.internationalrugbyacademy.com/

Defence...

2009-02-28T12:27:00.000-08:00

Another action packed weekend of Super 14 rugby has come and gone with a bit of predictability from a South African sides perspective.

The Stormers have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory
The Bulls stomped all over a really poor Lions side
The Sharks managed to hold off the Chiefs

I know quite a lot has been made of the South African affinity for the "Rush Defence"... but I'm not totally convinced it works particularly well under the new ELV's where there is more kicking. I think the Cheetahs, the Lions and the Stormers have both been undone with their rush defence strategy whereas sides like The Crusaders and the Waratahs have appear to have adopted the strategy of stepping back that extra pace, reading the play and then shifting their defence as it is needed.

Whereas a side like the Crusaders appear to be dictating the pace of the game, these sides are trying to force broken play and then hoping for the best when the pace gets to their liking - in other words they never actually dominate the play - they're relying on the other side playing to their game....

Is this something endemic to the South African sides? Am I just imagining it?

Bloody Stormers!

2009-02-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

I Am A STORMER - no questions asked... But geez they know how to throw games away sometimes!

Last night the guys snuck in 27-24 against the Reds in the Super 14 and I got the impression that if the game had gone on for another 5 minutes they would have lost it - this after having been up 27-10 and the Reds looking down and out.

Last week against the Sharks they also had a handy lead and lost it - apparently because Jean Devilliers was stretchered off the field. This time there was no key player lost so what was the excuse?!

My opinion - They just played like it was a game of wild schoolboy rugby and the Reds mopped it up and Quade Cooper thought Christmas had come early.

Missing out on that bonus point was B A D.

I appreciate that the Stormers like a running game of rugby, but you A) have to have the ball, B) you have to have the territory to play such a game. If you have neither it's pretty tough to consistently stay in the game... and it is not like the Reds did anything special to secure territory and possession - they just waited for the ball to be given to them.

That hospital pass from Ricky Januarie to Andries Bekker in the first minute which the lock then tried to clear (which lead to the first Reds try) was the way the Stormers continued to play throughout the game.
Schalk Brits (pictured) thinks he's some kind of backline player... Schalk - like Rassie has shown with Nick Koster - if he thinks you are a backline player, he will reinvent you... how about playing as a hooker please? I'm not a Brits fan - I rate hookers who can find their jumpers and do the basics right not on how many goose stepping, upside down flip passes they can deliver
A perfect example was a chip and chase from Januarie after a lineout in the first half. The two chasers on to the ball - Brits and Naqelevuki. The Fijian ends up behind Brits - who is one of the shortest guys on the field - and the ball gets lost forward and the Reds make up about 10 - 15m when the
When Januarie went off and Conradie came on, I don't think we got a single ball out of the scrums... Conradie needs to get up to game speed
Brian Mujati is not a scrumhalf! Nor is Sireli Naqelevuki. Nor is Bekker, nor is Fondse - it is the guy that wears the number 9 jersey dammit...

But a win is a win and we're in the middle of the table after the first two games. The bonus point would have been useful though.

On the positives:

Sireli Naqelevuki is back in the side and he brings something different to the backline
Love or hate him - Luke Watson brought some value in with his performance
Jean Devilliers is fit
Peter Grant looks useful at flyhalf
We have our first win of the season

Lots of work to do going forward though....

Cheetahs blowing it...

2009-02-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

I'm not a Cheetahs fan so it's probably ok if I throw it out there.

Last week against the Lions they had 2 yellow cards - Brussow and Bosman. This week they got another yellow card for a professional foul in their game against the Western Force. The Cheetahs lost the game 16-10 and the try that nailed them... the one they conceded when they were down to 14.

Same as with the Lions games - the tries they conceded were when they were down to 14 men...

The Cheetahs season could look very different with 2 wins under their belts instead of two narrow losses

Super 14 predictions

2009-02-16T21:28:00.000-08:00

A helluva interesting week coming up in the Super 14 this week now that each of the sides has had a chance to flex their msucles.

Here are the Sports Trader predictions for Week 2.

Friday fixtures:

Hurricanes vs. Highlanders - Highlanders win
Waratahs vs. Chiefs - Waratahs win
W. Force vs. Cheetahs - Cheetahs win
Stormers vs. Reds - Stormers win

This weekend is vital for all of these sides to get points on the board and that is largely because the 2009 expected "Big Guns" are slogging it out on Saturday.

The Highlanders ran the Brumbies close last week and on that form we're backing them to deliver this week.

Waratahs are at home to the Chiefs and we expect them to come out on top here.

The W. Force host the Cheetahs who have an atrocious track record away from home. Having said that, the Cheetahs put in a half decent performance against the Lions last week and I think that if they can reproduce that form, they may just pip the Force (one of their easier away fixtures) this week.

The Stormers should have no trouble seeing off the Reds with the Newlands faithful behind them.

Saturday fixtures:
Brumbies vs. Crusaders - Crusaders win
Bulls vs. Blues - Blues win
Sharks vs. Lions - Sharks win

Saturday serves up a gem of a rugby day.

