Super Rugby preview: Round 13
18 May 2012
JON CARDINELLI and RYAN VREDE analyse the key match-ups and pick the winners at the weekend.
Hands up everybody who picked the Rebels last week? At this point one can imagine a sea of virtual hands shooting up, but we know you’re lying. Nobody in their right mind would have picked the Rebels to beat the Crusaders. Nobody. It will go down as one of the biggest upsets in Super Rugby history.
But having said that, and while we’re on the topic of madness, JC has picked the Rebels to…wait for it… win away from home this weekend. Both keo.co.za writers expect the Bulls’ winning run Down Under to continue, while the Sharks and Stormers should also extend their winning streaks.
The Cheetahs will be brought to earth and the Lions should be dealt another harsh lesson in Brisbane.
KEO.CO.ZA SUCCESS RATE
VREDE: 54/79 (68%)
JC: 55/79 (69%)
HURRICANES vs BRUMBIES, WELLINGTON, FRI 09:35
VREDE’S CALL: The Canes are unpredictable, beating the Highlanders last week but having lost games they were expected to win comfortably. Coach Mark Hammett has brought greater structure to their play, while not compromising their natural attacking instincts. Still, they’ve shown vulnerabilities against sides who play directly and pin them in their territory, forcing them to take risks. The Brumbies will certainly have the pack to dominate in general play, but the loss of both their frontline flyhalves will seriously compromise their tactical kicking game. Expect to see the Canes hurt them from broken field situations. With the impressive Michael Hooper patrolling the deck, the hosts must guard against getting too loose in their attacking play. They did this well last week and if they replicate that performance, as well as continue their improvement on defence, they will take another step closer to the play-off spot they covet. Hurricanes by 5
JC’s CALL: Mark Hammett has made an odd decision to bench Beauden Barrett for this clash, as he not only kicks for goal but is the spearhead of that dangerous backline. Tusi Pisi showed some great touches for Samoa at last year’s World Cup, but has not been afforded a great deal of game time for the Canes. However, what will even things out in the halfback stakes is that Jake White has also made an interesting decision to start rookie Zack Holmes alongside Ian Prior. In Nic White, the Brumbies look to have found a player with a kicking game not unlike that of Fourie du Preez. It will be interesting to see if the Brumbies can suffocate the Canes without White’s accurate boot. The visitors have the superior pack, but they will need to translate dominance into points and know that no lead is safe against a Canes side that specialises in end-to-end try-scoring. If the Brumbies were fielding a more settled halfback combination I’d pick them in a heartbeat, but I have a feeling that given the selections and the fact that this match will take place in the Cake Tin, I’m going with the Canes. Hurricanes by 7
Hurricanes – 15 Andre Taylor, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (c), 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Brad Shields, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Ben May, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Reggie Goodes.
Subs: 16 Motu Matu’u, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 James Broadhurst, 19 Jack Lam, 20 Chris Eaton, 21 Beauden Barrett, 22 Jayden Hayward.
Brumbies – 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Andrew Smith, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Zack Holmes, 9 Ian Prior, 8 Fotu Auelua, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Ben Mowen (c), 5 Sam Carter, 4 Scott Fardy, 3 Dan Palmer, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ben Alexander.
Subs: 16 Anthony Hegarty, 17 Ruaidhri Murphy, 18 Peter Kimlin, 19 Ita Vaea, 20 Nic White, 21 Robbie Coleman, 22 Tevita Kuridrani.
