The match was tight throughout, the Chiefs having a slender 15 – 13 lead at half time, but streaked away in the last quarter to win 28 – 19.

The top two New Zealand sides produced a wonderfully entertaining match, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats for most of the eighty minutes. Two of the three tries scored by the Chiefs were somewhat lucky, coming from kicks charged down. Aaron Cruden charged down Dan Carter before Craig Clarke charged down Tom Taylor.

Between the two charge-down tries, Matt Todd and the Crusaders hit back with a forward dominated move. The Crusaders stayed in touch through the boot of Tom Taylor, kicking the conversion as well as four penalties throughout the match.

Bundee Aki scored the only try of the second half, in the last quarter of the match. This came from a period of sustained pressure on the Crusaders tryline. An earlier Chiefs try was ruled out after Steve Walsh went to the TMO, but Aki scored from the same period to even that out.

In terms of the Internationals coming up in June, Aaron Cruden completely outclassed Dan Carter, who didn’t even take the Crusaders’ kicks at goal. His defence was impeccable, as was the rest of the Chiefs’ tackling. Carter has not looked himself in recent times, and this has resulted in the Crusaders’ recent slump in form.

The Chiefs have now all but wrapped up the New Zealand conference, and have gone a long way in assuring themselves of finishing the season on top of the overall log as well. The Chiefs are now off until after the International window, having a bye next weekend, while the Crusaders host the Waratahs next weekend before going into the break.

Chiefs: 28 (15)

Tries: Aaron Cruden, Craig Clarke, Bundee Aki
Conversions: Aaron Cruden (2)
Penalties: Aaron Cruden (3)

Crusaders: 19 (13)

Tries: Matt Todd
Conversions: Tom Taylor (1)
Penalties: Tom Taylor (4)

By Richard Ferguson

Behind 13 – 16 at half time, the Rebels produced a magical second half to win the match 24 – 22. A late try by Tom English sealing the victory for the Melbourne based team.

Tom English scored a double, his first tries in Super Rugby, to sink the wobbly Waratahs. The Waratahs lacked the punch we have come to see from them lately, and the loss all but ends their chances of qualifying for the play-offs.

It was a fast start by the Rebels, English scoring early on and Jason Woodward adding a penalty to his conversion for an early ten point lead. Israel Folau scored his eighth try of the season in hitting back, the Waratahs relying on the boot of Berrick Barnes to overturn the deficit and lead at half time.

Barnes left the field with an injury, leaving the Waratahs somewhat rattles, and the Rebels pounced to take a rare consecutive victory. Woodward kept the Rebels in touch, drawing level with his penalties. Brendan McKibbin took over the kicking duties and put the Waratahs in the lead by three, but the late try by English, which wasn’t converted, gave the Rebels a two point lead with less than five minutes to play. McKibbin could not slot a last minute penalty to win the game for the Waratahs.

It was an entertaining match, neither team taking full control of the match at any point. The Waratahs will be kicking themselves for slipping up against the Rebels, especially after their comeback in the latter part of the season so far.

Both these teams play away next weekend, the Waratahs going to New Zealand to face the Crusaders, the Rebels staying in Australia to face the Reds.

Rebels: 24 (13)

Tries: Tom English (2)
Conversions: Jason Woodward (1)
Penalties: Jason Woodward (3)

Waratahs: 22 (16)

Tries: Israel Folau
Conversions: Berrick Barnes (1)
Penalties: Berrick Barnes (4), Brendan McKibbin (1)

By Richard Ferguson

The Beast returning is one of a few changes to the Sharks side. The only injury enforced change is that of JP Pietersen, Piet Lindeque replacing him in midfield.

In the pack, the Beast is back along with Pieter-Steph du Toit, Anton Bresler hurting his shoulder in training. Bresler drops from the match 22, allowing Jandre Marais to cover the second row from the bench.

The only other new face to the match 22 is Sean Robinson, who replaces Lindeque on the wood.

Both Bismarck du Plessis and Butch James trained this week, but are not quite fit yet for action. Allowing these players to go into the break and regain full fitness is a smart move.

There is still no space in the team for Ryan Kankowski, even though the player was included in the Springbok training squad.

