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Stormers, Sharks packed to go

2008-05-15 11:31
line

Gavin Rich

Cape Town - The Stormers and the Sharks are both packed and ready to fly - but only on Saturday night will they know if they are flying anywhere, and where to.

Stormers captain Jean de Villiers summed it up as he left a press conference in Durbanville on Wednesday: "This time next week I could be just about anywhere, it could be Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney, even Auckland, or maybe I will be here in Cape Town. The only thing that is not debatable is that I will be somewhere in the southern hemisphere."

He could also be preparing to fly from Cape Town to Durban for a semi-final, which is another intriguing possibility going into this final deciding weekend of the league stage of the Super 14.

For the Stormers, the need to pack this week was more pressing than it was for the Sharks. They were due to leave for Johannesburg and their clash with the Lions on Friday, and if they book themselves an overseas semi-final, they will fly straight out from Johannesburg International Airport on Sunday.

For the Sharks, at least they can absorb where they are at after their game against the Chiefs and have a small celebration on the outerfields of the Absa Stadium before flying to Johannesburg, where they could well join the Stormers on the same plane as they head towards Australasia for the deciding phase of the competition.

Prediction

Such an eventuality would become quite possible if the Blues beat the Hurricanes in the first game of the final round on Friday morning. With both the Hurricanes and the Blues boasting much better points differentials at this stage than the two South African teams, the local sides will probably still have to face bonus points in their final matches, but both of them can do it if they play well.

My money says that this weekend will see the Blues do what the Stormers and Sharks are hoping, but that the Waratahs will edge home against the Reds. I am not sure I want go as far as make a prediction about whether the Stormers and Sharks will both pick up bonuses, but if they do, the finishing order will be like this: Crusaders, Waratahs, Stormers, Sharks.

That will mean a Sydney rematch of the thrilling Newlands draw last week, while the Sharks will have to travel back to the venue where they were perhaps a bit unlucky to go down 18-10 to the Crusaders a couple of weeks ago.

WEEKEND PREVIEWS AND PREDICTIONS

FRIDAY

Blues v Hurricanes Auckland 09:35

The Blues have looked a different team since Isa Nacewa moved back to flyhalf and Nick Evans switched to fullback. They have a much more potent look on attack, and their tight five can get the upper-hand against the Hurricanes unit. They will have to, for Jerry Collins has returned to give a formidable look to the Hurricanes' back row. The Blues were good against the Crusaders a couple of weeks ago in Christchurch, so they can certainly win against the Hurricanes, and have the motivation to do so as they have put themselves in with just a sniff of a chance of a semi-final place. Prediction: Blues by 7.

Force v Brumbies Perth 13:05

A couple of weeks ago neither of these two teams would have been satisfied with the news that their derby match in the final round of the competition wouldn't count towards the battle for semi-final places, but there is a lot of pride in both teams, plus an intense rivalry to spur them on. The Brumbies were poor against the Bulls last week, while the Force never had a price in wet weather against the Hurricanes. The Force were good in beating the Chiefs in their last home match, and that is what we should base our prediction on.

Prediction: Force by less than 10.

SATURDAY

Crusaders v Highlanders Christchurch 09:35

This match has little interest to the neutral apart from being a gauge to the Crusaders' form as they head towards their home semi-final. The Crusaders were poor last week against the rejuvenated Reds in Brisbane, but it was noticeable how they lifted when Dan Carter came onto the field. It is time for the Crusaders to start hitting their straps, and this will be a continuation of the upward graph they hit in the final minutes against the Reds.

Prediction: Crusaders by 15.

Reds v Waratahs Brisbane 11:40

If it were not for the Stormers and the Waratahs, the Reds would be in the running for the award of most improved team in this year's Super 14. Maybe they are, for if you think about it, their recovery from last year's massive defeat in the final game to the Bulls has been nothing short of miraculous. They were good for most of the way against the Crusaders last week, and the impressive thing about them is how much they appear to be enjoying their rugby. They definitely have a chance of beating the Waratahs and, if they do, then we could well see a semi-final on South African soil next week, depending of course on what happens in Auckland at the start of the weekend. The Waratahs though have moulded into a highly effective team, and even in this unpredictable Australian derby against a team that hates them, you would have to say they have too much to play for.

Prediction: Waratahs by 5.

Lions v Stormers 15:00

The Stormers go to Johannesburg for this final league match in a position markedly different to where most of people would have expected them to be at the start of the season, and a far cry from last year, when they hosted the Sharks in the final match in a game which meant nothing to them other than pride. This time it is the Stormers playing for the right to be in a semi-final, and provided they don't get too tense about it and just go out to enjoy the moment, there is every reason to believe they can do it. The Lions were excellent in beating the Chiefs last week, and they are a different team with Jacque Fourie back, but the Stormers should expect to win, with the only negative being the high tackle count of recent matches which could just leave them a bit fatigued for this must-win game.

Prediction: Stormers by 10.

Cheetahs v Bulls Bloemfontein 17:05

There is nothing on this game other than pride, but when it comes to these two teams, pride is a massive factor. If nothing else, the teams will be going out to score psychological points against one another ahead of what promises to be an interesting Absa Currie Cup season. The Bulls are without Wikus van Heerden, who was excellent last week, and his is a big absence, particularly against a Cheetahs team that has a well balanced back row.

Prediction: Another narrow loss for the Cheetahs.

Sharks v Chiefs Durban 19:10

And so we come to the last game of the league stage of the 2008 Super 14 season, and if my predictions for the earlier matches are correct, the Sharks will have it all to play for. In fact, no matter what happens, the Sharks will still have their destiny in their hands, for regardless of what transpires elsewhere, they can pip the fourth-placed Stormers on points difference if they play out of their shoes against the Chiefs. Everyone remembers what the Bulls did to the Reds in the corresponding match of last year, which is why Sharks fans are quite optimistic, but a word of caution: The Chiefs are not the Reds, and if the Stormers win by some distance against the Lions, the Sharks may be left with too much to do (if the Stormers win by ten and pick up a bonus, the Sharks will have to win by 19 - not an easy task). But maybe it won't come to that, which is why the South African focus on the Blues/Hurricanes match will be as intense as if it were a local derby.

Prediction: Sharks to win by 15.

Predicted finishing order: Crusaders, Waratahs, Stormers, Sharks.

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