Super rugby 2014
Transcript of Super rugby 2014
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8/13/2019 Super rugby 2014
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The local favourites
LS
h:Frans Ludeke
ain:Pierre Spies
years position:2nd (overall), 1st (SArence)
icted finish:4th (overall), 2nd (SArence)
kness from last year:Did not to travel well,ad a potentially damaging semifinal loss at
e
point:Apart for a trip to their bogey side theanders, their travels will be to teams theyvewell against
ebreaker: Jan Serfontein will have the wholeon to make the number 12 jersey his own
acquisitions:Victor Matfield. Will the wilyog bear new tricks?
CHEETAHS
Coach:Naka Drotske
Captain:Adriaan Strauss
Last years position:6th (overall), 2nd (SAconference)
Predicted finish:9th (overall), 3rd (SAconference)
Weakness from last year:Slow starts and playerdepth
Plus point:Favourable draw, no fixture against theChiefs
Gamebreaker: Willie le Roux. How will teamscounter his imaginative rugby; and the big question:will Johan Goosen remain free of injuries?
New acquisitions:Inside centre Howard Mnisi.Will he be able to take his Currie Cup form to ahigher level?
STORMERS
Coach:Allister Coetzee
Captain:Jean de Villiers
Last years position:7th (overall), 3rd (SAconference)
Predicted finish:5th (overall), 2nd (SAconference)
Weakness from last year:Inability to get bonuspoint for tries
Biggest hurdle:Overcoming a tough away drawagainst the top four sides
Plus point:Settled and experienced squadcompeting for match-day spots
New acquisitions:Argentinian lock ManuelCarizza to offset the loss of Eben Etzebeth untilmid-tournament.
SHARKS
Coach:Jake White
Captain:Bismarck du Plessis
Last years position:8th (overall), 4th (SAconference)
Predicted finish:2nd (overall), 1st (SAconference)
Weakness from last year:Inconsistency
Biggest hurdle:Maintaining momentum after astring of home matches and early byes
Plus point:Favourable draw, no fixture against theChiefs
Gamebreaker: Pat Lambie being allowed to settleat fly half
New acquisitions:Coach White and Tim Swiel, anexciting young fly half from Western Province
LIONS
Coach:Johan Ackermann
Captain:Warren Whiteley
2012 position:15th (overall), 5th (SA conference)
Predicted finish:13th (overall), 5th (SAconference)
Weakness from 2012: Tactical naivety, lack ofquality players and bad coaching
Plus point:No promotion/relegation play-off todeal with
Gamebreaker: Derick Minnie. He is a nuisance atthe breakdown
New acquisitions:Stokkies Hanekom impressedduring last years Super Rugby hiatus and it will beseen if he can take his form to a higher level
The New Zealand contingent
Meanwhile, down under
ES
h:Sir John Kirwan
in:Luke Braid
to expect:eason was a salvage mission after their trials
bulations of 2012. With a bolstered squad,hould be battling for a play-off spot. Leaguert Benji Marshall and the returning Maawill be the ones to watch
CHIEFS
Coach:Dave Rennie
Captains:Liam Messam and Aaron Cruden
What to expect:After losing a number of key players, it will be a
question of maintaining the form that has seenthem win back-to-back Super Rugby titles. Theirfeeder provinces did well in the ITM Cup, whichshould stand them in good stead
CRUSADERS
Coach:Todd Blackadder
Captain:Kieran Read
What to expect:They will be without Dan Carter. They will find
form in the middle to latter stages of the competi-tion but Blackadder will be under pressure todeliver the trophy. His tenure has seen theCrusaders being a consistent knockout teamwithout being able to bring home the bacon
HIGHLANDERS
Coach:Jamie Joseph
Captains:Ben Smith and Nasi Manu
What to expect:They were the worst-performing Super Rugby
team from New Zealand and they will be hard-pressed to improve. If they can be disciplined andtighten up their defence, they could create a fewsurprises
HURRICANES
Coach:Mark Hammett
Captain:Victor Vito
What to expect:They have a whole host of new faces but one
hopes that they have stocked sufficiently in frontrow replacements as they struggled at scrumtime. Defensive discipline lacked, but their attackmore than made up for that. They remain one ofthe most dangerous teams in the tournament
MBIES
h:Stephen Larkham
in:Ben Mowen
to expect:ast years Jake White-inspired boys-to-menormation in which the final against the Chiefsd to be a bridge too far, the boys fromrra are cock-a-hoop and looking to again be
alias top side. The return of David Pocock isted to make up for whatever effect theding loss of skipper Ben Mowen might have.
amiliar names will be South Africans Lionele and Conrad Hoffman, not to mention Clydeone
FORCE
Coach:Michael Foley
Captain:Matt Hodgson
What to expect:The Force considered it a big feather in their cap tohave supplied Australias Players Player of theYear in Nick Cummins last year, and in theircontinued efforts to give rugby union a toehold inan Aussie Rules and League, they sent their scoutson safari hence the signing of a raft of talentedyoung South Africans in Marcel Brache and ChrisHeiberg (both from Western Province), as well asBrynard Stander from KwaZulu-Natal to join upwith Sias Ebersohn and Wilhelm Steenkamp
REBELS
Coach:Tony Magahan
Captain:Scott Higginbotham
What to expect:Inspirationally led by Scott Higginbotham, theRebels figuratively came of age last year byfinishing higher than the Force and exceeded thehigh hopes of even the most ambitious of Austral-ian Rugby Union officials with the crowds theydrew to the AAMI Stadium. Having severed tieswith the disruptive duo of Kurtley Beale andJames OConnor, and signing a key forward indouble Super Rugby medallist Toby Smith fromthe Chiefs, the newest Super Rugby franchise isdetermined to entrench rugby union in the stateof V ctor a
REDS
Coach:Richard Graham
Captain:Will Genia
What to expect:With the rebellious but always dangerous QuadeCooper having rediscovered his mojo on theWallabies end-of-year tour to the UK, the Queens-landers have a more settled look going into thisyears competition than they did at the start of lastyear. James Horwill and Will Genia will again holdthe reins; and with depth and talent across thepark, the Reds will fancy their chances to reach theplay-offs and repeat their winning effort of 2011
WARATAHS
Coach:Michael Cheika
Captain:Dave Dennis
What to expect:New South Wales coach Michael Cheika hasdecided to throw the enfant terrible of Australianrugby, Kurtley Beale, a lifeline; and with theincomparable Israel Folau now settled at fullback,it seems Beale will have to battle it out for theTahs number 10 jersey with Bernard Foley, one oflast seasons success stories. Former All Blacklegend Andrew Mehrtens has joined the Waratahscoaching staff as a kicking coach
anyiso Tshwaku and Dan Retief run the rule over the 2014 Super Rugby combatants
UPER RU BY 14
RUDI LOUW, Graphics24
Pierre Spies AdriaanStrauss
Jean deVilliers
Bismarckdu Plessis
WarrenWhiteley
ke Braidke Braid
BenMowenBenMowen
MattHodgsonMattHodgson
ScottHigginbothamScottHigginbotham
Will GeniaWill Genia Dave DennisDave Dennis
LiamMessamLiamMessam
KieranReadKieranRead
BenSmithBenSmith
VictorVitoVictorVito