Sharks: Riaan Viljoen, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Piet Lindeque, 12. Meyer Bosman, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Pat Lambie, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Keegan Daniel (Capt), 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Franco van der Merwe, 4. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Kyle Cooper, 1. Tendai Mtawarira.
Substitutes: 16. Monde Hadebe, 17. Wiehahn Herbst, 18. Jandre Marais, 19. Jean Deysel, 20. Tera Mtembu, 21. Tian Meyer, 22. Sean Robinson.

By Richard Ferguson

Chiefs v Crusaders (Friday – 09h35 SA time)

Chiefs: 15 Robbie Robinson, 14 Patrick Osborne, 13 Charlie Ngatai, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Matt Vant Leven, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Craig Clarke (c), 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Pauliasi Manu.
Substitutes: 16 Mahonri Schwalger, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Michael Fitzgerald, 19 Sam Cane, 20 Augustine Pulu, 21 Dan Waenga, 22 Lelia Masaga.

Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Tom Marshall, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Tom Taylor, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (c), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Nepo Lualala, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Substitutes: 16 Ben Funnell/Laurence Corlett, 17 Joe Moody, 18 Dominic Bird, 19 Luke Whitelock, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Robbie Fruean, 22 Telusa Veianu.

Note: Owen Franks withdrawn from Crusaders team

Rebels v Waratahs (Friday – 11h40 SA time)

Rebels: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Tom English, 13 Mitch Inman, 12 Rory Sidey, 11 Lachlan Mitchell, 10 Bryce Hegarty, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Scott Higginbotham (c), 7 Scott Fuglistaller, 6 Jarrod Saffy, 5 Luke Jones, 4 Hugh Pyle, 3 Laurie Weeks, 2 Ged Robinson, 1 Nic Henderson
Substitutes:16 Shota Horie, 17 Paul Alo-Emile, 18 Cadeyrn Neville, 19 Gareth Delve, 20 Nic Stirzaker, 21 James Hilgendorf, 22 Kimami Sitauti

Waratahs:15 Israel Folau, 14 Peter Betham, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Matt Lucas, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 John Ulugia, 1 Benn Robinson
Substitutes: 16 Luke Holmes, 17 Paddy Ryan, 18 Will Skelton, 19 Mitchell Chapman, 20 Brendan McKibbin, 21 Rob Horne, 22 Tom Kingston

Blues v Brumbies (Saturday – 09h45 SA time)

Blues: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Frank Halai, 13 Rene Ranger, 12 Francis Saili, 11 George Moala, 10 Chris Noakes, 9 Piri Weepu; 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Brendon O’Connor, 5 Ali Williams (c), 4 Culum Retallick, 3 Angus Ta’avao/Sam Prattley, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tim Perry.
Substitutes: 16 James Parsons, 17 Sam Prattley/Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Kane Barrett, 20 Jamison Gibson-Park, 21 Baden Kerr, 22 Jackson Willison.

Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Nic White, 8 Ben Mowen (c), 7 Colby Faingaa, 6 Peter Kimlin, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Scott Fardy, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Scott Sio.
Substitutes: 16 Siliva Siliva, 17 Ruan Smith, 18 Fotu Auelua, 19 Jordan Smiler, 20 Ian Prior, 21 Robbie Coleman, 22 Clyde Rathbone.

Force v Highlanders (Saturday – 11h40 SA time)

Force: TBA

Highlanders: TBA

Kings v Cheetahs (Saturday – 15h00 SA time)

Kings: 15 SP Marais, 14 Siyanda Grey, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Cornell du Preez, 7 Luke Watson (captain), 6 Wimpie van der Walt, 5 David Bulbring, 4 Steve Sykes, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Schalk Ferreira
Substitutes: 16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Grant Kemp, 18 Rynier Bernado, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Nicolas Vergallo, 21 Shane Gates, 22 George Whitehead.

Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Willie le Roux, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (c), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Substitutes: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Ligtoring Landman, 19 Boom Prinsloo, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Riaan Smit, 22 Raymond Rhule.

