Super XV roundup: Week 13

Ufortunately I didn't see much of the early weekend games of round 13, but had the fortune to at least see the Sharks gain another important win over the Cheetahs and saw the Stormers convince in the first half, only to fall back into old habits and just holding on to beat a very game waratahs team at Newlands on Saturday evening.

Overall log excluding bye points.

Spoiler:

Conference logs.

Spoiler:

When I look at the South African conference it is with the realisation that no matter what my personal feelings are about how I would wish the springboks ultimately play, it is clear that the traditional strengths of SA rugby is unfortunately shining through, and it is most likely that Heyneke Meyer is going to stick to that formula.

The Stormers are leading the SA Conference with what can best be described as: a forward pack that is solid, competent set phases, a defensive pattern that means every player plays a part in putting an awful amount of pressure on the opposition with agressive defence, low numbers at the breakdown and setting defences flat.

Form a point scoring perspective the Stormers are betting their season on the fact thqt teams won't score more than 2 tries against them and hence they don't need to score more than 2 tries themselves. The downside to that of course will be how they will react the day their defences don't work.

The Bulls on the other hand uses their forwards and chasers in conjunction with the boot of Morne Steyn and setting pressure at the breakdown, and virtually trying to mrder their opponents by way of that pressure. The Bulls most certainly do not have a very organised defence, especially around the fringes in the ruck, as they have been exposed there a good number of times. The question is whether it is due to Morne Steyn being deemed a defnsive weakness or is it the still relatively inexperienced Francois Hougaard who is not organising his forwards better.

Either way, the Bulls relies on mistakes from the opposition to score most of their points.

The Shakrs are perhaps trying to play more "rugby" by setting longer phases and spreading the ball more than the other two franchises, but have an inability to adapt during matches.

The Cheetahs is the one Franchise in SA who in my opinion play the most attractive rugby, but then again their defensive system is rather weak. Could it merely be a case of no real stars in their squad?

If Meyer looks at this and decides to go with the tried and tested, I really hope he does at least bring some back play into the equation, just to create a little more uncertainty in defence for the opposition.

After this week my prediction of how the logs will end.

End of week 12

Stormers 55
Crusaders 55
Bulls 54
Chiefs 52
Sharks 49
Brumbies 47
Highlander 45
Reds 45
Hurricanes 44
Cheetahs 34
Waratahs 33
Force 23
Rebels 20
Blues 18
Lions 12

End of week 13.


Stormers 55
Crusaders 55
Bulls 54
Sharks 53 (courtesy of a bonus point away win to the Cheetahs)
Chiefs 52
Brumbies 52 (courtesy of an away win against the Hurricanes)
Highlander 45
Reds 45
Hurricanes 42
Waratahs 34
Cheetahs 30 ( courtesy of the home loss against the Sharks)
Rebels 24 (courtesy of away bonus point win vs the Force)
Force 20 (courtesy of home loss to the Rebels)
Blues 18
Lions 12

What's important is the Crusaders regained their awareness of where the try line was and started scoring again, albeit against a side that has lost its awareness of fighting for a win.

I cannot think that SA is hindered by the fact that there is a clear front runner in the Stormers and their other successful franchise the Bulls play a similar low percentage game.

NZ have probably more consistency across the board but not the same level of efficiency as SA and Australia are just up and down in terms of performance. Put those 2 nations together for test rugby and they are a much better sum of their parts than SA in terms of variety. SA will most likely, like you say, just continue with the game plan that worked so well for the Stormers (and to a lesser extent the Bulls).

I don't really agree with you guys. If SA can win that way then great for them. It's not so much that PDV and his team had the wrong plan but that they executed the plan poorly.

nganboy, execution is everything, but Morne Steyn hasn't executed any plan with total efficiency since 2009.

He is too predictable and that is my only issue with him, any team no matter what game plan you employ needs variety and a little unpredictability.

More so us than anyone else. We are wasting our talent on the outside, imagine for example how effective and many tries Habana would have scored in a NZ jumper.

How about you loan us Habana for the Irish series as M Steyn will no doubt play and we´ll find out Biltong. We've lost both our wingers from last year´s RWC.

sure, you lend us Carter.