HIGHLANDERS vs BULLS, DUNEDIN, SAT 07:30
VREDE’S CALL: In their defeat to the Hurricanes last week, there were undoubtedly signs that the Highlanders’ impressive run was about to come to an abrupt halt. They struggled with the Canes’ physicality at the tackle point in particular, and any Bulls win must be built on dominance in this facet of play, particularly on defence. The Landers seldom kick the ball, with Nasi Manu and Adam Thomson used to generate attacking momentum that their backline thrives on. But robbed of such a platform, they look impotent. I think the Bulls will win this critical battle, while their attacking method will put them into positions to pressure the Landers into errors. They’ll build their lead through Morne Steyn’s boot but are also adept at scoring tries Bulls by 9
JC’S CALL: The Bulls have a fantastic opportunity in the next two weeks, as two more wins will heap the pressure on the Stormers who are chasing that top spot in the South African conference. But in denying their fiercest rivals, the Bulls would do well to replicate the Stormers’ previous performance against the Highlanders. An enclosed stadium may have eliminated the Dunedin weather factor that had become so debilitating, but the Highlanders are still tough to beat at home. The Bulls must overpower the Highlanders at the point of contact, and an improved defensive effort is non-negotiable. As seen in the game against the Cheetahs, a brief lapse and this Highlanders outfit can score three tries in no time at all. They may be on the slide in this competition, but they aren’t a beaten side until the final whistle. It’s going to be tight. Bulls by 3
Highlanders – 15 Ben Smith, 14 Siale Piutau, 13 Tamati Ellison, 12 Phil Burleigh, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Nasi Manu, 7 Tim Boys, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Nick Crosswell, 4 Jarrad Hoeata, 3 Ma’afu Fia, 2 Jason Rutledge, 1 Jamie Mackintosh (c).
Subs: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Hoani MacDonald/Josh Bekhuis, 19 Scott Fuglistaller, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Chris Noakes, 22 Kenny Lynn.
Bulls – Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies (c), 7 CJ Stander, 6 Dewald Potgieter, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Dean Greyling.
Subs: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Rayno Gerber, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Louis Fouché, 22 JJ Engelbrecht.
CRUSADERS vs BLUES, CHRISTCHURCH, SAT 09:35
VREDE’S CALL: The Blues’ joy after a win over the Lions will be short-lived, with the Crusaders set to give them a reality check. The Christchurch franchise played poorly in defeat to the Rebels last week, but they’ll show that to be an aberration with a physically dominant performance from their forwards in general and set play which will set up the back division to rip the Blues to ribbons. Crusaders by 10
JC’S CALL: For once Todd Blackadder has lived up to his name: The Crusaders coach was as mad as a snake following the ‘worst-ever’ performance by a Christchurch side last week. All the stars have since been reinstalled, and Dan Carter resumes his successful halfback partnership with Andy Ellis. The back row includes three players that can play to the ball, suggesting the Crusaders are expecting a big breakdown assault by the Braid brothers. The Blues’ brief reprieve is over, and they’ll do well to avoid a drubbing. Crusaders by 12
Blues – 15 Hadleigh Parkes, 14 David Raikuna, 13 Ma’a Nonu, 12 Michael Hobbs, 11 Benson Stanley, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Luke Braid (c), 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Tevita Mailau, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 James Parsons, 17 Angus Ta’avao, 18 Filo Paulo, 19 Peter Saili, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Lachie Munro, 22 Sherwin Stowers.
Crusaders – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Adam Whitelock, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Richie McCaw (c), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Subs: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Tom Donnelly, 19 Brendon O’Connor, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Tyler Bleyendaal, 22 Tom Marshall.
REDS vs LIONS, BRISBANE, SAT 11:40
VREDE’S CALL: I backed these lame Lions against the tournament’s worst side last week but that mantle has now been passed on to them. They are incompetent in most facets of play and won’t live with a resurgent Reds side, who will be buoyed by the return of Quade Cooper. There is not an area of the game the Lions can match the Reds in, and Mitchell’s Travelling Circus will roll on to Perth next week without having threatened to thrill on tour. Reds by 15
JC’S CALL: This match couldn’t have arrived at a better time for the Reds. They pushed the Crusaders close, collected five log points from the match against the high-flying Chiefs and are now poised to bank another five from this encounter with the Pussy Cats. Expect the Reds to dominate the collisions and Liam Gill to punish the errant Lions at the breakdown via some telling turnovers. The Reds will be a force on both attack and the counter, and watch out for the dazzling skills of their halfbacks and the brute force of Digby Ioane. Playing on the front foot, the returning Quade Cooper will have a ball. Reds by 20
Reds – 15 Ben Lucas, 14 Dom Shipperley, 13 Anthony Faingaa, 12 Mike Harris, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia; 8 Scott Higginbotham, 7 Liam Gill, 6 Jake Schatz, 5 James Horwill (c), 4 Rob Simmons, 3 James Slipper, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Greg Holmes.