The Brumbies host the Crusaders in what is without question the match of the day. It's a tough one to call and we're leaning ever so slightly toward the Crusaders here, but the margin is tiny.

The Bulls host the Blues and based on their performance against the Reds in week 1 we're thinking the Blues might just turn some stomachs at Loftus.

Finally that brings us to the Sharks and the Lions... one of the greatest derby's on the SA calendar. The Lions have problems but they showed moments of quality against the Cheetahs last week. The Stormers proved they could run the Sharks close. We're backing Sharks quality and CONSISTENCY to shine through here.

Lions tactics...

2009-02-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

I spent a lot of time watching the Lions last night and trying to work out how much quality is in this lineup and where they went wrong.

Let's be honest they did A LOT of things right in this game and if they continue to do these things right they'll be hard to beat at home... So HOW THE HELL DID THE CHEETAHS RUN THEM THIS CLOSE?!

What they did right:

Heinke VD Merwe was a monster in the scrum - he sent a clear message to anyone wanting to take the Lions on upfront - Don't f#ck with our scrum
Willem Alberts off the back of the scrum was brilliant even if he did keep quite a low profile
Cobus "Baywatch" Grobelaar was everywhere and he competed for every inch of ground on offer and some that wasn't...
Jano Vermaak at scrumhalf was a pain in the ass for the Cheetahs all night. Nippy, he opened up ground, made quick service available and delivered the goods
Numbers 11 - 15 in the backline looked formidable at times. Defensively they need to tighten up on one or two things but that backline can hold its own against most of the big guns.
Todd Clever - nice impact option and you can see the value he is going to add in the last twenty minutes of a game...

So where the hell was the problem??
- Hooker and the locks in the lineout.... The Cheetahs hassled them all night in this area of the game. If you can't find your lineout jumpers then you're in trouble...

- Number 10 - Strip out the two drop goals and some serious questions would be asked of the decision making and marshalling of the troops by Earl Rose and Andre Pretorius.

Early on Rose, was keeping it nice and simple letting his backline go and do what they did best. Then he got it into his head to get too involved in the action with side steps and piling into the rucks and twice he was caught in the scrumhalf position and no first receiver in place...

When Pretorius came on, he seemed to have decided to shut things down with some odd kicks onto the Cheetahs backs who couldn't wait to come running back at them.

(PS as an afterthought, watch that first Cheetahs try again and watch Rose. He backed away from both Smith and Brussow... Not saying I wouldn't have, coz I sure as hell would have but the big flankers will have noted the lack of willingness to slow them up.)

These are the two areas the Lions will need to address rapidly to remain competitive in the tournament...

What a start....

2009-02-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

At moments the rugby was sublime at others it bordered on the ridiculous but we were left in no doubt that the Super 14 was here!

You couldn't have had a better two sides to kick off the competition than for the Brumbies to be pitted against the Highlanders at home. These guys came out to play action rugby and the fans were sent on an emotional rollercoaster as the Highlanders went up 19-0 after 22 minutes only for the Brumbies (inspired by Stirling Mortlock pictured left) to come crashing back into the game.

The Brumbies eventually held on for a 33-31 victory which was incredible to watch!

After that the Blues held on for a 25-19 victory over the Western Force. Tight stuff indeed!

Then we turned to the debacle at Coca Cola Park as the Lions contrived to do everything possible to give the result to the Cheetahs.

Eventually drop goals from Andre Pretorius and Earl Rose pushed the Lions 6 points clear but the way the Lions simply stopped playing mid-way through the second half was absolutely bizarre.

What in the world would inspire you to start kicking the ball on Daniller, Demas (pictured right) and Juries - who were looking full of running - when you still had a quarter of the game to play?! Pretorius with all his experience surely knew better...

Demas I thought was brilliant!

Juan Smith was absolutely outstanding and at the end of the day, the two yellow cards on Heinrich Brussow and Meyer Bosman cost the Cheetahs 3 tries... I thought both yellows were justified.

The Lions are going to need to improve a lot to be competitive in this competition but it was great to see Ashwin Willemse playing really well.

I'm going to blog on the Lions tactics in the next post and some strengths and weaknesses I thought were obvious...

Super 14 predictions from Sports Trader

2009-02-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

The wait is over for Super 14 fans!

Rugby pundits will be able to get a better idea of what their sides are offering as they flex their muscles.

Sports Trader makes its picks:

Friday 13 February
Highlanders vs. Brumbies - Highlanders win

How's this for a fixture to kick off the Super 14?! Highlanders at home in the "house of pain" against the highly rated Brumbies.

We're backing the Brumbies to do well in the tournament but the Highlanders at home pips the Brumbies firepower.

Western Force vs. Blue - Blues win

Lions vs. Cheetahs - Cheetahs win

Saturday 14 February
Crusaders vs. Chiefs - Crusaders win
Hurricanes vs. Waratahs - Hurricanes win
Stormers vs. Sharks - Stormers win

Disclaimer - I'm a Stormers fan. I reckon they're going to do a number on the Sharks.

Bulls vs. Reds - Bulls win

The wait is over!