Super Rugby Round 16 Preview Part 2
- 2088
Who will begin a climb out of the unhappy depths of the Super Rugby basement – the Force or Reds? Can the Stormers gain an ominously rare four-try bonus point against the struggling Cheetahs? Will the Lions continue to defy critics’ pre-season predictions of an unsuccessful season by achieving a win against the defending champion Waratahs?
Force v Reds
This is a clash between the 14th and 15th teams on the
log, having had such miserable seasons results-wise that they are even below
the besieged Blues. Perhaps it would be simplistic to reduce the encounter to
the Reds with more talented players but less direction up against the Force
with less talent but greater direction, but it’s not wholly inaccurate. The
bottom line is that the Reds have lost 10 out of 13 and the Force 11 out of 13,
which provides substance to a not unpopular belief that Australia does not have
the player depth to field five Super Rugby teams. Saturday provides a chance to
both teams to begin the climb out of the Super cellar.
Key players:
Quade Cooper, back at 10 for the Reds. If Cooper can set them alight, Samu Kerevi, Karmichael
Hunt,Chris Feauai-Sautia, and James O’Connor could run the Force
defence ragged. Ben McCalman and Mat Hodgson are the
two Force forwards certainly good enough to play Test rugby, and Nick Cummins
their one back in Wallaby contention.
The big match-ups:
Two exceptional opensides: Hodgson vs Liam Gill. On the wing, Cummins vs Feauai-Sautia. At 8,
McCalman vs Jake Schatz.
Stormers v Cheetahs
Coaches Naka Drotske and Os du Randt bid farewell to the Cheetahs on Saturday.
They’ve been magnificent Cheetahs servants, and at time saviours, as players
then coaches, and deserve a better away send-off than their players gave them
in Bloemfontein last week. The Stormers are now top of the SA conference and
with the incentive of earning a Newlands semi-final, they will want victory
with a four-try bonus point – a rare feat for the Stormers, whose lack of
attacking creativity and flair remains a real concern. How wonderful it would
be if the Stormers coaches were to encourage their players to ‘play what’s in
front of them’ and give them licence to use their skills to run into space and
attack without shackles.
Key players:
For the visitors, Joe Pietersen at 10, and props Danie Mienie and Maks van Dyk.
For the Stormers, their back three, Cheslin Kolbe, Dillyn Leyds, and Seabelo Senatla,
all exciting attacking ball-carriers. Nizaam Carr, trying to regain his 2014
form.
The big match-ups:
Mienie vs Vincent Koch, Van Dyk vs Steven Kitshoff. The goalkicking boots of
Pietersen and Demetri Catrakilis. At 12, Damian de Allende vs Michael van der
Spuy.
Lions v Waratahs
The Waratahs lead the Australian conference, but it’s been a season of
contrasts for them – with superb performances mixed in with uninspired
mediocrity – and a successful SA tour is likely to be decisive if they are to secure
a Sydney semi-final. The Lions endeavour to attack creatively, with licence
from their coaches to use whatever flair they can muster, but they do at times
conceded too many points, and the Waratahs could take advantage of this in
Johannesburg on Saturday. Behaving with more discipline than they did last week
will help the Waratahs on the field and cost them less in post-match angst and
legal fees.
Key players:
In another spate of selection changes, the Lions have a new front row yet again
- Julian Redelinghuys,
Armand van der Merwe, and Schalk van der Merwe.
Harold Vorster, back at 12. The underrated blindside Warwick Tecklenburg. For
the visitors, the consistently brilliant Michael Hooper, the composure and
skill of Adam Ashley-Cooper, and the inconsistent but potential match-winner
Kurtley Beale.
The big match-ups:
Hooper vs Jaco Kriel. Ashley-Cooper vs Lionel Mapoe. Armand van der Merwe vs
talented young prospect but inexperienced third-choice hooker Hugh Roach.