Stormers v Reds (Saturday – 17h00 SA time)

Stormers: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jean de Villiers (c), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Don Armand, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Eben Etzebeth, 4 Gerbrandt Grobler, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Substitutes: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Chris Heiberg, 18 Marius Coetzer, 19 Rohan Kitshoff, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 Gary van Aswegen, 22 Gerhard van den Heever.

Reds: TBA

Sharks v Bulls (Saturday – 19h00 SA time)

Sharks: Riaan Viljoen, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Piet Lindeque, 12. Meyer Bosman, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Pat Lambie, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Keegan Daniel (Capt), 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Franco van der Merwe, 4. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Kyle Cooper, 1. Tendai Mtawarira.
Substitutes: 16. Monde Hadebe, 17. Wiehahn Herbst, 18. Jandre Marais, 19. Jean Deysel, 20. Tera Mtembu, 21. Tian Meyer, 22. Sean Robinson.

Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies (c), 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Dean Greyling.
Substitutes: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Grant Hattingh, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Louis Fouche/Jan Serfontein, 22 Lionel Mapoe.

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske has kept the rest of his team unchanged, hoping the momentum from the Reds victory will lead them to a win against the Kings.

That does mean that Burton Francis remains out of the match 22, Elgar Watts continuing ahead of Riaan Smit, who is on the bench yet again.

Willie le Roux and Lappies Labuschagne will use this match to show why they have been included in the Springbok training squad. Both will be pushing hard to be among the final names for the upcoming Incoming tours against Italy, Samoa and Scotland.

Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Willie le Roux, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (c), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen. Substitutes: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Ligtoring Landman, 19 Boom Prinsloo, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Riaan Smit, 22 Raymond Rhule.

By Richard Ferguson

The injuries reported this morning have resulted in quite a few changes to the team. In the backline, Juan de Jongh is out and will be replaced by Damian de Allende. De Allende comes in at inside centre while Jean de Villiers shifts to outside centre.

The real damage is amongst the forwards, where Frans Malherbe, Pat Cilliers,Scarra Ntubeni, Andries Bekker and Deon Fourie are out injured. Brok Harris and Tiaan Liebenberg come into the front row, joining up with Steven Kitshoff completing the trio. In the second row, Gerbrandt Grobler replaces Bekker while Don Armand comes into the loose trio.

There are a few new faces on the bench, prop Chris Heiberg and flank Rohan Kitshoff await their debuts off the bench. Replacement lock Marius Coetzer has played Super Rugby for the Lions, but will make his Stormers debut should he take the field.

Stormers: 15. Joe Pietersen, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Jean de Villiers (captain), 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Elton Jantjies, 9. Louis Schreuder, 8. Nizaam Carr, 7. Don Armand, 6. Siya Kolisi, 5. Eben Etzebeth, 4. Gerbrandt Grobler, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg, 1. Steven Kitshoff. Substitutes: 16. Martin Bezuidenhout, 17. Chris Heiberg, 18. Marius Coetzer, 19. Rohan Kitshoff, 20. Dewaldt Duvenage, 21. Gary van Aswegen, 22. Gerhard van den Heever

By Richard Ferguson

Olivier replaces the injured Jan Serfontein, who drops to the bench. Serfontein and Louis Fouche both have niggles and a final call on their involvement from the bench will be made later in the week.

Apart from a midfield change, we also see Bjorn Basson return to the starting line-up, dropping Lionel Mapoe to the bench for this encounter.

In the continued rotation in the front row, Dean Greyling and Werner Kruger return in the place of Frik Kirsten and Morne Mellett, while Willie Wepener comes onto the bench in place of Callie Visagie.

In other Bulls related news, Jacques Potgieter has requested a release from his Bulls contract. Potgieter was given six months to play in Japan after the Super Rugby season, but has requested a release to sign for a club in England following the completion of his Japanese stint. According to reports, his request has been granted.

The rumour mill was busy in Pretoria this morning with further news coming through that Chiliboy Ralepelle being eyed by Toulouse as a possible signing.

Bulls: 15 Jürgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies (captain), 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Dean Greyling. Substitutes: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Grant Hattingh, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Louis Fouché /Jan Serfontein, 22 Lionel Mapoe

By Richard Ferguson

Bekker has been the one highlight in a dismal Stormers season but he hurt his back badly in the loss against the Rebels and is out for between six and eight weeks. He is unlikely to play again before moving to Japan.

