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Preview: S14, Round Seven, Day Two

Friday 28th March 2008

End of the road?: It's now or never for the defending champion Bulls

Super Saturday in Round Seven of the Super 14 should sort the top teams from the strugglers once the final whistle is blown in Durban on Saturday night.

The Sharks will be looking to secure a sixth straight Super 14 win when they host the Reds at the Absa Stadium in Durban.

A win will keep the Sharks in second place and ensure that they remain in contention for a place in the not too distant play-offs. It will also give them a vital boost ahead of a tough overseas tour that kicks off next week.

The Bulls' current erratic form suggests that the Blues may have things all their own way at Eden Park but they will be wary not to take the wounded Bulls at face value.

Whilst they have won four of their last five clashes with the Blues at Loftus Versfeld, the champions have not won in Auckland since the inception of the competition in 1996.

They will face a Blues side that will be buoyed by its narrow win over the Stormers after suffering successive losses to the Sharks and the Force.

The Highlanders will be out looking for their first win of the 2008 season when they travel to Hamilton to face the Chiefs in the second New Zealand derby match of the weekend.

The young and inexperienced Highlanders team have dished up some good rugby in recent weeks and face a Chiefs team who have been erratic in grinding out three wins from six starts so far.

It will no doubt be another hard and gritty all-New Zealand encounter.

Chiefs v Highlanders
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, 17:30 (04:30 GMT)

The mercurial Chiefs, with three wins and three losses, finally got their act together last week which usually means they're due for a downer. Or are they?

The Chiefs are hot and cold at present; but last week they were better than in any other match this season and deservedly took the 2007 champion Bulls to the cleaners, scoring six tries to three.

The win in Rotorua keeps a finger-hold on serious play-off contention.

But the Highlanders, after a fifth straight loss (all by less than 10 points) are already playing out the string and will provide nothing more than nuisance value in 2008.

The Highlanders also gave one of their better displays of the year but, ironically, for the first time failed to take a consolation point after being beaten by eight as the Force staged a late rally to claim the win.

If the Highlanders can control the forward exchanges it will be tight, but if the Chiefs pack goes as well as it did a week ago, the swifter home backs may cut loose.

This match serves as a potential benchmark for the Chiefs as they look to turn their season around. With three wins from six matches, they're handily enough placed, all things considered.

For a change, the Chiefs get players back off the injured list rather than adding to it. Sitiveni Sivivatu and Richard Kahui both return this week after minor ankle problems, allowing Ian Foster to run out what promises to be a sharp backline.

The Chiefs need to get another win this week - they haven't won two in a row this year - and, more importantly, need to start building a bit of momentum.

Up against the struggling Highlanders, it's an ideal opponent to secure their first set of consecutive victories for the season.

If they lose against the South Islanders, it's back to square one.

Believe or not, the Chiefs are in a better position than we they were last year when they finished pretty strongly, so the Hamilton-based side are still capable of giving this competition a good nudge.

The Highlanders, for all their worth, must be respected despite their record that shows five straight defeats.

There are no easy games against the Highlanders - as they have shown thus far this season - and the Chiefs face a physical challenge from the men from Dunedin.

The Highlanders will throw everything at the Chiefs and really have nothing to lose now.

Prediction: The Chiefs hit form last week against the Bulls and at home they should have too much for the hapless Highlanders. The Chiefs to win by ten points or more.

The teams:

Chiefs: 15 Mils Muliaina (c), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Callum Bruce, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatau, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Kevin O'Neill, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Ben Castle, 2 Tom Willis, 1 Simms Davison.
Replacements: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 Ben May, 18 Jay Williams, 19 Faifili Levave, 20 David Bason, 21 Dwayne Sweeney, 22 Viliame Waqaseduadua.

Highlanders: 15 James Wilson, 14 Paul Williams, 13 Niva Ta'auso, 12 Johnny Leota, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Daniel Bowden, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Steven Setephano, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 Craig Newby (c), 5 Hayden Triggs, 4 Hoani MacDonald, 3 Clint Newland, 2 David Hall, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Replacements: 16 Jason MacDonald, 17 Chris King, 18 Isaac Ross, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Toby Morland, 21 Mike Delany, 22 Brett Mather.

Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Jonathon White (New Zealand), Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Television match official: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
Assessor: Alan Riley (New Zealand)

Blues v Bulls
Eden Park, Auckland, 19:35 (06:35 GMT)

The Bulls' lowly position on the ladder has the Blues on their toes heading into their Super 14 rugby match on Saturday.

Two successive defeats on the road have left the defending champions in 11th place, while the Blues' late 17-14 win over the Stormers has lifted them to third.

