Super XV roundup: Week 11

From an overall perspective week 11 must be seen as the most dire weekend of the Super XV so far this year. A number of games did not live up to expectation, there were a number of refereeing errors during this weekend as well which most likel did influence some matches. The Crusaders vs Reds match was error strewn not only from the players, but also from Bryce Lawrence that had the consistency of a poorly pureed soup, Stuart Berry officating in his first Super Rugby match made the Force vs Cheetahs match and absolute lottery and the Force may feel aggrived with a ligitimate try not being awarded when the Assistant referee called them back for some off the ball play by the force's tighthead prop.

The sharks didn't look like they wanted to play rugby for the first 50 minutes of their clash against the Highlanders who at least kept trying, but ultimately the sharks won the kick fest with Patrick Lambie having a perfect kicking display with 7 penalties, and converting his own try.

At long last the Brumbies completed a match where they didn't win or lose in a controversial manner and there should be no apologies in that regard from SANZAR this time round. However you may want to look out for one toward the Force.

The Chiefs were simply too good for the Lions who with limited personnel at least attempted to score some tries.

The Rebels and Bulls matchup was the most entertaining match of the weekend with both teams scoring 5 tries and even Morne Steyn got on the score board, Adding to a perfect kicking display. Curtly Beale must have given Robbie Deans some food for thought with an exempplary display at fly half, whilst his injured team mate James O'Connor could only enjoy the clash from the side lines. There was one try however awarded to Cooper Vuna where in my view there were a total of three penalisable offences by the Rebels.

The Rebels were stopped short one metre short of the line when Vuna joined the ruck on his feet to regain posession, he then however went off his feet falling in front of the ball, at that time Striling Mortlock came in from the side and entered the ruck in an offside position attempting to block defenders, whereby Vuna grabbed the ball from behind, rolled over and scored a try. Fortunately this time it didn't affect the result, but in my view blatantly illegal.

How the Hurricanes keep managing to win matches whilst not controlling the game is simply astounding. I remember back to their match vs the Stormers in the beginning of the season when inspite of never being in control in the tight phases or rucks, they managed to score one counter attack try after another. Surely at some point this method has to fail.

Here is a list of the travelling results so far.

Home team first.

Stormers 39 - Hurricanes 26
Lions 28 - Hurricanes 30
Western Force 19 - Hurricanes 46
Brumbies 24 - Cheetahs 23
Highlanders 18 - Waratahs 17
Bulls 23 - Blues 29
Chiefs 29 - Brumbies 22
Stormers 27 - Blues 17
Sharks 27 - Reds 22
Rebels 26 - Cheetahs 33
Waratahs 34 - Sharks 30
Crusaders 28 - Cheetahs 21
Brumbies 33 - Highlanders 26
Bulls 61 - Reds 8
Highlanders 43 - Rebels 12
Hurricanes 38 - Cheetahs 47
Chiefs 30 - Waratahs 13
Brumbies 26 - Sharks 29
Lions 13 - Crusaders 23
Highlanders 6 - Stormers 21
Western Force 12 - Chiefs 20
Hurricanes 42 - Sharks 18
Rebels 34 - Blues 23
Bulls 32 - Crusaders 30
Blues 23 - Sharks 29
Crusaders 31 - Stormers 24
Cheetahs 33 - Chiefs 39
Reds 13 - Stormers 23
Sharks 12 - Chiefs 18
Bulls 36 - Brumbies 34
Blues 11 - Reds 23
Lions 20 - Brumbies 34
Force 3 - Stormers 17
Cheetahs 33 - Highlanders 36
Waratahs 33 - Crusaders 37
Rebels 35 - Bulls 41
Chiefs 34 - Lions 21
Sharks 28 - Highlanders 16
Cheetahs 17 - Force 13
Crusaders 15 - Reds 11

Summary.
Australian teams at home: 4 wins - 8 losses
Australian teams away: 2 wins – 9 losses

South African teams at home: 8 wins – 7 losses
South African teams away: 8 wins – 6 losses

New Zealand teams at home: 9 wins – 4 losses
New Zealand teams away: 9 wins – 6 losses

Current log without bye points.

Chiefs ........... Played 10 ...............log points 40
Bulls ............. Played 9 ................log points 34
Stormers ....... Played 9 ................log points 33
Crusaders ...... Played 10................log points 33
Brumbies ....... Played 10 ...............log points 31
Highlanders ... Played 10 ...............log points 30
Sharks.......... Played 10................log points 27
Hurricanes..... Played 10................log points 26
Reds ............ Played 10 ...............log points 22
Waratahs ...... Played 10 ...............log points 22
Cheetahs ...... Played 10 ...............log points 22
Force ........... Played 10 ...............log points 14
Rebels .......... Played 9 ................log points 12
Blues ............ Played 10................log points 8
Lions ............. Played 9 ................log points 6

There have been numerous articles and blogs regarding the Southern Kings who has been guaranteed a place in the Super XV next year. Now as much as the Lions has been very poor over the past decade, the Southern Kings will be even worse, with a full squad they didn't even manage to get to the semi finals of the Vodacom Cup which is seen as a third tier competition in SA.

Even if the Southern Kings go on the hunt to contract players currently outside of the eastern Cape the farce will not stop, as that will defeat the reasoning behind why they should be promoted.

The political reason for including the Southern Kings in the Super XV is to develop the riches of the Eastern Cape, which boasts the talent pool for non white players in South Africa. But the political agendas, the financial mismanagement that has plagued the Southern Kings for some time now will fail miserably in their actaul reasons for doing this.

If you want to develop rugby in the eastern cape, you don't start in the toughest provincial competition in world rugby. You need to develop grass roots, then get their vodacom Cup side to win there first, then move on to the Currie Cup. Only once you know you can compete against the best franchises in SA rugby , are you assured that you are ready.

But again, like most things in SA sport, political agendas are once again put ahead of common sense.

When will this ever end?

After reading that,perhaps matt Sexton might have been better to go off to Munster with his mate Rob Penney.

The cheethas have proven how difficult it is for them not having Johan Goosen there anymore. Sias Ebersohn is a shadow of what Goosen is who has proven he is potentially as all rounded as Dan Carter.

He has scored 4 tries in 9 matches, hardly ever misses a kick, great ball carrier, distributor and defender.

The biggest loss of Goosen will be for the Junior world Cup, where Goosen would have made a vast difference.