Bekker is one of several players unavailable for Saturday’s showdown with the Reds as the injury list reaches ridiculous proportions. Centre Juan de Jong is also out for a month.

Deon Fourie, Scarra Ntubeni, Pat Cilliers and Frans Malherbe are the latest to be ruled out because of injury and they join a lengthy list that includes De Kock Steenkamp, Michael Rhodes, Duane Vermeulen, Rynhardt Elstadt, Schalk Burger, Peter Grant and Jaco Taute.

Deon Carstens also retired midseason because of injury.

The Stormers host the Rebels at Newlands on Saturday and play the Kings twice in matches that could decide who finishes last in the South African Conference.

He replaces George Whitehead, who moves to the bench.

Fiery loose-forward Jacques Engelbrecht is also fit again and he will play from the bench.

Kings – 15 SP Marais, 14 Marcello Sampson, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Siyanda Grey, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Cornell du Preez, 7 Luke Watson (c), 6 David Bulbring, 5 Steven Sykes, 4 Wimpie van der Walt, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Subs: 16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Grant Kemp, 18 Rynier Bernardo, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Nicolas Vergallo, 21 Shane Gates, 22 George Whitehead.

Tameifuna returns for Chiefs

Ben Tameifuna returns to the Chiefs starting line-up to face the Crusaders this weekend. Tameifuna is one of two changes, Patrick Osborne returning to the wing as the other change.

The bench sees three changes with Toby Smith, Sam Cane and Lelia Masaga available for later in the match.

Chiefs: 15 Robbie Robinson, 14 Patrick Osborne, 13 Charlie Ngatai, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Matt Vant Leven, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Craig Clarke (c), 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Pauliasi Manu. Substitutes: 16 Mahonri Schwalger, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Michael Fitzgerald, 19 Sam Cane, 20 Augustine Pulu, 21 Dan Waenga, 22 Lelia Masaga.

Second shot for Dagg

Israel Dagg returns to the starting line-up following his dropping for poor form a few weeks ago. The Crusaders will face the Chiefs this weekend with a shuffled backline to accommodate Dagg and the subsequent dropping of Robbie Fruean.

Tom Taylor shifts to inside centre, forcing Ryan Crotty to outside centre.

The only change to the pack sees Codie Taylor take over from Ben Funnell in the hooker jersey. Corey Flynn misses the match due to a tweaked hamstring.

Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Tom Marshall, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Tom Taylor, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (c), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Wyatt Crockett. Substitutes: 16 Ben Funnell/Laurence Corlett, 17 Joe Moody, 18 Dominic Bird, 19 Luke Whitelock, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Robbie Fruean, 22 Telusa Veianu.

Pietersen left the field of play in the Sharks’ victory over the Force, their final tour game. Pietersen’s scans revealed that the winger, who did duty at outside centre, will require surgery to rectify a groin injury.

Pietersen was playing in the 13 jersey following a serious injury to Paul Jordaan and Tim Whitehead not taking part in rugby this season to date. Pietersen’s injury is a big loss for the Sharks, yet the bigger problem is which player will wear the 13 jersey this weekend against the Bulls.

The Bulls midfield combination of Jan Serfontein and JJ Engelbrecht has been in good form this season, getting over the advantage line and solid on defence as well. The Sharks are already without Pietersen in the opposition midfield, and might even be without Meyer Bosman, who broke his nose in the same match.

Bosman might yet be cleared to play, even though the Sharks can call upon Butch James this week, who might be ideal at inside centre. The problem remains with the outside centre jersey, which might fall to on loan Piet Lindeque. Lindeque is a centre by trade even though he has only been employed in the wing. With Marius Joubert also out of action due to a broken hand, the other, more audacious options include playing Tyler Fisher or Heimar Williams, both of which are yet to see Currie Cup action, never mind playing Super Rugby.

In a bit of good news from the Sharks, it seems that Bismarck du Plessis will be available for selection this week. His participation in the Bulls match is yet to be decided, for obvious reasons. Du Plessis could well use the four week break following the Bulls match to fully recover and return for the final weeks of action. With the Sharks season already finished, it would be pointless risking him in the match this weekend.

