Super 15 2011

[BoyBrumby]

Week Nine Fixtures:

Chiefs vs Crusaders
Rebels vs Highlanders
Blues vs Waratahs
Reds vs Bulls
Lions vs Stormers
Cheetahs vs Hurricanes
Brumbies vs Force

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Chiefs vs Crusaders
Rebels vs Highlanders
Blues vs Waratahs
Reds vs Bulls
Lions vs Stormers
Cheetahs vs Hurricanes
Brumbies vs Force

 

[ripper868]

change to Reds. I've seen the light.

Good man this vimes bloke is.

 

[Hurricane]

I am the only person who has tipped the Warratah's - I am starting to think it was a bad call. But I will stick with it as no money is on the line.

 

[Quaggas]

Chiefs vs Crusaders
Rebels vs Highlanders
Blues vs Waratahs
Reds vs Bulls
Lions vs Stormers
Cheetahs vs Hurricanes
Brumbies vs Force

 

[ripper868]

Quaggas isn't getting a perfect round this week then...

prepared to eat words if served with crisp salad

 

[Quaggas]

Quaggas isn't getting a perfect round this week then...

prepared to eat words if served with crisp salad

No worries mate. "Dislike" the Bulls with a passion, neighbours to the north and all.

Speaking of: Stormers lose Habana for Lions clash. I'm looking like a genius here.

Edit: BTW, the tip has the Lions at home, contrary to the above article. So I have an out.... just in case. No one likes to play at Newlands, except perhaps the All Blacks.

 

[ripper868]

Yeah Lions at home - Minus Strauss and Minnie - two only half effective forwards IMO.

Stormers benched Grant - might possibly score a try now.

 

[Somerset]

Crusaders
Highlanders
Blues
Reds
Stormers
Cheetahs
Brumbies

 

[social]

Crusaders
Rebels
Waratahs
Reds
Stormers
Hurricanes
Brumbies

 

[TT Boy]

Yeah Lions at home - Minus Strauss and Minnie - two only half effective forwards IMO.

Stormers benched Grant - might possibly score a try now.

Though Grant on average scores about 85% of the Stormers points so it is swings and roundabouts.

Also, Grant is injured. They would never drop him.

 

[TT Boy]

Kurtley Beale to the Rebels and James O'Connor expected to sign for them on Monday. Wow, two great signings. Can't imagine what state the Force will be in if they also lose Pocock.

 

[ripper868]

Though Grant on average scores about 85% of the Stormers points so it is swings and roundabouts.

Also, Grant is injured. They would never drop him.

yep - 100 points all from the foot - 8 conversions.

Last list I saw he was still on the bench despite the injury, Full time penalty goal to win the game substitute kicker imo.

 

[ripper868]

Kurtley Beale to the Rebels and James O'Connor expected to sign for them on Monday. Wow, two huge and great signings. Can't imagine what state the Force will be in if they also lose Pocock.

Western Australia.

They already be ****ed with the loss of O'Connor - good as Pocock is it's hard to win a game on your own from 7.

 

[TT Boy]

yep - 100 points all from the foot - 8 conversions.

Last list I saw he was still on the bench despite the injury, Full time penalty goal to win the game substitute kicker imo.

Defo out. Lionel Cronje on the bench, Gary Van Aswegen starts.

 

[TT Boy]

Western Australia.

They already be ****ed with the loss of O'Connor - good as Pocock is it's hard to win a game on your own from 7.

Yeah. O'Connor is the only guy who scores their points. Good that the Rebels are strengthening but it really does dilute the Australian conference and Super Rugby. Bad enough that the Lions and Cheetahs stink up the place.

 

[Smudge]

We are the mighty Highlanders
We're here to play the game
From Auckland to Australia
There's no one quite the same

 

[Somerset]

Yeah. O'Connor is the only guy who scores their points. Good that the Rebels are strengthening but it really does dilute the Australian conference and Super Rugby. Bad enough that the Lions and Cheetahs stink up the place.

This was the issue I had with the Rebels entering the competition, in that their squad clearly isn't strong enough, and any recruits merely dilute the talent across the rest of the Australian sides. The Force will be particularly poorer without O'Connor who is clearly one of their two stars holding the team together, and I can't say that the Brumbies' prospects look much brighter for next season either.

 

[Somerset]

We are the mighty Highlanders
We're here to play the game
From Auckland to Australia
There's no one quite the same

Great to see the Highlanders near the top of the leaderboard, rather than languishing around the tail of it as they've done in Super Rugby and the ITM Cup in recent seasons. Shame that Slade's out again, since I felt that a prolonged period of Super Rugby would enable him to push his claims for the back-up 10 to Carter. Adam Thompson meanwhile, has hardly put a foot wrong this season and must have the inside running for the back-up loose forward spot (along with Daniel Braid) for the pre-RWC internationals. I'd certainly pick him ahead of Messam and Vito if the squad was to be named tomorrow.

 

[Somerset]

Speaking of: Stormers lose Habana for Lions clash. I'm looking like a genius here.

To be fair, the Stormers losing Habana is certainly not as big a loss as it would be had their style actually involved using their talented back-line and had Habana been in half decent form. He, along with Rokocoko, Giteau and Spies, are players that I think have been over-rated in recent seasons based on good form several seasons ago. I'd imagine Habana's still a likely Springbok starter but in my mind hes not the force he was 3-4 years ago, when he was ridiculously good.