With Round 8 gone we nearly approach the halfway stage of the Super Rugby 2014 season. Already we have had shocks, amazing comebacks, thrown chairs and alleged tirades against South African cameramen. We look at a select few who are performing to expectation, those who are underachieving and those who have surprised everyone including themselves in Super Rugby.
Front Runners – the Sharks.
The Durban based outfit have been running riot in Super Rugby since the start of the season in early February. From their seven games played so far they have won six (four of which were won with a winning margin of 15 points or more) losing just once against the Bulls in Pretoria. Since the arrival of Jake White in the summer as head coach and with John Smit installed as CEO the Sharks have laid down a marker against their rivals. At home in Kings Park they’ve established a fortress losing none of their five home games.
Among the forwards the Sharks ooze physicality and strength in the form of skipper Bismarck du Plessis & brother Jannie, colossus prop Tendai Mtawarira along with experienced loose forwards Willem Alberts and Ryan Kankowski. Moreover, within the pack the Sharks boast young talent with Marcell Coetzee & Pieter- Steph du Toit – the latter who is highly rated and a Springbok of the future.
Though the loss of Pat Lambie for the rest of the season with a injury is a blow after his good performances the backline is in good hands with Francois Steyn rediscovering his form in the centre. Moreover, Lambie’s replacement Fred Zeilinga deputised excellently against the Waratahs last week, with the 21-year-old kicking 18 points in their 32-10 win in Durban. Moreover, the Sharks have deadly finishers among the backs in the form of Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen, Odwa Ndungane and SP Marais who can capitalize on the platform set by the dominant forward pack.
Despite their excellent home form it will be their games on the road that will determine whether 2014 could be the Sharks’ year. Their away games include tough trips out of South Africa to the Hurricanes in Wellington, in Melbourne to face the Rebels who turned over the Brumbies, hopping to Canberra to face the Brumbies & trips to the Crusaders & Blues in New Zealand. The Sharks are also away to the Lions, Cheetahs and Stormers in South Africa. If they win a significant portion of their away games, as well as win their remaining home games, it’s likely they’ll be in a position where they will have a home playoff tie – thus opening the road to the final.
But at the moment as they enjoy a bye week the Sharks are favourites to win the title.
Underachievers – Crusaders.
Look at the NZ conference table and seeing the Crusaders sit at the bottom is a sight many fans from Christchurch would not have expected to see. During the last couple of years the Crusaders have always been the bridesmaid of Super Rugby – always close to reaching the trophy but never quite fulfilling their desire.
It has been rumoured that pressure has been exacted on head coach Todd Blackadder with the hope this was the year the Crusaders would finally cast off the nearly men tag and snatch the mantle of New Zealand’s dominant team and champions of Super Rugby from the Chiefs. But things have not gone as hoped – in fact it has gone downhill. As we approach Round 9 the Crusaders find themselves 12th out of 15th amassing just 13 points – three wins and three losses. Those defeats came against their NZ conference rivals the Chiefs, Hurricanes and Blues – the first two at home.
There are mitigating factors in the fact their talismanic fly half Dan Carter has taken a sabbatical while Richie McCaw is sidelined with injury. But it hasn’t helped their backline has been changed about more times than a chameleon changes its colour. Several players have played at fly half – first it was Tyler Bleyendaal with his unfortunate (or infamous) missed kicks against the Chiefs before Blackadder put in Colin Slade and Tom Taylor to have a go at fly half. It isn’t healthy to have multiple changes, as they disrupt the flow of a team, notably in a position that is important.
Though they sit 12th there is a glimmer of hope they could reach the playoffs via the backdoor purely because the competition has thrown up surprising results especially in the Australian conference where all five teams have been competitive – notably the Western Force & Melbourne Rebels. Before the weekend’s games merely eight points separate 2nd placed Brumbies from the Crusaders in 13th. Their win in South Africa against the Lions in Johannesburg will have given Blackadder’s players some confidence. But they will have to replicate their performance against the free scoring Cheetahs in South Africa on Saturday if they want to reach the playoffs.
Lose and the Crusaders can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye, as well as possibly Todd Blackadder’s job come the end of the season.
The Surprise Card – the Lions.
I doubt even the experienced TV pundits or rugby journalists would have picked the Lions to be in the top eight among the 15 teams in Super Rugby after eight rounds. However, it has been a sterling achievement from Johan Ackermann’s boys, who have confounded fans and experts alike but also earned respect with their performances.
Their determination, spirit and willingness to fight no matter what the situation has helped them achieve some memorable victories. The best of the lot has to be against the Reds a fortnight ago where they battled to win 23-20 after the Reds led 20-3 at one stage. After seven matches played they have won four and lost three – with three of those victories at home against teams such as the Blues, Stormers and Reds. However, it was their opening game of the season where they showed their defensive grit, as well as ability to shock where they snatched a 20-19 victory against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
The win against the Cheetahs was sealed via a drop goal by fly half Marnitz Boshoff who has been the stand out player for the Lions and one of the players of the season in my view certainly among the backs. Though the Lions forwards have showed their potency during the season it has been Boshoff who has been consistently brilliant. He has not been afraid to score drop goals – slotting in six, as well as twenty-three penalties plus eleven conversions to accumulate a points tally of 109 from six games. The irony is Boshoff wasn’t even first choice at the Lions where he was behind Elton Jantjies before suffering injury before their opener against the Cheetahs. Elton Jantjies’ misfortune was Boshoff’s gain and the Lions have benefited from that.
However, despite Boshoff being the standout player among the Lions, the backs have showed their worth in their home victories against the Stormers, Blues and Reds scoring several tries. Moreover, the forwards have toiled manfully notably in the set piece. It is a measure of how far they have come they find themselves in such a credible position winning respect from pundits and journalists.
If the Cheetahs were the surprise team of last year then the Lions are certainly this year’s. Whether they can replicate the Cheetahs’ achievement of reaching the playoffs is another matter. But if they continue their good performances while roared on by an increasing crowd at Ellis Park it’s certainly a possibility.
By the end of the Super Rugby 2014 season in July I’ll return with a full review and see if these teams will maintain the same course or change their ways – added with those players who have had a season to remember or forget.
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