By Richard Ferguson

Super Rugby will shift to a March start and won’t break for test matches, the June window will be shifted to July and all players will have a 14 to 16-week off-season.

Other innovative plans are being discussed, such as building a world series of tests in years that fall between the World Cup and British Lions tours. The revolution that All Black coach Steve Hansen called for last week is coming.

The players have intimated they are prepared to strike if they don’t get what they want. They have made the creation of an integrated season a priority and with domestic player associations working in conjunction with the International Rugby Players’ Association, they present an irresistible force.

The IRPA has been working for the past 18 months on changes they feel have to be made to protect individuals from physical and mental burnout. Players in all the major nations are willing to work together to enforce a shorter season that doesn’t expose them to such high injury risks and may potentially increase their longevity in the game.

It is understood the English, French and Celtic leagues are willing to push out the start of their respective competitions from August to September to allow the June tests to be pushed back to July. That will pave the way for Super Rugby to begin later in the year, shifting from its current mid-February position to early March.

Last year was the first time in its 17-year history that Super Rugby had to stop to accommodate the test programme. The hiatus was problematic on many fronts – it led to a drop in fan interest, but of more concern was the demands it placed on the players.

Many of the Chiefs and Crusaders – they made the playoffs – struggled with the intensity of playing crucial Super Rugby games as well as three tests in such a condensed period.

The problem was just as acute for those not involved in the tests. Some teams, because of the bye, had a four-week gap without games which they struggled to use constructively. It was too long to go without a game, yet finding opposition was hard. The Hurricanes suffered the extra punishment of losing star halfback TJ Perenara to serious injury in a game against the Reds.

The immediate feedback from last year was that the players didn’t like the competition being put on hold and changing that is one of the key priorities.

Sanzar’s broadcasting deal for Super Rugby expires in 2015, which means there is an opportunity to restructure the competition into the proposed timeframes.

While there are ambitious plans to include new geographic areas post-2015, any new format won’t be signed off by the players unless it can be completed in full without a break.

Nor will the players agree to an increase in the number of games they are required to play. The current format comes with a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 19 matches. Those numbers are at the upper limits of what the players want; they would rather play fewer, more intense games.

A limit is not being set but everyone working on the new season structure agrees that, ideally, 30 games split between Super Rugby and tests is the maximum individuals should be asked to play.

Previous attempts to integrate the Northern and Southern Hemisphere seasons have failed because of self-interest, a determination to preserve tradition and the difficulties involved in breaking longer term broadcasting and sponsorship agreements.

The so-called Woking lock-in after the 2007 World Cup was deemed the definitive attempt to make significant changes but when no agreements could be reached on how the seasons in both hemispheres could be reconfigured to make them shorter and more logical, the IRB declared the creation of a global season impossible.

The major difference this time is the alignment of the respective player unions and their willingness to work together. The timing is also favourable as unlike the last attempt to make change, most of the key commercial agreements in place will be expiring in 2015.

By collaborating, the players will effectively reduce the IRB and other national unions to bit-part players. The IRPA plans to hold a major conference next month in Australia, where it will unveil more detail of its plan.

How the new season could look

• Mid-March: Super Rugby starts. Competition to be played in one continuous block in what could be a 16 to 18-week window, finishing in late June.

• July: Three tests hosted in Southern Hemisphere. In 2016 and 2018, these could be part of a world series that will be continued in November and linked to World Cup seedings. Each nation could be free to determine their schedule rather than have it imposed by the IRB. This paves the way for Tier Two nations to play more tests against Tier One nations.

• Late August: Rugby Championship begins and runs to mid-October in current four team, home and away format. ITMCup also begins early to mid-August, running through to late October.

• November: Southern Hemisphere sides play tests in the north, either as one-off tests are as part of a world series.

• December-early March: The All Blacks will be given almost 14 weeks to rest and recondition before joining their respective franchises.

