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