Fair swop?

Reading that Leinster Hype thread I wish there was a sort of Championship league where the top 4 of super rugby played the top 4 of Heineken cup. Would love to see how that turns out.

I get the odd feeling that their clubs are stronger than their national teams from their discussion in their? Because the have so many foreigners?

That may be part of it FerN but I get the impression that maybe the clubs mean more to them over there than the countries, at least for some. In the SH our club footy is taken seriously but it's always geared towards test rugby. I get the impression there that club footy and test rugby are chalk and cheese and maybe because the number of foreigners playing there isn't that consideration towards higher honours as we say in the south.

PS I'd go along with that swap actually Biltong. I´ll get the papers for you to sign by the end of the day!

Kia, just make sure Carter is wrapped in cottonwool, and he knows to play his own game, no dilly dallying like steyn.

You'll have to throw Hougaard in for that mate. We'll give you Donald as well. He's a RWC matchwinner.

Hougaard was not agreed upon in the first instance. donald neither.

So stick to the agreement, otherwise we will have you for breach of contract and take back your RWC medals.

Nor was wrapping Carter in cottonwool and knowing to play his own game. It's called an extension clause. You'll be hearing from my lawyers. Our 3 RWC medals are quite safe. Our lawyers are damned good. They've already secured the 2015 for us!

Don't confuse your refereeing panel of Keith Lawrence, Bryce Lawrence, Paddy O'Brien and Lynden Bray with your lawyers.

That would be a fatal mistake. We also won't be using the incompetent lawyers SARU uses.

So get him ready on the plane asap, I expect him here by tomorrow morning, don't bother about the cottonwool, I see to it that he is taken care of, and will discuss his gameplan with him myself.

Oh and by the way, one more step out of line, and I'll send you Earl Rose instead.

I wasn't confusing them. They are our lawyers!

It would be fun to see Carter play for the Boks (against England of course not the ABs). Similarly I'd love to see Habana play for the ABs. It could be like football: release a player on loan and take him back without any charge. I think there was a thread on that once. Only problem people always wanted Carter...

I remember thread, you should be very proud of him, he has been the quintessential rugby player of the last number of years.

I often wonder how the boks back line would perfrom with a player of his abilities and vision.

biltongbek wrote:I remember thread, you should be very proud of him, he has been the quintessential rugby player of the last number of years.

I often wonder how the boks back line would perfrom with a player of his abilities and vision.

Sadly Biltong you'd probably have JDV at 12, and it wouldn't be much different

No, mate, frans steyn. If i am making the deals here, I will also be selcting the team.

He is a great player. Strangely he is a player that is universally admired but not loved even by Kiwi fans. Merths for me had much more of a fan base than Carter in the popularity stakes. DC is a humble guy but personality counts for a lot. McCaw is much the same. The guy is a legend but if you wanted to hit the turps with a player, you wouldn't choose Richie or Dan. You'd be too busy saying, mate you´re a legend. Does it even smell when you go number 2s? You are a rugby God. I bet you don't even have to go number 2s. But Merths would be telling you stories right from the get go and you'd have a laugh. Maybe to be a true icon, you need to have some sort of weakness about you. All-round genius doesn't sit well in the popularity stakes.

It is probably a case of supporters identify more readily with those that have weaknesses. They seem more "human"

biltongbek wrote:It is probably a case of supporters identify more readily with those that have weaknesses. They seem more "human"

It has a bit to do with focus - DC like JW puts a lot of attention on the game. When my Mum met DC last year she found him "dull as dishwater" to talk to. Mehrts was well known for being a real character, especially before he got a handle on the booze. Even now there's an unofficial agreement around rugby that you don't invite both Mehrts and Marshall to play in an invitational match because of the stuff they get up to.

The reason why Mehrts has so much character is that South African influence.

That's more a sign mate that nobody's perfect. A good Canterbury man with red and black blood but we all have secrets locked in the vault we're not proud of.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:That's more a sign mate that nobody's perfect. A good Canterbury man with red and black blood but we all have secrets locked in the vault we're not proud of.

ouch, that cuts deep in my heart.

Reminds me of the song the first cut is the deepest, baby I know, the first cut.....