All to play for as June break looms – Vodacom Super Rugby Round 12 Preview
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Loading...All five South African franchises will want to ensure they are in a good position with the June break in Vodacom Super Rugby now less than a month away.
The Cell C Sharks kick off proceedings from a local point of view when they take on the Rebels in Melbourne in the first match of their Australasian tour.
Last year, the franchise from Durban recorded their biggest win in the history of Vodacom Super Rugby against the Rebels and they will be looking for more of the same, although the side from Melbourne has improved markedly this year.
The Lions also kick of their tour Down Under, against the defending champion Chiefs in Hamilton. Both these teams have been struggling recently and last won a match on 22 March.
Two matches are scheduled in South Africa on Saturday afternoon. First up, the DHL Stormers take on the high-flying Highlanders at DHL Newlands in Cape Town.
The team from Otago have not beaten the Capetonians in more than seven years and last breached their defence in 2009 – a record the DHL Stormers would definitely want to keep intact.
And in the last match of the weekend, Toyota Cheetahs captain and Springbok hooker Adriaan Strauss will join “Club 100” when he leads out the team from central South Africa against the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld. He was South Africa’s Vodacom Super Rugby Player of the Year in 2013.
Strauss, who is also one of the vice-captains used by the Springboks in the last two seasons, made his Vodacom Super Rugby debut for the Vodacom Bulls way back on 17 March 2006 against the Hurricanes at Loftus Versfeld. He played eight games for the team from Pretoria before moving to the Toyota Cheetahs at the start of the 2007 season.
The 91 times he’s played for and 54 appearances he has made as captain are both Toyota Cheetahs records held by “Atter”, as he is known amongst his team-mates. The previous captaincy record was held by Juan Smith, who led them 43 times, while Hennie Daniller (84 matches) is next best for the Bloemfontein-based franchise.
Furthermore, Victor Matfield will this weekend set a new South African record for appearances for one franchise when he runs out for the 126th for the Vodacom Bulls. It will be his 78th match as captain for the Pretorians, which is three shy of the all-time Vodacom Super Rugby record held by Nathan Sharpe’s 81 (79 for the Force and 2 for the Reds).
The full list of South African Vodacom Super Rugby centurions (players still in action in bold):
133: Victor Matfield (Cats 8, Bulls 125)
125: AJ Venter (Cats 19, Sharks 96, Stormers 10) and John Smit (Sharks)
123: Morné Steyn (Bulls), Jannie du Plessis (Cheetahs 26, Sharks 97)
122: Stefan Terblanche (Sharks)
118: Bryan Habana (Bulls 61, Stormers 57)
116: Danie Rossouw (Bulls)
114: Jacques Botes (Sharks)
113: Pedrie Wannenburg (Bulls), Adi Jacobs (Bulls 21, Cats 4, Sharks 88)
112: Fourie du Preez (Bulls)
111: Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks)
110: Wynand Olivier (Bulls), Odwa Ndungane (Bulls 10, Sharks 100)
108: Ollie le Roux (Natal 24, Sharks 60, Cats 3, Cheetahs 21), Meyer Bosman (Cheetahs 61, Sharks 47)
104: Andries Bekker (Stormers), Jano Vermaak (Cats 11, Lions 62, Bulls 31), Jean de Villiers (Stormers)
103: Pierre Spies (Bulls), Akona Ndungane (Bulls), JP Pietersen (Sharks)
102: Albert van den Berg (Cats 7, Sharks 95), Werner Kruger (Bulls)
100: Bakkies Botha (Bulls), Keegan Daniel (Sharks)
Rebels v Cell C Sharks
The table-topping Cell C Sharks will pay only their second ever visit to Melbourne on Friday morning when they take on the Rebels in their first Vodacom Super Rugby tour match of the season.
The men from Durban were on the winning side in both their previous encounters against the Rebels and will be looking to make that three from three this weekend. In fact, their 64-7 victory over the team from Melbourne last year at Growthpoint Kings Park, was the Cell C Sharks’ biggest victory in this competition yet.
But they are facing a different Rebels side this time – with a tackling success rate of 89%, the men from Melbourne top the charts in this area of play. The Cell C Sharks have been less successful in that regard (85%), but their general defence is still the best in the competition, despite leaking four tries against the Highlanders last week.
“We want to bounce back,” said Jake White, the Cell C Sharks’ Director of Rugby, earlier this week.
“When we lost to the Bulls, we won the next game against the Waratahs. This week we need to make sure that, regardless of who we’re playing, we need to be better than we were last week to get a result.