Subs: 16 James Hanson, 17 Ben Daley, 18 Adam Wallace-Harrison, 19 Eddie Quirk, 20 Nick Frisby, 21 Chris F’sautia, 22 Luke Morahan.
Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Joshua Strauss (c), 7 Grant Hattingh, 6 Derrick Minnie, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Franco van der Merwe, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Subs: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Cobus Grobbelaar, 19 Jaco Kriel, 20 Tian Meyer, 21 Ruan Combrinck, 22 James Kamana.
CHEETAHS vs SHARKS, BLOEMFONTEIN, SAT 17:05
VREDE’S CALL: The Sharks have struggled in Bloemfontein in the past but I think a combination of their desperation to hold on to their play-off place and the Cheetahs’ lack of a quality flyhalf will see John Plumtree’s men win a game that is critical for them in the context of their season. The Cheetahs looked rudderless in the face of the Stormers’ robust and organised defence and the Sharks will have to base their challenge on such defence. They showed improvement in this regard in recent weeks, while their attack has had more synergy than it had in the early part of the season. There must be a marriage of the two and I think there will be. Sharks by 7
JC’S CALL: Discipline is going to be crucial in this encounter. Both teams have been guilty of poor discipline in the past, and so the side that loses its cool this week is going to be at a disadvantage. Both have also been inconsistent when it’s come to their respective defensive lines. What will Saturday bring? The Sharks have improved as the season has progressed while the Cheetahs have struggled in the last month. The hosts will find the Sharks attack more difficult to repel than that of the Stormers, and will miss the accurate goal- and tactical-kicking of Johan Goosen. If Goosen was still around, you’d have to say the Cheetahs would be in with a shout. Despite their shaky defence, they have a strong pack and an attack that can strike from any part of the field. Unfortunately for the Free State faithful, the Cheetahs won’t do enough to deny the Sharks another valuable win. Sharks by 10
Cheetahs – 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Cameron Jacobs, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Willie le Roux, 10 Riaan Smit, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Justin Downey, 6 Heinrich Brussouw, 5 George Earle, 4 Izak van der Westhuizen, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (c), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Subs: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Andries Ferreira, 19 Ashley Johnson, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Philip Snyman.
Sharks – 15. Riaan Viljoen, 14. JP Pietersen, 13. Paul Jordaan, 12. Tim Whitehead, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Keegan Daniel (c), 7. Marcell Coetzee, 6. Jacques Botes, 5. Anton Bresler, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 1. Tendai Mtawarira.
Subs: 16. Craig Burden, 17. Wiehahn Herbst, 18. Willem Alberts, 19. Jean Deysel, 20. Ryan Kankowski, 21. Frederic Michalak, 22. Meyer Bosman.
STORMERS vs WARATAHS, CAPE TOWN, SAT 19:10
VREDE’S CALL: The Waratahs have offered nothing on attack to suggest they can trouble the Stormers’ brilliant defence. They have made a number of positional changes in the backline, and introduced players they believe have game-breaking qualities, but they won’t have the forwards to build the platform they need to give those players the time and space they need to be effective. There is no reason to expect the Stormers’ sterile backline play to improve, but they’ll kick their way to another victory, although their home play-off hopes fade with every match that passes where they fail to register five points. Stormers by 10
JC’S CALL: The Stormers smashed the Waratahs twice in 2010, and on both occasions they won the match via a powerful showing up front. Their loose forward stocks are depleted which suggests they won’t be as dominant at the gainline, and the synergy between forwards and backs may thus be slightly compromised. The Waratahs were competitive against the Bulls last week, and coach Michael Foley has picked halfbacks with strong kicking games. With wet weather set to dictate a more conservative approach from teams that are already conservative by nature, it should be a massive arm-wrestle at Newlands. Both teams also possess excellent goal-kickers, and you have to feel that the team that dominates territory and creates the most scoring opportunities, be they tries, penalties or drop-goals, is going to win the game. Despite their attacking failings, I reckon that at home the Stormers will be favourites to win this battle and ultimately the game. Stormers by 6
Stormers – 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (c), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Jebb Sinclair, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Don Armand, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Gerhard van den Heever.
