2007 Super 14 (Rugby)

I'll take that win ta very much. Not pretty but objective achieved.:D :D
:eek: (Steyn needs to find some form)
 
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ooh great win by the Sharks :D
didn't bother coming home early to watch the Stormers game, but from what I've read it was pathetic...
 
Stormers lol. Well done force. Nice to get an away win.
 
Newlands half-empty, sad scoreline, getting booed off the field.

What a disaster for the Stormers (now to be known [in my house, at least] as the wet drizzle).

Kobus vd Merwe obviously either can't coach, or the players can't play. Now we know that there is a huge amount of talent in the team, so why are they failing so miserably?
 
I blame the coaching, the Stormers don't appear to be as organised or motivated as the other sides. Maybe its the distractions of the cape.. Marius Joubert seems to be playing better at the Cheetahs, he say's there aren't as many beautiful women in Bloemfontein lol..
 
Week 2

Loftus battle showcased SA's strength
There was a lot of criticism of the rugby played by the Bulls and the Cheetahs in their big Vodacom Super 14 derby at Loftus at the weekend -- but it may have been misguided.

Far from being a poor advertisement for South African rugby, the Pretoria battle was an excellent showcase for the strengths that could just make this country one of the favourites to go all the way by the time the World Cup kicks off in France in September.

For while line-breaks were a rare occurrence until much later in the match, this was by no means a freakish game in comparison to the others that we have seen in the Super 14 so far this season.

Indeed, both the Super 14 and some of the Six Nations matches have shown a change in the trend of previous seasons, with less counter-attacking and fewer scores off turn-overs, and high scoring try feasts may be a thing of the past in big matches between well matched opponents. Defences have become stronger and better organised (as France were against Ireland in the Six Nations), and the Super 14 games have become a war of attrition in which bulk, strength and playing structure have become crucial.

And given this shift in the way the game is being approached and played, what we saw at Loftus should have sent shivers of apprehension through South Africa’s opponents ahead of the World Cup -- provided of course that the current trend continues through until then.

We will probably know more once the matches against the overseas teams have arrived, and the real crunch may come later in the competition when the All Blacks have brought the New Zealand teams back to full strength, but Loftus provided evidence that South African forward play remains as physical and as intense as ever.

DEFENSIVE EFFORTS

And while some may criticise both teams for lacking adventure, the truth is that the defensive efforts were pretty awesome as well, none more so than the Bulls in the first half, when they absorbed a prolonged assault from a Cheetahs team that, until they lost their way in the lineouts, were extremely impressive with the way they carried out the technical basics of most aspects of their play.

Ollie le Roux said a couple of weeks ago that the Cheetahs are ready to take the game to a new level, and although they did not beat their big rivals, they did show in their periods of ascendancy glimpses of what the prop was talking about. The Cheetahs may at times overdo the structure, but then it is their structure that makes them the team they are.

Neither may it be coincidence that the Sharks, who lost their way in the Currie Cup last year playing an off-the-cuff style of rugby, have rediscovered their winning touch with a much tighter game which emphasises forward dominance and grinding down the opposition.

Don’t for a moment think that it will always be thus for the Sharks this season, for right now they do appear to be playing to the oppressive humid conditions which tend to envelope Durban during February. Once they are overseas or the conditions have cooled, the backs may come more into play.

But the John Plumtree influence on the Sharks team has become immediately apparent, although the point here is that their more conservative approach does not make the Durban team stand out. Most of the teams are playing that way, with a strong emphasis across the board on imposing physical presence, technical efficiency, playing structure and defence.

There are exceptions of course, and it is not surprising that the Stormers, who seem to think they can continue with the scatter-gun rugby that brought Western Province some success in the initial stages of the Currie Cup, foot the log at the moment with no points after two matches.

The Cape team have lagged in picking up the changes that have taken place, and lack the structure, the bulk and the physical strength required if they are to break down opposing defences in a war of attrition in which the opposition is worn down and pressured into making mistakes.

Where the Stormers have fallen down is in their failure to heed Springbok coach Jake White’s warning last year that the Currie Cup was not the real thing in that defences weren’t good enough. Faced with the top defensive efforts they have encountered so far, the Stormers have been found wanting, and as they cannot feed off turn-over ball, their inability to create opportunities for their runners has become problematic and has left them well short.

They have played 160 minutes of rugby so far this season, and have yet to score a try; a return which is just not good enough for a team with so much obvious talent.

Of course, as White likes to say, rugby is a fluid game, which means it all could change, and in a few months everyone could be running from all over the place again and defences will be a lot less frugal. But then when the game changes, who says the Cheetahs, Bulls and Sharks won’t change with it?

Weekend Super 14 results:

Chiefs 22 Hurricanes 29
Sharks 22 Waratahs 9
Crusaders 33 Reds 22
Brumbies 15 Blues 17
Stormers 3 Western Force 22
Bulls 24 Cheetahs 20
Lions 11 Highlanders 6
Click to expand...

http://www.superrugby.co.za/default.asp?id=204629&des=article&scat=superrugby/super14
 
So the Stormers won their 1st game of the season - think it's that new rugby jersey

The Bulls lost to the Force, haha. Force has won more games in this years Super 14 (only 3 games played) than the whole of last year.

Good luck to the 3 remaining SA teams playing later today!
 
And so the Bulls become the second SA team to lose to the Western Force.

a Team that couldn't win a match last year .... LMAO...

I can see all the bulls supporters now shouting... "Eina My Sny !"
hehehehe :D
 
Never really liked them alot, no matter if they win or lose they make a huge seen! Bring them back to reality after winning the co-currie cup winners last week. :D
 
Forces' 2nd year in the comp. well done to them for the 2 away wins so far.
 
On another note I think it's a little silly for supporters of SA teams to be bashing other SA teams in the Super 14, we should be getting behind all our teams unless off course they play each other. This isn't the Curry Cup ;)

I like the Lions, but the Sharks aren't looking too bad so far either. I'll be rooting for them against the Highlanders. 10-0 after 20 minutes.
 
Highflyer_GP said:
Lions 9 - 3 Crusaders. 8 minutes to go, holding thumbs!
Click to expand...

The Young Lions Tight 5 Broke the Crusaders into pieces in the Scrums !!!!
Go Lions Go Lions GO !!!!!!!!

These young guys remind me of the time the lions won the super 10. Very young but comitted to the cause.

Brilliant Job Boys !!!!!
 
Highflyer_GP said:
On another note I think it's a little silly for supporters of SA teams to be bashing other SA teams in the Super 14, we should be getting behind all our teams unless off course they play each other. This isn't the Curry Cup ;)
Click to expand...

Yup!

It's important to remember that each time a South African side beats overseas opposition in this comp, they help the other SA teams in their attempts to get to the semis.

4 out of 5 for the weekend is not bad. Pity about the Bulls.

Sharks on top 3 out of 3. I don't think we've ever had such a good start, results wise that is.
 
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Ah, CONGRATS to the SHARKS! :D The first 20 min looked like they going to win with 4 tries or more. They only need to finish off the brilliant line breaks they have.

This year is a really CLOSE competition!

In the last 10 games the losing team lost with 7 or less points. :eek:
And in the last 10 games only one team to manage to score 4 tries or more. :eek:

The SA teams are looking good. :D
 
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