HIGHLANDERS vs REBELS
The more I see of the Highlanders the more I rank them as serious runners to lift the trophy.
Yes – their playing resources are thinner than those of the bigger franchises which makes them vulnerable if injuries strike. But they have developed some really talented players ( how’s that scrumhalf? ) sprinkled in critical areas and play entertaining rugby with a huge amount of heart.
The Rebels started off well and maintained composure and discipline for about 30 minutes. But in a playing period comprising about 6 minutes just before and just after halftime the Highlanders ran in three tries and effectively took the match away from the Melbourne outfit.
They must be licking their lips in anticipation of the Stormers next week ; The visitors will have to face a side that has had an extra recovery day, has not come through a slugfest with the Bulls and has not had to travel. To say nothing of possible injuries from the Bulls match.
HURRICANES vs CHEETAHS
Well done, Cheetahs! After initially looking as if they were going to produce a typical ‘South African side vs NZ side in NZ’ performance they clawed themselves back to take this match.
For once we saw a SA side in NZ play without reticence and excessive respect for their opponents.
Their handling and the ambition they showed with ball in hand was exceptional and demonstrated that the usual South African obsession with hoofing the ball away (and particularly good possession ) is such a blight on our rugby.
Well worth getting up early to see. On this form they can beat any side.
CHIEFS vs WARATAHS
The Chiefs racked up another win but ( possibly crucially ) failed to nail the bonus point. Their game play varied from efficient and effective to sometimes a little aimless.
The Waratahs started off by promising to be competitive but faded on the back of handling errors and seemed to lack alternatives when they failed to penetrate from set pieces and early phases. Nevertheless they look likely to remain difficult opponents when at home.
BRUMBIES vs SHARKS
The Sharks just held on for a hard fought victory against a Brumbies team which looked physically a little outweighed.
What could have ( and should have ) been a relatively easy victory for the Sharks was turned into an unnecessarily sweaty event due almost entirely to the fact that the Sharks continue to persist with a very ordinary kicking game. It must be both heart breaking and irritating to the forwards to see hard fought possession and turnovers aimlessly kicked downfield by their limited backline.
Nevertheless the Sharks buried the Canberra hoodoo and denied the Brumbies a losers’ bonus point.
WESTERN FORCE vs REDS
Wow! Big surprise and indication that the SA trip has left the Reds scarred – for now. Or at least until more of their first choice players return. In particular – their deficiencies at flyhalf are difficult to repair until their better class players return.
This hammering from the Western Force also devalued the Bulls win from last week.
Nevertheless – credit to the Western Force.
LIONS vs CRUSADERS
The Lions- regrettably too much ragtag and too little class. You can’t win Super 15 rugby matches on heart alone.
STORMERS vs BULLS
This match produced an awful lot of energy, aggression and endeavour but precious little rugby. As predicted it was a slugfest. Surprisingly I found the Bulls to be the more poised and polished of the two sides despite ending up as losers. They should, nevertheless, be a shoe in for the return round at Loftus.
I would love to have the following questions answered by the Stormers coaching staff :
Have you ever attempted to coach the backs into running STRAIGHT?
Do your backs have the slightest idea as to how to put a team mate into a gap instead of directly into the opposing player?
Do you regard up and unders from your own 22 as being sound tactics?
Has it ever been explained to your kickers that failing to find touch from a defensive clearance and, even worse, from a penalty kick is as close to a criminal act as you can get in rugby?
Have you ever thought of TEACHING your forwards not to be as upright as they all appear to be when adopting the endless crash ball tactics that they so love?
Do your players become so easily isolated simply because nobody knows what move was being executed?
And to Robbie Fleck : How you manage to hold on to the position of Stormers backline coach is a marvel to me. I have no comparative recollection of such bad backline play from the Western Cape (in all of the many years that I have watched rugby) since you have coached them.
With respect – The Bulls should have been put to bed by halftime. Only the Stormers could have allowed the Bulls back into the match by gifting them an endless supply of second half possession through wrong options, unforced errors or by simply kicking that hard won possession straight down the throats of the Bulls’ backs.
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