Waratahs – 15. Bernard Foley, 14. Tom Kingston, 13. Rob Horne, 12. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 11. Atieli Pakalani, 10. Berrick Barnes, 9. Brendan McKibbin, 8. Dave Dennis, 7. Chris Alcock, 6. Rocky Elsom (c), 5. Sitaleki Timani, 4. Dean Mumm, 3. Sekope Kepu, 2. John Ulugia/Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1. Benn Robinson
Subs: 16. Josh Mann-Rea, 17. Jeremy Tilse, 18. Kane Douglas, 19. Jono Jenkins, 20. Wycliff Palu, 21. Sarel Pretorius, 22. Daniel Halangahu
FORCE vs REBELS, PERTH, SUN 08:35
VREDE’S CALL: The Rebels were very good against the Crusaders last week but they’ve struggled for consistency and their away record is awful. The Force will boss the gainline and set phases setting up their attacking base in this manner. From there they’ll exploit a fragile Rebels defence for victory. Force by 8
JC’S CALL: I’ve learned the hard way that you don’t pick the Rebels when they play away from Melbourne. And yet there’s been something in their forward play, as well as the flyhalf performances of Kurtley Beale that have got me thinking. This also isn’t just another game away from home, it’s a game between the Rebels and the Force, the fourth and fifth-placed teams in the Aussie conference. The Force are also returning from a poor tour to South Africa. They’ve made changes, but if the Rebels can maintain their physical intensity, the Force will struggle to make an impact. Rebels by 5
Force – 15 Dave Harvey, 14 Sam Wara, 13 Will Tupou, 12 Rory Sidey, 11 Napolioni Nalaga, 10 Ben Seymour, 9 Brett Sheehan, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock (c), 6 Matt Hodgson, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Salesi Ma’afu, 2 Nathan Charles, 1 Pek Cowan.
Subs: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Salesi Manu, 18 Phoenix Battye, 19 Lachlan McCaffrey, 20 Josh Holmes, 21 Winston Stanley, 22 Alfie Mafi.
Rebels – 15 Julian Huxley, 14 Mark Gerrard, 13 Mitch Inman, 12 Lachlan Mitchell, 11 Cooper Vuna, 10 Kurtley Beale, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Gareth Delve (c), 7 Michael Lipman, 6 Tim Davidson, 5 Hugh Pyle, 4 Cadeyrn Neville, 3 Rodney Blake, 2 Ged Robinson, 1 Nic Henderson.
Subs: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Jono Owen, 18 Al Campbell, 19 Hugh Perrett, 20 Nic Stirzaker, 21 James Hilgendorf, 22 Stirling Mortlock.
240 Comments
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17 May 2012, 15:31 pm
As someone mentioned, the backline players of the Stormers are more than decent, each in their own right. For me, what is lacking is the creativity of a scrum-half who not only needs to dictate play but read the game well enough to exploit the scoring opportunities that the forwards provide on numerous occasions. Lets not even talk about his tactical kicking. Take for example
Francois Hougard who spends most of the first half firing that ball out as fast as he can and as soon as he can, knowing full well the gaps will open up later and there will be ample opportunity to make a break here and there. I can’t recall one instance where DD has taken the ball from the scrum or 8th man and managed to get over the advantage line and by that I mean he gets past the defender, not just taking the tackle and off-loading, which in its own right would be refreshing. I can imagine that AC tells him, as a senior player he needs to take some responsibility, but isn’t it obvious how many attacking opportunities he wastes. When a scrum-half for e.g. piri weepu starts directing players where to stand you have to think, either they have no clue about reading the situation and being creative enough to let the ball do the work when a gap appears, or the backline coach doesn’t know how to teach the players how to link with each other or act out predetermined backline plays, I think it’s a combination of the two. Genia starting to find form, reds winning, FH playing well for bulls, top of the log, crusaders lacking in a quality half back, inconsistent. Leonard for the Chiefs playing well etc. In conclusion, DD needs to raise his level of play to compliment the high standard being set by the rest of the players.