“We must remember that although we beat them comfortably last year in Durban, we’re playing them in Melbourne, they are a good team playing at home They’ve picked up some good wins this year, they beat the Brumbies in Melbourne.
“We want to get our tour off to a good start and take momentum through the tour and in order to do that we need to get a win in the first game.”
The teams are:
Rebels: Jason Woodward, Male Sa’u, Tamati Ellison, Mitch Inman, Tom English, Bryce Hegarty, Luke Burgess, Scott Higginbotham (captain), Scott Fuglistaller, Colby Faingaa, Luke Jones, Cadeyrn Neville, Laurie Weeks, Shota Horie, Cruze Ah-Nau. Replacements: Pat Leafa, Max Lahiff, Paul Alo-Emile, Hugh Pyle, Sean McMahon, Nick Stirzaker, Tom Kingston, Angus Roberts.
Cell C Sharks: Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, Paul Jordaan, Heimar Williams, JP Pietersen, Frans Steyn, Charl McLeod, Ryan Kankowski, Jean Deysel, Marcell Coetzee, Stephan Lewies, Willem Alberts, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis (captain), Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Kyle Cooper, Dale Chadwick, Lourens Adriaanse, Etienne Oosthuizen, Keegan Daniel, Cobus Reinach, Fred Zeilinga, SP Marais.
Rebels v Cell C Sharks
Date: Friday, 2 May
SA Time: 11h40
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Referee: Andrew Lees (Australia)
Assistant referees: Rohan Hoffmann (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
Television match official: Peter Marshall (Australia)
Chiefs v Lions
The Lions kick off their Vodacom Super Rugby tour with a very difficult assignment – against the defending champion Chiefs, in Hamilton, reeling after two consecutive defeats.
In fact, the Chiefs have won only one match in the last six weeks – at home against the Rebels in round nine. They lost their last two, against the Crusaders and Brumbies, drew in South Africa with the Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs, and lost to the Force before that.
The Lions are on a similar performance streak though. After winning four of their first six matches, they have lost their last three. Their last victory, on 22 March against the Reds in Johannesburg, was on the same day the Chiefs beat the Rebels.
But the Chiefs have won their last four matches against the Lions and done so comfortably, averaging 44 points per game during this time. That includes the highest scoring game in Vodacom Super Rugby history – when the team from Waikato won an 18-try thriller by 72-65 at Ellis Park in 2010.
According to Lions coach Johan Ackermann, his team’s bye last weekend has freshened up his players for this tough tour clash. They spent the week in Auckland and travelled to Hamilton on Thursday.
“We’ve all had some time to spend with our families and the bye also gave us an extra day to get over the jetlag,” said Ackermann.
“I’ve seen rain predicted for Hamilton on Saturday and we’ll have to adapt to that.”
The teams are:
Chiefs: Nanai-Williams, Dwayne Sweeney, Charlie Ngatai, Tom Marshall, James Lowe, Gareth Anscombe, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Liam Messam (captain), Sam Cane, Tanerau Latimer, Brodie Retallick, Ross Filipo, Josh Hohneck, Nathan Harris, Pauliasi Manu. Replacements: Mahonri Schwalger, Jamie MacKintosh, Ben Tameifuna, Matt Symons, Michael Fitzgerald, Brad Weber, Bundee Aki, Andrew Horrell.
Lions: Chrysander Botha, Deon van Rensburg, Lionel Mapoe, Stefan Watermeyer, Courtnall Skosan, Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Warren Whiteley (captain), Derick Minnie, Jaco Kriel, Franco Mostert, Martin Muller, Julian Redelinghuys, Robbie Coetzee, Schalk van der Merwe. Replacements: Armand van der Merwe, Jacques van Rooyen, Ruan Dreyer, MB Lusaseni, Willie Britz, Ross Cronje, Marnitz Boshoff, JW Jonker.
Chiefs v Lions
Date: Saturday, 3 May
SA Time: 09h35
Venue: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Mike Lash (New Zealand)
Television match official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
DHL Stormers v Highlanders
It’s been more than seven long years since the DHL Stormers last lost against the Highlanders, their opponents on Saturday afternoon at DHL Newlands in Cape Town.
The Highlanders’ last win over the Capetonians was on 24 February 2007 in Dunedin. Since then, the DHL Stormers have won five on the trot, the latest being a 21-6 victory at Forsyth Barr Stadium in April 2012.
During this time, the Highlanders have scored only two tries against the DHL Stormers – one each in 2008 and 2009. In their last three encounters, the team based at DHL Newlands have kept the men from Otago try-less.