Rugby Union

Liam Messam

• Code: Rugby Union
• Teams: Chiefs and All Blacks
• Position: Loose Forward
• Height: 1.88m
• Weight: 109kg
• Games Last Year: 28 (17 for the Chiefs and 11 tests). Messam started every game for the Chiefs bar the clash with the Lions on May 5. He played at blindside in all but one match -against the Brumbies, when he was used at No 8. He played 18 games (17 for the Chiefs and one test) in the first 23 weeks of the season. Team-mate Sonny Bill Williams played 21 games in that same 23-week window.
• Season Began: Late January (trial games)
• Season Ended: December 1
• Season Length: 44 weeks
• Off Season between 2012 and 2013: Nine weeks after returning home from the end-of-year tour and playing his first trial game for the Chiefs.

• Core Role: As a blindside, Messam plays in one of the most physical, highest impact positions on the field. His core roles are tackling, ball carrying, cleaning out rucks, winning lineout ball and supporting his backs.

Messam has made 115 tackles so far in 2013 – an average of almost 12 per game, which is consistent with the numbers he posted last year. These hits have been mostly head-on tackles, mostly around the fringes of the breakdown, trying to drive opposition forwards back behind the gainline. These are high impact, explosive collisions.

He has carried the ball 111 times so far in 2013 – again, a near average of 12 carries per game and consistent with last year. He can clean out rucks 30 to 50 times a game and it is estimated he runs 5kmto 7km per game – distances he covers predominantly in 20m-40m bursts at about 90 per cent capacity. He saw 793 minutes of game-time for the All Blacks and 1250 minutes of game time for the Chiefs. In total, he played 2043 minutes or 34 hours of rugby.

Rugby League

Ryan Hoffman

• Code: Rugby League
• Teams: Storm, City Origin and Kangaroos
• Position: Second rower
• Height: 1.92m
• Weight: 103kg
• Games Last Year: 29 (27 for the Storm, one City Origin game
and one test). Hoffman was one of only three Melbourne players who started every NRL game as they went all the way to the grand final. He played in the second row in every match.
• Season Began: First week of February (trial games)
• Season Ended: October 13
• Season Length: 36 weeks
• Off Season between 2012 and 2013: Sixteen weeks between the end-of-season test in Townsville and first trial game for the Storm.

• Core Role: As a second rower, Hoffman features in one of the most physical positions in the game and is expected to play the full 80 minutes. The 29-year-old is one of the Storm’s enforcers; his main role is bending the defensive line with his charging runs, as well as a mountain of tackling. He is also expected to make and support line breaks and is a key part of Melbourne’s formidable kick-chase, both defensively and offensively.

Hoffman has made 224 tackles so far in 2013, an average of almost 25 per game, slightly up on last season (22 per match). Defending on the edge of the ruck, Hoffman has to deal with some of the biggest men in the NRL – props, back rowers and centres – running at high speed. Melbourne’s organisation ensures there are often at least two defenders in each tackle but the workload exacts a heavy toll. Most of the tackles are front-on and high impact, as Hoffman is charged with going high to wrap up the ball.

He has carried the ball 125 times so far in 2013, an average of nearly 14, slightly down on last year’s 15.3 per match. He will be involved in around 45 collisions per game and covers between 5km and 6km in a match. Hoffman had around 2,160 minutes of game time for the Storm, as well as games for the City Origin team and Kangaroos in what was a light representative season. In total, he played around 2,300 minutes or 38.3 hours of league.

American Football

Adrian Petersen

• Code: American Football
• Team: Minnesota Vikings
• Position: Running back
• Height: 1.88m
• Weight: 98kg
• Games Last Year: 17. Peterson played 16 regular season games in 17 weeks; there was one scheduled bye. He then played one play-off game.
• Season Started: September 9
• Season Ended: January 5
• Season Length: 18 weeks
• Off Season: Peterson is enjoying a 34-week break between his last game in January and his next in September – the typical pattern for the NFL. He will split that time between rest and minor surgery and laying down a strength and conditioning base before settling into a 12-week pre-season period in camp with his team that includes a four-week exhibition window to effectively play trial games.

• Core Roles: As a running back, Petersen is the player charged with getting his side going forward from the line of scrimmage. Last year, he rushed for a total of 2096 yards, having carried the ball 370 times. He averaged six metres per carry, all of that through thick traffic where he would have been hammered by some oversized men.