17 May 2012, 15:32 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-188: mooi
17 May 2012, 15:46 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-202:
Hy moet uitkyk.
17 May 2012, 15:50 pm
sharks peaking
stormers losing momentum
time to light the braai fire for phuza thursday
17 May 2012, 15:52 pm
@willievz(willievz)-181: So what would your starting trio for the Sharks look like?
17 May 2012, 15:52 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-204:
Oh for goodness sake go read HG’s comments and up your game
17 May 2012, 16:04 pm
@greatest13gerber(greatest13gerber)-198: Greatest, best centre pair the Sharks have had in a very very long time! Whitehead was the best import by the Sharks since Alberts! I really hope you are right they make an exciting pair!
17 May 2012, 16:07 pm
the sharks are starting to kick on rather micely now.
i am looking forward to sat
17 May 2012, 16:08 pm
Jaaa micely
17 May 2012, 16:09 pm
@greatest13gerber(greatest13gerber)-199: Only problem is the Cheetahs have been our bogey team they scare me to death!
17 May 2012, 16:11 pm
@Bokhoring(Bokhoring)-205: I don’t know.
And that is part of the problem.
Fielding a different loose trio as regularly as the Sharks do has implications for defensive organisation.
They’ve defended superbly against the Bulls and Stormers in the first rounds, not conceding a single try. Since then, and as they’ve changed the makeup of their loose trio, their defense slipped. Of course injuries played a part as well, one can’t ignore that fact.
But the fact remains that they are spoilt for choice. They have a lot of quality players to choose from. It might well need to be a case of selecting horses for courses, but it appears that Daniel owns the 8 berth. I would select Daniel at 6 exclusively.
As I stated, Kankowski and Alberts need to feature more often. At Super rugby level they are too good to warm the bench. Certainly both of them on the wood at the same time is a total waste of resources.
But more consistency in selection is arguably more important than who starts and who doesn’t.
17 May 2012, 16:12 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-210:
thats true!
lets hope no brawling!
17 May 2012, 16:22 pm
it will do a lot of good for our mindset if we beat the cheetahs
17 May 2012, 16:23 pm
@willievz(willievz)-211: I believe Daniel has his best games at 8 – he is not really as effective at open-side. He is one the Sharks main attacking weapons – leads with line breaks, try assists, etc
17 May 2012, 16:45 pm
@Bokhoring(Bokhoring)-214: From an individual perspective, I tend to agree.
But is the Sharks’ backrow as a combination effective when Daniel is at 8?
I am not convinced.
17 May 2012, 16:52 pm
@willievz(willievz)-215: The current trio seemed to be the most effective so far. With Botes actually making it to the rucks, ruck turnovers on Sharks ball have been cut down
17 May 2012, 16:58 pm
@Bokhoring(Bokhoring)-216:
This is why I would pick Daniel at 6. For speed to the breakdown. He is quicker to the ball, but I do agree that Botes is perhaps more effective at the breakdown should he get there.
I find it interesting that many teams switch the 6 and 8 around at different scrums – I’d like to see some stats on how frequent it is as it does appear more frequent than previous tournaments.
But the Sharks lack a bit of height in the backrow at present.
On another point, I find it concerning that Alberts is slipping as many tackles as he does.
17 May 2012, 17:09 pm
Riaan Smit starting at 10 gonna make all the difference for the Cheetahs,between him and matchwinner Brussouw it’s gonna be a long day at the park for sharkies in Bloem.