But this time, the Highlanders have arrived in Cape Town fresh from a comprehensive win over the Cell C Sharks last weekend and they will be confident on Saturday.
“The Highlanders have a lot of confidence and they’re playing very well,” said DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee.
“Their key men, such as Ben and Aaron Smith, who are top All Blacks, are really on top of their game and it will be a tough game for us against a tactically sound team.
“They attack well and they’ve got two centres who are good runners with ball in hand. Their No.10 has settled nicely and is making good decisions. We will have to be at our best against a side like this.”
The teams are:
DHL Stormers: Jaco Taute, Damian de Allende, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers (captain), Devon Williams, Peter Grant, Nic Groom, Duane Vermeulen (vice-captain), Siya Kolisi, Nizaam Carr, Michael Rhodes, Ruan Botha, Frans Malherbe, Deon Fourie, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Stephan Coetzee, Oliver Kebble, Brok Harris, Jurie van Vuuren, Schalk Burger, Louis Schreuder, Kurt Coleman, Kobus van Wyk.
Highlanders: Ben Smith (captain), Richard Buckman, Malakai Fekitoa, Shaun Treeby, Trent Renata, Lima Sopoaga, Aaron Smith, Nasi Manu (co-captain), John Hardie, Elliot Dixon, Joe Wheeler, Josh Bekhuis, Chris King, Liam Coltman, Kane Hames. Replacements: Brayden Mitchell, Matias Diaz, Ma’afu Fia, Jarrad Hoeata, Shane Christie, Fumiaki Tanaka, Jason Emery, Phil Burleigh.
DHL Stormers v Highlanders
Date: Saturday, 3 May
SA Time: 15h00
Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: tba (South Africa), Quinton Immelman (South Africa)
Television match official: Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)
Vodacom Bulls v Toyota Cheetahs
The Vodacom Bulls host the Toyota Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon in the only South African Vodacom Super Rugby derby of the weekend.
The home side will go into this match with revenge in mind after they lost their last encounter against the Toyota Cheetahs, by 15-9 earlier this season in Bloemfontein. It was the Central South Africans’ first win over the Vodacom Bulls in 12 attempts.
Despite not enjoying the success of last season, the Toyota Cheetahs will be confident at Loftus Versfeld after last weekend’s comprehensive victory over the DHL Stormers at the Free State Stadium. They’ve shown they can score tries – their 27 tries in 2014 is the most by any South African franchise (the Vodacom Bulls have 15).
But the Toyota Cheetahs’ defence has also been pretty leaky and it’s something they will want to sort out at Loftus Versfeld. They have conceded 39 tries, which is more than double the 18 the Vodacom Bulls have conceded.
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, whose team had just returned from a winless tour Down Under, admitted that his team is under pressure to get back on track against the Toyota Cheetahs.
“We are back at Loftus Versfeld where expectations are even higher and to be honest, not in a situation we wanted to be at this stage of the tournament,” said Ludeke.
“We need to get out of our losing streak and back to winning ways, not only to stay in the competition but to justify the hard work we have put in. I am confident that we can turn things around, as it is small things that are costing us at the moment.”
The teams are:
Vodacom Bulls: Jurgen Visser, Akona Ndungane, William Small-Smith, Jan Serfontein, Bjorn Basson, Handré Pollard, Francois Hougaard, Grant Hattingh, Jacques du Plessis, Jono Ross, Victor Matfield, Paul Willemse, Marcel van der Merwe, Callie Visagie, Dean Greyling, Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Morné Mellett, Werner Kruger, Jacques Engelbrecht, Wimpie van der Walt, Rudy Paige, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, JJ Engelbrecht.
Toyota Cheetahs: Hennie Daniller, Raymond Rhule, Johann Sadie, Ryno Benjamin, Willie le Roux, Elgar Watts, Sarel Pretorius, Boom Prinsloo, Jean Cook, Heinrich Brussow, Francois Uys, Andries Ferreira, Maks van Dyk, Adriaan Strauss, Caylib Oosthuizen. Replacements: Torsten van Jaarsveld, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Ligtoring Landman, Teboho Mohoje, Shaun Venter, Johan Goosen, Cornal Hendricks.
Vodacom Bulls v Toyota Cheetahs
Date: Saturday, 3 May
SA Time: 17h05
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
Television match official: Johan Greeff (South Africa)
Other fixtures (South African kick-off times):
Friday, 2 May:
09h35: Blues v Reds – Auckland
Saturday, 3 May:
06h35: Crusaders v Brumbies – Christchurch
11h40: Waratahs v Hurricanes – Sydney
Bye: Force
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