Super Rugby Round 16 Preview Part 2

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 14^th and 15^th 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.