17 May 2012, 17:11 pm
@willievz(willievz)-217: I believe that Alberts was rushed back and was still carrying an injury, he couldn’t possibly play like he normally does with a sore shoulder! Lets hope he is now properly recovered and will be back to his destructive best, or I fear for his Bok chances.
17 May 2012, 17:14 pm
@Superbru(Superbru)-218: isn’t that what you said about Pocock? And Lambie is cleared, I would have been a whole lot more worried if Goosen was playing, but super Pat will give us the advantage. But Cheetah are our bogey team, so I am anxious!
17 May 2012, 17:18 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-220:
I don’t recall.
Resurgent Sharks should be too much for Cheetahs to handle,even in Bloem,but Sharks have been inconsistant all year long,can’t rely on Lambie to score all the points again. Pockock…
17 May 2012, 17:44 pm
@Superbru(Superbru)-221: not you personaly superbru, but last week everyone was saying how Pocock was going to give the Sharks a long night. as to their consistency I wish I could disagree, but unfortunately I can’t. The Sharks have excellent team unfortunately for us our coaching is not of the same standard as our players
and that is our problem.
17 May 2012, 17:48 pm
Oh sorry and as to Lambie, no he cannot score all the points but he is our talisman, the Sharks play 100 times better with him than without him, that is why I am feeling more positive than I was at the beginning of the week when he was in doubt.
17 May 2012, 18:16 pm
@191 “camp”
17 May 2012, 20:17 pm
@willievz(willievz)-217: Keegan might be quick to the breakdown but he`s not nearly as effective as Botes when it comes to fetching.
I`m afraid Keegan would only feature on the bench for me.
Alberts, Coetzee and Botes should start with Deysel and Keegan coming on later.
17 May 2012, 20:22 pm
@Original-Pierre(Original-Pierre)-225: totally agree with you! My prefered loose trio are
17 May 2012, 20:24 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-226: My prefered loose trio is Alberts, Coetzee and Botes, with Deysel on the bench.
17 May 2012, 22:55 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-227: No Keegan Daniel ? You’ve been smoking too much Durban poison girl…..Never in your life – Botes above Keegan….not a chance.
18 May 2012, 01:03 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-228: Farken 100% too right… Keegan is the best performing 8 in SA at the moment too…
18 May 2012, 06:38 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-229: Keegan is looking good but my concern is that he likes to play too loose.
The Sharks can`t afford that.
Since Botes got selected regularly the Sharks started winning, it`s because he actually competes for the ball. Keegan is not a fetcher.
18 May 2012, 07:46 am
Thanks IRB for the extra cash.
Thanks Kiwis for the smart bluff.
Hope the money is used wisely, and not throwin into the ‘SARFU travelling with spouses’ fund.
18 May 2012, 08:03 am
NZ’lander = filth on the universe!!!
Former All Black pleads guilty
2012-05-18 07:32Email | Print
Stephen Bachop (File)
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Rebels snare Higginbotham Bulls expect big onslaught Coach ready to take the punch Sydney – Former All Black Stephen Bachop has changed his pleas to guilty on four charges relating to an incident on Rugby World Cup final night last year.
In Wellington District Court on Friday a charge of assaulting a female was reduced in seriousness and became a charge of simple assault.
Bachop, 46, pleaded guilty to the reduced charge and another assault charge relating to a man. He also pleaded guilty to resisting police and possessing cannabis. A charge of having utensils for using drugs was dropped.
Judge Susan Thomas did not enter convictions and it is expected that Bachop will ask to be discharged without conviction when he appears for sentencing later this month. He had originally pleaded not guilty.
In a statement issued afterwards he said he had learned a lot while facing up to the consequences of his actions.
He apologised for any embarrassment he had caused his family and fellow players.
“I have changed my pleas today in order to bring this matter to a close.
“Right from the day this happened mine and my partner Belle’s focus has been on our children and what is best for them.
“The stress our whole family has been under awaiting the final outcome has been immense and we did not want to drag this out for any longer than was necessary.”
He said they wanted to put the matter behind them and move forward positively.
