Bulls go down to the Stormers

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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Incredible game of rugby

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!

Rugby betting - Super 14

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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Super 14 selections

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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Easter Super 14 picks

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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Another round of Super14 is here

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!

Cracking stuff

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 picks - Three rounds to go

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

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

Currie Cup predictions

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)

Super 14 final tickets

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

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.

Super 14 so far...

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...

Defence...

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?

Press release from Blue Bulls

The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd is willing to negotiate with the Leicester Tigers regarding the future of the Vodacom Blue Bulls' and Vodacom Bulls' defence coach John McFarland.

The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd confirms that McFarland handed in his resignation on 7 November but he is contracted till the end of 2010. His contract with the Bulls was renewed, on his request, for a further three years in 2007.

The Bulls do not want to lose one of the world's finest defence coaches and they will uphold the validity of the contract if necessary.

With this in mind the Bulls are willing to negotiate with Leicester Tigers, with whom they have a very good business relationship, on the condition that they receive a formal request for McFarland's services.

Until such a request is received McFarland is considered as being employed by the Bulls.

Mthunzi Mabeta

The Vodacom Blue Bulls' young lock Mthunzi "Fudge" Mabeta has been tested positive for the use of cannabis.

He tested positive on 11 October at Loftus Versveld after the under 21 semi-final against the Lions and will know his fate early in December.

Mabeta's legal representative Gerrie Swart said the case is sub judice and they are still negotiating with other parties whether Mabeta's second monster must also be tested.

If Mabeta's second monster is also positive he will have to appear before a disciplinary committee, but fortunately cannabis is not a performance enhancing drug and this will count heavily in the players' favour.

In the past rugby players who have been found guilty for the same offence were banned for three months.

Pretorius leaves the Lions for the Bulls

The Lions Rugby franchise has not been particularly good at talent retention in the last few years and I believe they have made a mistake selling Jaco Pretorius to the Blue Bulls.

(Most recently they sold off Ricky Janaurie and Conrad Jantjes two years back and bought Earl and Jody Rose into their squad).

In Louis Ludik and Jaco Pretorius, the Lions possessed two of the best utility backs in the country - two players that have regularly stood out despite indifferent performances from the rest of their squad.

To lose a player of Pretorius' calibre is going to be a big blow for the franchise in my opinion

Currie Cup final from Sports Trader

The Currie Cup final prediction from the Sports Trader blog

With half an hour to go before the kick off to the Currie Cup final, I'll admit I'm still not sure which way I think it's going to go. Being a WP supporter I'm a bit ambivalent seeing as the 'big name' teams already finished their season a few weeks back.

;-)

In all seriousness though, I'm leaning toward the Sharks purely based on the home ground advantage. I think both sides are both very evenly matched, both sides have quality players and either side has a handful of players who could turn the game on it's head without a second thought.

Black Pearl Betting has the Sharks at 6/10 while the Bulls are at 13/10 - not much in it either way.

Black Pearl however have two very interesting plays that might make it interesting:

First up they have a competition for the first try scorer and I think JP Pietersen at 12/1 has to look good.

The second option they've got going is the "STEYN ALIVE" which pits Morne Steyn against Francois Steyn around drop goals and total points scored. A leaning toward Francois to deliver a drop goal is quoted at 11/10. A few bucks either way here might be a bit of fun....

Currie Cup rugby picks

From the Sports Trader blog.

As most of you know, I have been covertly backing the Lions from around 7-1. While I never admit in public that the bet exists, I think they are going to be the surprise package this weekend.

They have a problem at flyhalf and I think even they acknowledge it. The decision to move Rose to fullback (in my opinion) is a vote of no confidence.

I think a lot is going to revolve around Jaque Fourie amongst the backline.

Don’t write the Lions side off, they have a sneaky ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat.

In terms of the Bulls - I suspect they simply have way too much firepower for the Cheetahs this year…