Can We Do It on a Cold, Wet, Saturday Night in Auckland?

New Zealand vs South Africa - A Classic Awaits!

As far as litmus tests go, facing the All Blacks in Eden Park is THEE test for any rugby team (oh, pipe down football with your "Cold, Wet, Tuesday Night in Stoke" equivalent). Unbeaten in Auckland since 1994, haven't lost there to the Springboks since 1937 (you know, a year BEFORE Adolf Hitler was voted as Time's "Man of the Year"), it is no wonder Kiwi fans call it the "Garden of Eden" - wait, don't the Cape Crusaders call Newlands that? This Springbok team seems to believe that they have what it takes, but this will be a test that shows how close/far we are to the top. After smashing their voodoo in Brisbane against Australia last week, can they do it on a cold, wet... You know the rest. 

Smells Like Team Spirit 

There is a vibe of optimistic confidence on the Bok-supporting side of Twitter, belief that we can get our first win in New Zealand since 2009. Is it justified? Well, after probably the most complete performance by the Springboks last week in Brisbane since the 2009 glory days, you have to feel that there is reason for confidence. Oh, and how many wins do we have? 9 in a row? 

What is most noticeable is the great team spirit and unity that the Class of 2013 seem to have. That team spirit huh? That quirky, almost as lame as the "Grey handshake" "transfer of the heart" celebration the Boks do after every try is probably its most telling sign of unity. If that celebration ever stops (and is not replaced by some sort of Juan de Jongh/Gio Aplon dance), we should know that there are problems with the vibe in the Boks. Well, long may the team spirit stay - I might even start trying it with my mates. No? Okay.

The Bok scrum has taken to the scrum laws like Coenie Oosthuizen has taken to a drinks special at the Mystic Boer in Bloemfontein, giving former zombies Beast Mtawarira and Jannie du Plessis energy that they desperately lacked in 2012. Meyer has gone for extra penalties horse power in the scrum by picking Flip van der Merwe to pair up with Eben Etzebeth in order to exploit a vulnerable Kiwi scrum. But they sacrifice the lineout nous that Juandre Kruger provides, which could be used to exploit starting hooker Dane Coles' throwing. The loose forward trio was immense in Brisbane, with Duane Vermeulen finally announcing himself on the world stage. But Kieran Read and co will pose a different challenge to those passive Aussies who "rucked" as if they were having an anti-war in Syria protest.

The backline has improved beyond recognition when it comes to taking chances and making use of the good ball the forwards give to them - could that all be contributed to Willie le Roux? Well, Morne Steyn standing much flatter, and distributing well helps, along with Jean de Villiers being back to his attacking best and JJ Engelbrecht offering his great running ability at 13. Steyn and Ruan Pienaar might well be in their element in a wet Auckland, giving them opportunity to kick for territory. Bryan Habana is still Habana-ing out there on the left wing and even Kirchner has transformed some of his critics to form a Zane-train! By the way, Willie, we need to talk about that failed pirouette you did after your try in Brissy...

"Ohhhh, I wanna dance with somebody!"

But Before You Uncork that Champagne... 

It was only 3 weeks ago that we had to endure Mendoza Part II. It looks like the Boks cannot have 2 great test matches on 2 consecutive Saturdays under Heyneke Meyer. In 2013, great performances against Italy and Argentina in Soweto were followed by powderpuff efforts against Scotland and Argentina in Mendoza respectively. And remember how those wins in last year's End of Year Tour cured your insomnia? There are still weaknesses to this Bok team; we seem impotent against teams that actually compete against us at the rucks (like Scotland and Argentina), our kicking has the tendency of being aimless at times (yes, I am looking at you, Ruan Pienaar), JJ's defensive method resembles a nervy teenager trying to hug a girl on the first date (so help him against Ma'a Nonu or "The Bus" Savea), the Ruan Pienaar pause when he clears the ball from the ruck (it is equal to a Jacob Zuma speech pause). These are the marks of a young team still growing together - a team that is not quite ready to be the top dog?