No summary of facts was read to the court on Friday but it had been alleged earlier that Bachop had taken his partner’s arm and pulled her towards a taxi to go home. A passerby was also involved in the incident.
The incident was caught on CCTV cameras outside Wellington central police station after a World Cup Final celebration.
Bachop had been commentating at the nearby Green Man pub during the game.
Bachop’s name had originally been suppressed in relation to the charges but he did not ask for that to continue. He said identifying himself would prevent any negative impact on other former All Blacks.
Bachop played for New Zealand Colts when he was a teenager and for Western Samoa in the 1991 World Cup. He made his All Blacks debut in 1992 and played a further 17 matches for the team.
18 May 2012, 08:27 am
@grant10(grant100)-232: You really are a trolling tool. We have had plenty of players who have behaved like savages as well. What’s your point, numbnuts?
18 May 2012, 08:28 am
@Original-Pierre(Original-Pierre)-230: Keegan has been playing 8 all season – except for 1 game. He is one of the main attacking weapons for the Sharks – makes most of the line breaks, makes the offloads, makes a lot of metres. Only major criticism – all the turnovers he concedes – mostly through handling errors I think
I agree he is no fetcher – Botes is the closest we have to one
18 May 2012, 08:47 am
stormer in a peasoup .. really? our players smoking dope and touching young girls = Robin Brooke?
18 May 2012, 09:05 am
Japie Mulder. Lukas van Biljon. Henry Tromp.
18 May 2012, 09:18 am
Elton jantjies
18 May 2012, 10:56 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-228: Only because we are playing the Cheetahs with Brussow we need Botes who can counter act to a degree Brussow, and Alberts against Ashley. And just by the way I don’t smoke!
18 May 2012, 12:46 pm
INTERESTING READ Guarantee to make you blink!
THE KEO CONNECTION
Posted: 06 May 2012 at 7:11pm
Highbury Safika Media (HSM) is a publishing house boasting a portfolio of over 30 magazine titles and numerous online publications. Amongst these are SA Rugby Magazine and Keo.co.za – the website of Mark Keohane and other SA Rugby writers such as Ryan Vrede and Jon Cardinelli.
Keohane has been a public figure since his days as Springbok Communications Manager under the ill-fated reigns of both Harry Viljoen and Rudolph Streauli, until he resigned in protest over SARFU’s handling of the Geo Cronjé racism debacle involving Quinton Davids. Keohane went on to publish a book about the episode and the state of the Springboks in general, and was widely criticized by Springbok players (most notably Corné Krige) as deliberately attempting to sow division within their ranks and to undermine SA Rugby in general.
In recent times Keohane has been busying himself in the extensive business interests of HSM, as well as media relations of other entities, such as Jake White’s Winning Ways – a business partnership which ended in a heated law suit, kept hushed away out of the public sphere. Even more recently, however, HSM -and Mark Keohane in particular – were awarded the contract to manage the media, marketing and public relations of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC). The awarding of this contract was never put up for tender, as is standard government procedure, but was rather awarded directly to HSM (although Keohane states that normal application took place, the fact remains it should have gone to tender).
And this is where the Keo connection begins to reveal itself.
During his time at SA Rugby, Mark Keohane worked alongside the likes of Rian Oberholzer (President of SARFU), Songezo Nayo (Managing Director), Gary Grant (Marketing Director) and the current president of SASCOC – Gideon Sam (Springbok Team Manager).
All four names mentioned above are currently directors of sports marketing company Accelerate Sports, with Gideon Sam being appointed as Chairman. Gideon Sam also serves on the Lotto Distribution Board, but excused himself when dealing with the funding grant to SA Cycling, a grant from which Accelerate Sport received commission to the tune of R 26 million – a blatant conflict of interest.
Accelerate Sport, through their subsidiary Access Facilities and Leisure Management (AFLM), were also awarded the contract as operations manager of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. It is reported that this contract brings in a whopping R 600 000 a month to the coffers of Accelerate. It is the duty of AFLM to source events to be staged at the stadium to generate revenue and keep the stadium sustainable.