He also took the ball as a receiver (it was passed to him) 41 times and he made 225 yards on those plays. On those occasions where he didn’t receive or run with the ball, Petersen would have acted as a blocker, similar to cleaning out a ruck in rugby.

The playing time of an NFL game is one hour and typically the defensive and offensive teams split that time on the field. Petersen would have spent roughly 8.5 hours on the field.

- Herald on Sunday

The two were again influential in the Cheetahs Super Rugby success. Brussow was colossal at the breakdown and Labuschagne was equally good at the lineout, defensively and in ball carries.

Reds coach Ewen McKenzie applauded the efforts of the Cheetahs, in particular Labuschagne, and said the Cheetahs were far more dangerous when the 24 year-old flanker played.

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske was equally complimentary of Labsuchagne and said the player, on Super Rugby form, deserved to be in the national squad.

Brussow’s continued omission remains an enigma.

I’d have him in my Bok side every Saturday.

South Africa is blessed with loose-forward talent but when it comes to consistency and impact in this year’s competition the Cheetahs pairing is only match by Kings No 8 Cornell du Preez.

Other South African loose-forwards have produced imposing performances but none has played with the consistency of the mentioned three.

Springboks James and Du Plessis have not played in this season’s competition. Du Plessis has not played in nearly nine months and James underwent a further knee operation two weeks before the start of this year’s Super Rugby.

The Sharks can’t afford to lose more ground on the tournament frontrunners and play an in-form Bulls team whose only defeats came during their Australasian tour.

James could be used at inside centre because of injury to Meyer Bosman. JP Pietersen is also doubtful because of a hamstring injury.

The good news for the Sharks is that Willem Alberts continued to improve in his second match back.

The Bulls have 46 league points and the Sharks are third in the South African conference with 33 points.

The Bulls practically had the match wrapped at half time, leading 23 – 6 at the break before winning 35 – 18.

Morne Steyn kicked 15 points in a match that was dominated by the physical men from Pretoria. The Highlander were full of running but lacked the basic handling skills to do anything with their possession.

The first try of the match was scored in the opening two minutes, JJ Engelbrecht rounding off a well worked move. The second try was a bit more dubious. The Bulls turned over deep in their own territory, Akona Ndungane finished off the 100m try. Replays showed a knock on from JJ Engelbrecht, but the try was nonetheless awarded. In the bigger scheme of things, a try would not make a difference, but it is a matter of principal. This weekend again had plenty of cases in which the TMO, with all their replays, still cannot get a decision right.

That being said, Colin Slade kept the Highlanders scoreboard ticking in the first half, kicking two penalties.

Pierre Spies scored the third Bulls try, off a great attacking line-out, a typical Bulls movement. The replacements started coming on and the momentum was slightly lost, allowing the Highlanders to build some confidence. This resulted in two tries being scored to narrow the gap.

The last few moments saw Jano Vermaak scoring in the corner, wrapping up a bonus point for the Bulls and ensuring top spot on the South African conference, no matter the Cheetahs result.

Discipline was an issue for the Highlanders, receiving two yellow cards throughout the match, one for a high tackle, while Chris King saw yellow for bringing down a rolling maul. This allowed a dominant Bulls forward pack to control the match even more.

The Bulls next take on the Sharks in Durban while the Highlanders return to New Zealand via Australia to face the Force.

Bulls: 35 (23)

Tries: JJ Engelbrecht, Akona Ndungane, Pierre Spies, Jano Vermaak
Conversions: Morne Steyn (3)
Penalties: Morne Steyn (3)

Highlanders: 18 (6)

Tries: Fumiaki Tanaka, Tamati Ellison
Conversions: Colin Slade (1)
Penalties: Colin Slade (2)

By Richard Ferguson

The Cheetahs led 18 – 6 at half time, before further penalties and a late Reds try resulted in a final score of 27 – 13.

Piet van Zyl scored two tries for the Cheetahs, one an opportunistic try against the run of play, an another from a great break. This set up the Cheetahs, along with the help of Elgar Watts’ boot, for a surprising win over the Reds. Watts kicked 17 points by way of a conversion and five penalties to put the result beyond doubt.