Oh and, we are facing the All Blacks. You know, the guys in 2012 who were the best, most balanced and clinical rugby side I have seen in my 19 years of existence. That team could beat you in a million-and-one ways and had no weakness to speak of, and the 2013 batch is not far from that high standard. This All Blacks team has 4 players with undisputed "best in the world" status (Sam Whitelock, Kieran Read, Dan Carter and Conrad Smith) while the rest have valid claims to being close to that standard. Returns to the side for Owen Franks, Ma'a Nonu and Liam Messam do offset the absence of Sir Richie. Owen will shore up a scrum that was outgunned by Argentina last Saturday, but a scrum that still has the most tightheads (3) in the competition. Whitelock and Retallick are a combination that offers lineout security, great ball carrying ability and immense work-rate. The two are the competition's top tacklers, averaging around 13 tackles a game each. What the team loses in McCaw's greatness will be made up (in part of course) by Messam's energy and sheer physicality in the tackle area, Sam Cane's ball carrying ability and Read's freakishly amazing ability. Liam Messam is so awesome, that his Chiefs team mates have a song about him!

Support for Aaron Smith's claim as the best number 9 in the world seems to grow with each test - find me another scrumhalf that can clear a ruck quicker. The Nonu-Smith centre combo will see a big red flag at JJ's channel. There's not many better than Israel Dagg, Julian Savea and Ben Smith in breaking the line and finishing attacks with 6 tries, 2 try assists and 9 linebreaks between them in the tournament. The battle from the kicking tee between Carter and Steyn is hard to call, but could be where the game is lost (just ask Steyn last year).

But what about last Saturday's game in the rain against Argentina in Hamilton? Sure, they probably tried to force that last pass too much, were outscrummed by the Pumas and they did not have it all their own way in the lineouts when Coles came on. But they still won and scored 3 tries, managed to get a tighthead of their own in the scrums (while not conceding one) and will welcome Owen Franks back for Saturday. The All Blacks have developed a knack of scoring almost immediately after the opposition have scored, which the Boks must find a way to stop to build up pressure on them. You say the All Blacks have not been as good in 2013? I say look at the 2nd test vs France where they shut out the French in a 30-0 win, or the attacking masterclass they gave in the 2nd half of their 47-22 victory against Australia. Players over the hill? Sure the likes of Carter, Nonu, Tony Woodcock and Conrad Smith are not as sprightly as they used to be, but are their counterparts in Green and Gold better players than they are? No Richie McCaw? Any team would miss one of the best players ever, and Sam Cane is no like-for-like replacement, but he aint bad. A surprising selection by coach Steve Hansen was starting Dane Coles and dropping Andrew Hore, who is expected to retire from international rugby this year. This is certainly Coles' biggest test start and his weakness in throwing into lineouts and scrumming will be tested to the limit by the Springboks. 

There is no crying against the Springboks, Dane.

Battle of the Tape 

Player-for-Player, this judge would award it 9-4 to the All Blacks with the Springboks only winning the battles between Bismarck du Plessis and Coles, Etzebeth and Retallick, Francois Louw and Sam Cane and Bryan Habana against Julian Savea with dead heats between the Beast and Woodcock and Jannie against Franks. Experience counts, right? Well the All Blacks win here with 635 starting caps (and 156 caps on the bench - Keven Mealamu providing the bulk of those with 106 caps) compared to the Springboks 582 caps (with 131 on the bench).

In the lineouts, the Boks have opted to go without Kruger but they will still feel that they are favourites with Coles and Mealamu throwing in/hoping the ball does not land in Etzebeth's hands. The scrum will be a titanic battle, especially with Owen Franks returning. But the weak scrumming power that Coles offers (compared to a Hore or Mealamu) gives the Boks a slight advantage here as well. The kicking battle in the rain will be vitalin order to dictate which team will win the territorial battle. Dan Carter and Morne Steyn are 2 masters of tactical kicking. Dagg is a very intelligent kicker, while Kirchner is very familiar with putting foot to ball, but the game could be won by the team that puts the most pressure on the scrumhalves when they kicking. And will the Boks be able to stamp their authority on the aerial duel against the All Black back 3? I doubt it.