And here the connection between rugby and Accelerate begins to become clear.
The contract between AFLM and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro states that, above the R 600 000 a month, AFLM are to be awarded performance bonuses based on the revenue they generate, providing this amount exceeds R 12,5 million a year. The structure of this bonus is as follows:
The Operator will be paid 10% of any amount above R12.5 million but less than R15 million, and then:
• 12.5% of any amount in excess of R15 million but less than R20 million;
• 15% of any amount in excess of R20 million but less than R25 million; and
• 20% of any amount in excess of R25 million.
It is thus blatantly clear that it is in the best interests of Accelerate to find events which will draw spectators, such as concerts etc.
But what better way to ensure constant revenue, week after week, than playing host to a top tier sports team. If only the Eastern Cape had one.
But wait, Accelerate have strong ties to SARU, they do after all boast an ex-president in their ranks. Would it at this point seem ludicrous to suggest that Oberholzer, Sam, Grant and Nayo used their previous connections to SARU to, excuse the pun, accelerate the Kings’ inclusion in Super Rugby so as to ensure that their business interest was being looked after, leading to SARU’s shock announcement at the Heyneke Meyer press conference about the Kings’ guaranteed inclusion in Super Rugby for 2013? Surely not.
So where does Mark Keohane fit into all this?
Keohane has recently stepped up his anti – Lions rhetoric in his articles, and while not directly naming the Kings in his most recent one, it is clear where his views emanate from. The vested interest he has in servicing his ex-colleagues at SARU (SASCOC contracts etc.) has clearly skewed the views of an already overly opinionated man.
But wait, there’s more.
After the establishment of the Kings, the son of Cheeky Watson – president of the Eastern Province Rugby Union (under which the Kings operate) – Luke, was brought back from Bath to play for the Kings. In May 2011 HSM (with Mark Keohane again at the forefront) announced that it had decided to enter into the field of player management, a first for the publishing company. Furthermore it was announced that their first client would be none other than Luke Watson. Queue the Mark Keohane propaganda machine.
The cover of the very next SA Rugby magazine was adorned by – yes, you guessed it – Luke Watson, with the rather flattering caption “Return of the King”. This was to be only the start of the Keohane marketing hype surrounding Watson and the Kings.
At the same press conference where SARU dropped the Kings bombshell on an unsuspecting audience, Ryan Vrede, a HSM journalist, asked Heyneke Meyer if Luke Watson – a player languishing in the second tier of SA Rugby and who hasn’t been in Bok contention since mid-2008 – was a contender for the position of Springbok captain. These blatant attempts by Keohane to force the name of Luke Watson into mainstream media while he has done nothing to get it there serves to illustrate the hidden agenda and inherent corrupt nature of a man who has lived off the rise and fall of others for far too long.
Not only has the media machine being rolling for Luke Watson, but others being managed under yet another Accelerate Sport company – In-Site Athlete Management – have been enjoying a rise in publicity in SA Rugby magazine as well. Willem Alberts received some ego stroking in May 2011, as did another In-Site managed player -Joe van Niekerk – in March 2012, with the article stating that he is playing the best rugby of his career at Toulon. Buttering him up for a big money move back to SA perhaps?
It is clear that Keo’s connection into Accelerate stretches deep, with an “I’ll scratch your back you scratch mine” policy which benefits both sides. Gideon Sam made sure he looked after Mark with the awarding of the SASCOC account, Mark in turn ensures that the business interests of Accelerate Sport and its stakeholders remains in the mainstream media, and they all walk away happy.
The reason why Keo has gone on a Lions bashing campaign of late should come as no surprise when taking the above into account. Mark Keohane is no longer a journalist; he hasn’t been for quite a while. He is a businessman with a platform to promote his interests and those of others close to him, a platform which he uses selflessly and without shame.
He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is the worm in the apple, and the rot starts with him.
defdisc
19 May 2012, 12:51 pm
@mad eye(mad eye)-191:
Looking for a husband.
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