The Reds looked the better of the two teams on attack, but failed to finish off any move. They lacked the patience that resulted in them being named champions two years ago, making elementary errors throughout the match. Will Genia was the worst of the lot, not finding touch with penalties and looked in disarray.

The Cheetahs were patient with ball in hand, an approach that worked on the night as they continued to put points on the board through penalties. Even though the Reds scored a late try to reduce the deficit to fourteen points, the match was over as a contest before that. Watts’ penalties hurt the Reds as they were never in the match, on the field or on the scoreboard.

The forward pack was the difference between the two teams, the Cheetahs dominating the set pieces and giving the backline freedom to run. The Reds might feel hard done by, having an early try ruled out by the TMO, yet another dubious decision. The try that stood at the end of the match, also referred, clearly showed a forward pass, but the TMO deemed the try to stand, so it evened out at the end. It was a terrible weekend in terms of TMO decisions, Craig Joubert referring anything and everything to the fourth ref when he could easily have made a decision on the park.

The Reds now head to Cape Town to face the returning Stormers while the Cheetahs go to Port Elizabeth to tackle the Kings.

Cheetahs: 27 (18)

Tries: Piet van Zyl (2)
Conversions: Elgar Watts (1)
Penalties: Elgar Watts (5)

Reds: 13 (6)

Tries: Ben Lucas
Conversions: Quade Cooper (1)
Penalties: Quade Cooper (2)

By Richard Ferguson

The Brumbies led 13-6 at halftime and, despite losing a man to the bin on 50 minutes, led 22-19 with 20 to play.

But, as he did a week ago against the Stormers, Barnes produced a moment that gave the Waratahs momentum and ultimately the match.

The Tahs replacement flyhalf, being nursed back to the run-on XV after two months out of the game, excelled in the last 30 minutes. He showed excellent decision-making and control and scored the try that reduced the deficit to just one point.

Winger Peter Betham then put the Tahs ahead with three minutes to play and the Brumbies so nearly stole the result in the final minute. The Brumbies maul was held up just short of the Tahs line and the hosts won a turnover scrum. It proved to be the final act of the game.

The Wallabies 25-strong squad gets announced on Sunday and several players impressed. Brumbies fullback Jesse Mogg was the pick of the backs and Michael Hooper was as good as George Smith. Ben Mowen also played well against his former teammates but not well enough to prevent a first loss in four starts.

The Brumbies hammered the Tahs in the early season fixture.

Scorers
Waratahs – Tries: Michael Hooper, Berrick Barnes, Peter Betham. Conversions: Barnes (2). Penalties: Brendan McKibbin (2), Barnes.
Brumbies – Tries: Ben Mowen, Tevita Kuridrani. Penalties: Christian Lealiifano, Jesse Mogg (3).

The hosts led 13-3 at halftime.

It represented a dramatic turnaround from the Blues five tries to nil early season success against the Crusaders in Auckland.

The Crusaders have notoriously been slow campaign starters and this season is proving no different. The side that hammered the Blues is playing differently to the disinterested lot of two months ago. The style has also reverted from the ineffective side to side attack to a more direct and aggressive approach.

The All Blacks wider training group gathers on Sunday and the senior All Blacks made a statement to the many would be All Blacks in the squad with a dominant display.

All Blacks captain Kieran Read was imposing in his first match back in seven weeks, locks Sam Whitelock and Luke Romano were massive and Owen Franks showed his best form of the year.

Dan Carter was a monster in defence on a night when Tom Taylor did all the goalkicking.

The Blues enjoyed a strong opening quarter but failed to translate this into points and once Taylor put the Crusaders ahead with a penalty the hosts never relinquished their hold on the game.

It was a lesson to the younger Blues players and their back three, in particular, now have an experience of going to Christchurch and getting swamped in the tackle.

The Crusaders are showing championship-winning form at the same time as they did last year, but coach Todd Blackadder will be cautious about a repeat of 2012 when his form players took the form into the Test month but returned fatigued and failed to make Super Rugby’s final.

Scorers
Crusaders – Tries: Ryan Crotty, Owen Franks. Conversions: Tom Taylor (2). Penalties: Taylor (3).
Blues – Penalty: Chris Noakes.