A change in brand can change the whole psyche of the team, its supporters etc.

cummon, get rid of the old tranvaal colours…lion kuk…

UP YOURS!!!

And how can we forget that stellar performance against the awesome reds!?!

I hope the Lions thrash you tomorrow!!!!!!!!!

don’t think mavericks will be happy either…

“[The Reds] are the Tom Cruise of the Super 14 – mavericks…”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Don’t think I’d ever want to be compared to Tom Cruise…

Super 14 power rankings
Stephen Samuelson | March 11, 2009

And then there were six. RugbyHeaven believes that only the top six teams in this week’s rankings can make the four – and that rules out the Crusaders. Last week’s positions in brackets.

1. (1) Sharks – Ladder position: 3 (Last week: 3 – 4 wins, 0 losses)
The men from Durban have just two more matches on the road and then are back in fortress South Africa. Anyone want to argue that they are not the team to beat?

2. (2) NSW Waratahs – Ladder position: 2 (Last week: 2 – 4 wins, 0 losses)
The Tah’s round one win in Wellington set them up nicely for a great start to the season. If they can win away this Friday to the Brumbies, then consider them certainties for the finals.

3. (5) Hurricanes – Ladder position: 4 (Last week: 6 – 3 wins, 1 loss)
Yet to hit their straps but are already in the four. They have the bye in round five and their next three games – all against South African sides – will determine their season.

4. (4) Blues – Ladder position: 5 (Last week: 5 – 2 wins, 2 losses)
Have had one of the tougher draws so far this season but should be in the mix at the pointy end of the season.

5. (9) Chiefs – Ladder position: 8 (Last week: 12 – 1 win, 3 losses)
Scored their first win of the tournament in round four but expect them to continue their rise as they have by far the easiest run into the finals of any team.

6. (7) ACT Brumbies – Ladder position: 7 (Last week: 7 – 2 wins, 1 loss)
Had the bye last week so have risen because other teams have stumbled – or in the case of the Bulls, beaten no team of note. A loss to the Waratahs could prove disastrous.

7. (3) Bulls – Ladder position: 1 (Last week: 1 – 4 wins, 0 losses)
There’s no point continuing this charade. The Bulls will not make the finals so what’s the point ranking them so highly? Will be lucky to win two games in the next six weeks.

8. (11) Highlanders – Ladder position: 12 (Last week: 13 – 1 win, 3 losses)
Bayern Munich in the Champions League kicked five more goals than the Highlander did against the Crusaders. But the men from New Zealand’s far south still won and are positioning themselves as the best of the also-rans.

9. (6) Force – Ladder position: 6 (Last week: 4 – 2 wins, 2 losses)
What the Force giveth, the Force taketh away. After a stellar win against the Brumbies, the Western Force imploded upon John Mitchell’s return home against the Chiefs. Too inconsistent to threaten this season.

10. (8) Crusaders – Ladder position: 9 (Last week: 8 – 1 win, 3 losses)
Please, stop all this talk about 2001. The Crusaders season is all over – no McCaw, no Carter, no Deans, no hope.

11. (10) Reds – Ladder position: 10 (Last week: 9 – 1 win, 3 losses)
They were not unlucky against the Waratahs because their set pieces were absolutely horrible. They are the Tom Cruise of the Super 14 – mavericks – so perhaps the Sharks should look out this weekend.

12. (12) Stormers – Ladder position: 11 (Last week: 10 – 1 win, 3 losses)
Forgettable season from a forgettable team. Next!

13. (13) Lions – Ladder position: 13 (Last week: 11 – 1 win, 2 losses)
The Lions are the poor man’s Waratahs. Rugged, good defence and steady set pieces but without the results. They are coming off the bye last weekend.

14. (14) Cheetahs – Ladder position: 14 (Last week: 14 – 0 wins, 4 losses)
If the Reds are Tom Cruise from Top Gun than the Cheetahs are Anthony Edwards (Goose). They have not won a game outside South Africa in their Super 14 history.

Stormers face tighthead crisis
2009-03-12 22:10Email | Print

Stormers prop Brian Mujati (Gallo Images)

Stephen Nell – Die Burger

Cape Town – The Stormers are not just pinning their hopes on Brian Mujati standing his ground against Lions strongman Heinke van der Merwe this weekend, but also on him staying fit for the entire Super14 campaign.

It emerged on Thursday that JC Kritzinger recently tore a knee ligament, leaving the Stormers seriously short of tighthead props.

It was initially said that Kritzinger’s injury was not serious, but the scale of the potential crisis facing the Cape side came to light on Thursday.

“I will be out of action for another five-and-a-half months,” said Kritzinger.

“I injured the knee during a lineout session. We were practising lineout drives and then I fell badly. I tried to continue, but the ligament tore off completely in the build-up to the game against the Sharks.”

The 21-year-old Kritzinger enjoyed a dramatic rise in last year’s Currie Cup campaign and was voted Western Province’s most promising junior player ahead of another rising star such as Nick Koster.

It had been hoped that Kritzinger would already feature in this year’s Super14.

The Stormers have further problems at tighthead prop because it is believed that Brock Harris will only recover from his ankle injury by the time they reach the midway stage of their tour of Australia and New Zealand.

That could mean Mujati tours as the only fit tighthead prop.

However, before then Mujati has to come through unscathed against the Lions.

Former Lions player Bertus Smit has been training with the Stormers for a while.

Should Mujati be injured, the most logical step would be to shift Wicus Blaauw to the tighthead side. The Stormers did this when Mujati had to withdraw from their pre-season friendly against English club Saracens.

JD Moller and Schalk Ferreira are other loosehead prop options, with the latter set to be converted into a hooker.

While the Stormers scrum stood firm in last week’s 10-14 defeat to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, there may be major problems with depth at tighthead.

The Stormers scrum will be thoroughly tested against the Lions.

Van der Merwe and hooker Willie Wepener enjoy good reputations as scrummagers.

“The Lions have a very strong scrum and a big tight five. They also have Baywatch (Cobus Grobbelaar) who competes well at the breakdowns,” said Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus.

“That is why they reached the semifinal of the Currie Cup.”