Super Rugby 2018

[Agent_Smith]

Waratahs all over the Rebels. 28 unanswered points in the space of about 18 minutes.

 

[OzzieCapie]

Water break at 60min

37 deg in Sydney right now, 5:30pm....39 deg in western suburbs...its too hot to even get in the pool

 

[Creag]

OMG the Lions were terrible :wtf:

Had feel a little disappointed for the Wolves. Such a spirited performance deserved some reward.

 

[Kosmik]

Hehe, yellow cap four pools Inc mybb, nice

 

[Solitude]

Hehe, yellow cap four pools Inc mybb, nice

Wow well done. I dropped down so many places.

 

[Kr1mZoN]

I also had another shocker. The only consistency is the inconsistency of most of the teams.

 

[faniebraai]

my superbru is doing as well as the lions against the sunwolves

And I'm so glad I couldn't watch the game properly... the braai i went to, they only had a walka

 

[SlowInternet]

Hehe, yellow cap four pools Inc mybb, nice

Well done. I got the wooden spoon

 

[DanDango]

my superbru is doing as well as the lions against the sunwolves

And I'm so glad I couldn't watch the game properly... the braai i went to, they only had a walka

Lions was poor. Kwagga Smith and Len Massyn played terrible. It looked like the only forwards playing was Mostert and Marx. The bench forwards Schoeman and Kruger played well. The backline was a joke. Brink, Ferreira and van Rooyen must play against the Jaguares. If Ferreira is out, I'll pick Kruger to start. Mahuza must start at 14.

 

[bokka1]

I was very impressed by the Stormers, they played with a lot of commitment.

Why does JJ Engelbrecht have that stupid ponytail on top of his head? It looks ridiculous, if I was the coach I would have told him to make himself look respectable.

 

[KOPITE]

I was very impressed by the Stormers, they played with a lot of commitment.

Why does JJ Engelbrecht have that stupid ponytail on top of his head? It looks ridiculous, if I was the coach I would have told him to make himself look respectable.

Yeah, Stormers surprised me actually against the Blues. thought the Blues would run all over them, but actually the opposite happened. They do look formidable at home though and have a long list of senoir players out. Hopefully that game will turn their season with that kinda performances. Momentum can start building now.

 

[Agent_Smith]

Lions are in for a tough time against The Jaguares. For the third year in a row, they are sending a far from full strength squad over to Argentina. This time it's apparently injury enforced and not just rotational.

 

[qscwbt]

Well done. I got the wooden spoon

I am just trying to get into the top 10 on my bb

 

[mbayshark]

The Sharks team to face the Rebels on Friday has been named and features 6 changes to the starting XV after last week’s loss in Canberra.

Beast Mtawarira has recovered from his hamstring issue and replaces Juan Schoeman in the only change to the tight five. In the back row, Wian Vosloo loses out, with Jacques Vermeulen moving to 6 and Jea-Luc du Preez starting at blind side.

It seems that when the forwards shirk, the wings pay the price and both Kobus van Wyk and Makezole Mapimpi drop out this week, replaced by Sbu Nkosi and Lwazi Mvovo.

The final change sees Marius Louw start for André Esterhuizen, who sits out this week due to an ankle injury.

On the bench, Franco Marais, Hyron Andrews and Garth April come into the picture this week.

Sharks: 15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Sbu Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Tera Mtembu, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Ruan Botha (captain), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Beast Mtawarira
Subs: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Kobus van Wyk, 23 Garth April.

Source: Sharksworld

 

[Pegasus]

I was very impressed by the Stormers, they played with a lot of commitment.

Why does JJ Engelbrecht have that stupid ponytail on top of his head? It looks ridiculous, if I was the coach I would have told him to make himself look respectable.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Source: Sharksworld

Idiots will keep sticking to the out of form passenger that is Mtembu. Watch him be the main lineout option all over again

 

[Fulcrum29]

The Sunwolves will be replacing Ruan Smith with a Georgian, Nikoloz Khatiashvili. This is another case where they could have looked into the Top League stable… I believe this is simply a case to promote the brand abroad and that the Top League ‘shareholders’ are unwilling to release an employee.

Nikoloz “Nika” Khatiashvili has been capped by Georgia in 2016 and has played his 2016-17 rugby at Aurillac in the French Rugby Pro D2. Though they have negotiated with Nika, he is still waiting on securing an visa. Nothing is signed to date.

 

[Fulcrum29]

Jamie Joseph has again made wholesale changes…

01. Keita Inagaki
02. Shota Horie
03. Hencus van Wyk
04. Kazuki Himeno
05. Uwe Helu
06. Michael Leitch
07. Willie Britz
08. Ed Quirk
09. Fumiaki Tanaka
10. Yu Tamura
11. Hosea Saumaki
12. Michael Little
13. Timothy Lafaele
14. Kotaro Matsushima
15. Ryuji Noguchi

16. Yusuke Niwai
17. Craig Millar
18. Koo Ji-won
19. Wimpie van der Walt
20. Yo****aka Tokunaga
21. Yutaka Nagare
22. Robbie Robinson
23. Will Tupou

New locks, Lappies and Hattingh are absent. Matsushima moved to the wing when he is best at the back… Noguchi is still vastly inexperienced on this level. Tamaru is back (1st game this season), at least they have a no. 10. The captain is on the bench, so I guess Britz will lead as co-captain. There is no article on why these changes has been made.

