SUPER 15 - WEEK BY WEEK

The 3 week break for the internationals is going to be interesting. Teams on a rolls may pose momentum during the break plus what happens to teams looking good now if some of their best players get injured during the Tests. Will wait until after the break to see how teams are performing to speculate on the Winner.

Ou Ryperd - I am ONLY referring to the local conference as I see it. That does not necessarily mean that I am right! Lol. But I would not be prepared to back the Stormers to beat the Bulls at Loftus next week which suggests that they ( the Bulls ) should finish top of the conference as I believe they have the necessary power to blunt the Sharks when they meet in the later portion of the round robin.

The Stormers HAD to win yesterday as it would effectively have settled the conference in one fell swoop. Their defeat has turned the conference into a new ball game. Makes it very interesting as there might yet be twists and turns in the competition.

June is going to do no favours to ALL of the sides who provide the majority of players for international duty. It's going to be a competition decided by 'last man standing' rather than the best team winning.

The only bright star on the Stormers horizon is that they could be back to full strength for the playoffs. At the moment the top three conference finishers look likely to be :

NZ - Chiefs pretty much home and dry which means the best the Crusaders can expect is 4th.

SA - Bulls with the Stormers and Sharks now perhaps only outsiders to top local conference.

AUS - Brumbies and perhaps Reds.

Some of the first round playoffs are, therefore, going to be crackers with the distinct possibility of a Crusaders vs Reds clash being one of them.

One side which could really upset the applecart would be the Highlanders. If they scrape into 6th spot or higher they could travel to play the Brumbies. It would be a game they are entirely capable of winning.

Anyhow - still too early to predict actual matchups but plenty excitement still to come.

Thanks Garrick(tu)

CRUSADERS (28/10 Long Term) 2/9 vs HIGHLANDERS (25/1 Long Term) 15/4

Phew! This is a tough start to the weekend action and likely to be one of the most enthralling clashes.

All known facts point to a Crusaders victory but it should not be forgotten for one moment that this is a bona fide NZ derby and that the Highlanders are more than adequately equipped to provide another upset as they did in the first leg.

Both teams are pretty much fielding ‘best available’ sides. The Highlanders, in particular, see their already competent pack further beefed up by the return of Manu, Haskell & King.

Clearly this is a match that the Highlanders need to win more than the Crusaders do as they are still only a fringe possibility for the playoffs. But you can expect a no holds barred approach from them on Friday morning at a venue which has nothing like the intimidating impact of the former AMI stadium.

Conservatism prompts me to give the Crusaders the nod but I would be both unsurprised and pleased to see the gutsy Highlanders take it.


REBELS ( N/O Long Term) 15/4 vs BRUMBIES (14/1 Long Term) 2/9

The Brumbies will be wanting to recover from the disappointment of last week’s loss against the Reds.

There is little to suggest that the Rebels will prove to be a stumbling block against the Brumbies’ ambitions.

Brumbies to win it.


BLUES( N/O Long Term) 15/4 vs CHIEFS (4/1 Long Term) 2/9

The Blues are throwing their ‘big guns’ in against the Chiefs this weekend. Unfortunately these selfsame big guns would be better described as pop guns this season so don’t expect to hear the sound of Chiefs’ knees knocking at that announcement.

I think it fair to predict a Chiefs victory although I am less sure as to whether they will run away with the match.

It’s NZ so it’s going to be tough. I believe the visitors would be quite happy to escape with the points. Four tries would be just what it is described as.....a bonus.





WARATAHS (N/O Long Term) 8/10 vs HURRICANES (50/1 Long Term) 11/10

The Waratahs 2012 campaign has now officially derailed so they have only pride to play for. In much the same vein as the Cheetahs they have lost a good number of matches which they should have / could have won.

Dependent upon their mindset they represent a real threat to the Hurricanes for two reasons :

They have a pack which the visitors might find a handful.

The Hurricanes have been beatable away from home.

I am going to side with the home team to dent the Hurricanes’ top six ambitions.


LIONS (N/O Long Term) 5/1 vs SHARKS (12/1 Long Term) 1/6

Surely the Sharks won’t undo all of the good work of the last few weeks?

Surely the Lions will not be able to re-kindle the spirit of the 2011 Currie Cup?

Surely not. Probably certainly not!

Sharks to win it.


BULLS (6/1 Long Term) 6/10 vs STORMERS (3/1 Long Term) 15/10


Two weeks ago I cautioned that the Bulls had little to fear from the competition in the South African conference for the balance of the season.

The injury ravaged Stormers visit Loftus this weekend and I have the uncomfortable feeling that the Bulls might choose this weekend to make a strong statement of intent.

Certainly I do not expect the Stormers to win. But I am concerned that they may be looking down the barrel of a confidence shaking beating.

I have seen both Stormers and WP teams travel to Pretoria with makeshift, depleted personnel in past decades. Almost without exception they have returned having conceded massive points tallies.

If I were a handicap punter I might even be prepared to take the rare step of backing the Bulls nett of the handicap. Whichever way you look at it -3,5 seems inordinately generous.

Canes the bet of the century... Surely

50 up for Crusaders.......on their way back big time

New DSTV Channel Guide effective 1 June.


Sharks will be broadcast on Super Sport as it is the Channel of Champions.

Stormers on Discovery Channel.

Cheetahs on History Channel.

Lions on Comedy Central and,

Bulls on Fashion TV

gregbucks Wrote:

---

> New DSTV Channel Guide effective 1 June.
>
>
> Sharks will be broadcast on Super Sport as it is
> the Channel of Champions.
>
> Stormers on Discovery Channel.
>
> Cheetahs on History Channel.
>
> Lions on Comedy Central and,
>
> Bulls on Fashion TV


Voertsek

gregbucks Wrote:

---

> New DSTV Channel Guide effective 1 June.
>
>
> Sharks will be broadcast on Super Sport as it is
> the Channel of Champions.
>
> Stormers on Discovery Channel.
>
> Cheetahs on History Channel.
>
> Lions on Comedy Central and,
>
> Bulls on Fashion TV


LMAO, When have the Sharks ever been Champions other than the odd Currie Cup. They beat one tired Stormers team and now can take on anyone. The Sharks are lucky they don't play the Crusaders in regular season.

Shrek it was sent to me by a SHarks supporter, must admit i could'nt argue about the Lions....()

Greg I gathered it was, I have a good mate who is a Sharks supporter and after a couple of wins you could swear that they could beat anyone by over a hundred points but they always lose the odd game they shouldn't.

GO LIONS GO <

Us Banana boys can never see anything or any team being better than us!