The highly-rated Blues may be sitting third but they've flattered to deceive and, with their bye still to come, need to lift their game if they want to be challenging at the business end of the season.

The Blues need some fluidity to return to their play after three stuttering weeks. The two losses have hurt them but a lack of bonus points has also allowed the Crusaders to leap away from them at the top of the table.

The Blues are now nine points adrift of their southern rivals and their hopes of claiming the number one position are super slim.

It would take a spectacular meltdown from the red and blacks to allow that to happen. Gaining the number two spot from the unbeaten Sharks is a more realistic goal for the Blues.

The Bulls loom as an ideal opportunity to get things back on track for the Blues. The defending champions are having a nightmare road trip to add to their ordinary overall campaign.

Heavy defeats to the Reds in Brisbane and the Chiefs in Hamilton have seen the Bulls slip out of any real contention for a place in the play-off.

But desperate teams are always more dangerous and the Blues must be wary of the challenge the Bulls would pose at Eden Park.

History also hangs over this game, with the home team having won every game between the teams, with one exception.

Prediction: For the Bulls, the equation is simple: win all seven of their remaining matches or forget about the finals in this campaign. The Blues will be aware of this and won't be doing their visitors any favours and one feels the Bulls will be kissing their trophy goodbye. The Blues to win by five points.

Blues: 15 George Pisi, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Isaia Toeava, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Lee, 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Justin Collins, 5 Troy Flavell (c), 4 Kurtis Haiu, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Nick White, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Nick Williams, 20 Taniela Moa, 21 Ben Atiga, 22 David Smith.

Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JP Nel, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Derick Hougaard, 9 Fourie du Preez (c), 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Wikus van Heerden (vice-captain), 6 Pedrie Wannenburg, 5 Danie Rossouw, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Ryno Gerber, 2 Derick Ku�n, 1 Guthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Deon Stegmann, 20 Heinie Adams, 21 Morne Steyn, 22 Dewald Potgieter.

Referee: James Leckie (Australia)
Touch judges: Brett Bowden (Australia), Josh Noonan (New Zealand)
Television match official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Assessor: Stuart Beissel (New Zealand)

Sharks v Reds
Absa Stadium, Durban, 17:00 (15:00 GMT)

The Sharks may consider that they are heading into their equivalent of a batsman's nervous nineties this weekend as they tackle the Reds in their last home match before the away leg of the Super 14.

The Sharks do return to play a couple of games at Absa Stadium at the end of the competition, but victory on Saturday will mean they have accomplished a mission that they fell one match short of during the home leg of last season's competition - namely to remain unbeaten in Durban.

While the second-placed Sharks must start as overwhelming favourites against the ninth-placed Reds, it will be recalled that it was a similar situation for them last season, when they tackled the Brumbies in Durban at a corresponding stage of the competition.

The Brumbies hadn't won much up to that point, but they hit the winning trail after an unexpected Absa Stadium victory that turned their season around.

Sharks coach Dick Muir won't want that to happen again, and he will be mindful of the fact that matches against the Reds have provided as many really low points for the Sharks as they have highs.

One of those was a couple of seasons back, when Kevin Putt was still in charge - the Reds' 6-5 win that day is still remembered by many as the worst ever Super 14 match.

The Sharks though are back from their bye and will be eager to regain the momentum they picked up before the break.

Not that Muir will fool himself into thinking his team ever really hit full stride in the opening five matches, so the Reds could just end up reaping the whirlwind as the Sharks seek to round off this phase by bidding farewell to their home crowd in fitting style.

Prediction: The Sharks are overwhelming favourites to steamroll the Reds in Durban on Saturday, despite the Brisbane boys having arrested their losing streak with victory over the Bulls and a come-from-behind tie with the Lions in the last fortnight. The Sharks to win by twelve points.

The teams:

Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Bradley Barritt, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Francois Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Jacques Botes, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Johann Muller (c), 4 AJ Venter, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 BJ Botha, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Steven Sykes, 20 Epi Taione, 21 Rory Kockott, 22 Fr�d�ric Michalak.

Reds: 15 Chris Latham, 14 Clinton Schifcofske, 13 Morgan Turinui, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Peter Hynes, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Sam Cordingley (c), 8 Leroy Houston, 7 David Croft, 6 John Roe, 5 James Horwill, 4 Van Humphries, 3 Dayna Edwards, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Greg Holmes.
Replacements: 16 Sean Hardman, 17 Rodney Blake, 18 Ed O'Donoghue, 19 Poutasi Luafutu, 20 Ben Lucas, 21 Charlie Fetoai, 22 Digby Ioane.

Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Assessor: Dennis Immelman (South Africa)

By Dave Morris