This team has 3 no. 15s, Matsushima, Noguchi and Robinson and only a centre in reserve. I don't know what they are planning come substitution time at the backline. Robinson is really poor at no. 10, every time they placed him in that hotspot, he even admitted in some way,

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...r-robbie-robinson-readying-for-familiar-faces

Kiwi Sunwolves player Robbie Robinson readying for familiar faces

He was part of the brightest moments in Chiefs history, now Robbie Robinson is readying to face off against his former side for the first time.

Part of the Sunwolves team on his return to Super Rugby this year, the 28-year-old first five-eighth/fullback will this Saturday be greeted by some fairly familiar faces when the sides do battle in Tokyo.

Robinson's cousins – Damian and Marty McKenzie – are in the visitors' ranks, while Liam Messam, Sam Cane and Brodie Retallick are survivors from those two finals in Hamilton which he was part of. Robinson started at fullback in the 2012 decider against the Sharks as the Chiefs won their maiden title, then the following year he then came off the bench against the Brumbies and scored what was essentially the winning try, as the team made it back-to-back crowns.

...

The start of the campaign has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for the playmaker, though. He started at first-five against the Brumbies, was at fullback against the Rebels, came off the bench against the Sharks, then was left right out against the Lions last weekend.

"I'm probably just as confused as you, to be honest, at the moment," he said about his role. "But I've sat down and had a chat with the coaches.

"It's been a bit frustrating, but if I get a chance this week I'll just try and make the most of it so that they can't keep me out."

 

[Fulcrum29]

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/...es-will-provide-intensity-to-beat-chiefs.html

Rugby: Joseph hoping multiple changes will provide intensity to beat Chiefs

Sunwolves coach Jamie Joseph once again wielded the axe Thursday despite his team putting in one of their best ever performances last week in Johannesburg.

Joseph's team to take on New Zealand's Chiefs on Saturday in Tokyo shows 10 changes and two positional switches from the side that lost 40-38 to the Lions, Super Rugby finalists the last two years.

Willie Britz is promoted from the bench and will lead the side from No. 8 with Michael Leitch moving to blindside flanker and Ed Quirk coming in at openside.

Kazuki Himeno retains his spot at lock, where he is joined by Uwe Helu -- who returns to action following a broken arm suffered playing for Japan against Australia on Nov. 4, 2017 -- and there is an all new front row in Keita Inagaki, Shota Horie and Hencus van Wyk.

"This team has to play at an intensity that is equal to the opposition," Joseph said. "So as coaches we have used new players coming in to provide that intensity."

"Inagaki and Shota have had two weeks of hard training and they will provide us with some needed experience and energy."

"Uwe is a big physical man and we are playing a physical team and Ed Quirk has freshened up and had minimal game time and is hungry."

In the backs, Fumiaki Tanaka and Yu Tamura return at halfback with Michael Little keeping his spot at inside center where he is partnered by the returning Timothy Lafaele.

"It's nice to have Tamura back as we haven't had a specialist first five-eighth (flyhalf) since Round 2," Joseph commented.

Hosea Saumaki, who had an outstanding game against the Lions, keeps the No. 11 jersey with Kotaro Matsushima moving from fullback to right wing and Ryuji Noguchi starting at 15.

I can't even remember that Himeno started last week, short lock. These changes to 'provide intensity', I don't know, continuity will be an issue. It seems that Hattingh and Lappies is being rested.

 

[Fulcrum29]

http://www.voxy.co.nz/sport/5/306626

Gallagher Chiefs team named to take on the Sunwolves in Japan

The Gallagher Chiefs team to take on the Sunwolves is:

Aidan Ross (9)
Nathan Harris (34)
Angus Ta’avao (3)
Brodie Retallick (86)
Tyler Ardron (1)
Lachlan Boshier (22)
Sam Cane (98)
Taleni Seu (30)
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi (3)
Damian McKenzie (53)
Solomon Alaimalo (12)
Johnny Faauli (9)
Anton Lienert-Brown (43)
Toni Pulu (22)
Marty McKenzie (9)

RESERVES:

Liam Polwart (9)
Karl Tu’inukaufe (2)
Jeff Thwaites (1)
Michael Allardice (24)
Mitchell Karpik (6)
Brad Weber (45)
Sean Wainui (3)
Bailyn Sullivan (0)

Unavailable for selection: Dominic Bird, Tim Nanai-Williams, Charlie Ngatai, Fin Hoeata, Alex Nankivell, Regan Verney, Mitchell Graham, Sosefo Kautai, Sam McNicol, Atu Moli, Kane Hames, Shaun Stevenson, Mitchell Brown.