The Boks have players that can make a greater impact on their bench. Adriaan Strauss is world class, Coenie epitomises impact, Kruger brings mobility while Siya Kolisi brings extra power, Jano Vermaak brings crisp service and a good running game, Jan Serfontein has shown that he can hold his own at test level and Pat Lambie is a master at playing Angry Birds on his ipad while waiting on the bench. In comparison, Steve Luatua will be a great option to bring on when the game opens up with his great running and ball skills, Tawera Kerr-Barlow is probably even quicker and more of a threat than Vermaak on attack, Beauden Barrett's boot and running ability is more than useful while the experience of Mealamu could be telling. Except for Mealamu, the 7 other players on the All Black bench only have 50 caps between them. Advantage Bokke

So who will win?

The game will be won in the rucks and what platform the forwards give the backs, unfortunately it could be up to the ref as to who holds that advantage. Romain Poite was the referee in Mm-bom-be-la when the Scots interfered with Bok ball at the ruck, and the Boks will do well to learn from that previous experience. South Africa will also do well to learn from what England last year and France in the first test this year did against the All Blacks when it comes to committing numbers and counter-rucking to expose the few people the Kiwis commit to rucks in attack. If Poite is true to form, he will allow cheating a contest in the rucks, which probably favours the All Black team (judging by the Boks experiences this year). But is Coles the ball winner that Andrew Hore is? Is Sam Cane as influential as Richie McCaw? Will the All Blacks force the passes in the rain on Saturday like they did against Argentina? 

If this game was played at anywhere but Eden Park, I'd be confident in predicting a Springbok win, with the advantage they hold in the set piece, watertight defence and superior bench, but Eden Park and the class that the All Blacks have is too much to ignore. The Springboks might be just a year off from being able to do it "on a cold, wet Saturday night in Auckland", or my #PredictionCurse could work a charm for the men in green and gold.

7 Lessons from the June Tests

After the end of the 2013 June Incoming Tour, I look back at what I have observed from the June tests:

3 tests, 3 wins, 130 points for and only 50 points conceded! Yes, it was only Italy, Scotland and Samoa, but the job still had to be done – and as we saw against Scotland, the job was not so easy sometimes! Heyneke Meyer said that the Incoming Tour was about more than winning, it would also be used to blood in new players into the Bok test setup and to further develop our game plan. With 26 players representing the Green and Gold in June and popular opinion being that the Boks have moved forward with their tactics, it seems as if Meyer might have achieved his objectives. This is what else I gleaned from the June tests:


CHAMPIONS... Of Italy, Scotland and Samoa

1.        Heyneke Meyer is not a Dinosaur, and Willie le Roux is proof of this!

Before the June test series, most Bok fans that Heyneke Meyer was born many centuries ago due to the pre-historic tactics he used in 2012. Remember 2012’s European tour and how painfully boring and unimaginative the Springboks were playing? While we were unbeaten in the UK and Ireland, the one-off runners, the aerial bombs, the rolling mauls, Jean de Villiers refusing to acknowledge the existence of his outside centre, Pat Lambie being turned into Derrick Hougaard will be the mental scars that stay with us forever. It was worrying for Bok fans, as it looked like Meyer would pursue an archaic game plan of bullying teams into submission with our burly forwards and kicking the Gilbert off the rugby ball.

For a moment you had us worried there!

The June series showed encouraging signs that the Boks have moved forward from the game plan that made Stoke City Football Club look like a more attacking rugby club – and Willie le Roux was a big reason why! Meyer used le Roux as a second receiver (or what some rugby hipsters might call a “false 10”) that came into the backline, added pace to the attack and able to put away others into space, just like how Naka Drotske used his Willie in Bloemfontein (okay that came out wrong). The second receiver coming in from deep is a tactic used by Australian teams and utilises depth and the pace of le Roux to put outside backs into space. Maybe Meyer was slowly strengthening parts of our game plan one-by-one, starting with the defence and set pieces and developing the attack this year. Now if we can ruck with more precision and ensure quick ball for the scrum-half, le Roux and the Bok team can shine in attack and the rugby of 2012 will become a distant memory. But the match against Scotland in Mmbombela showed that the Boks must adapt to the interpretations of the referee at ruck time or our attacking will lose out.

2.        We have Forgotten the Lessons of November

The November tour of 2012 was not a complete waste, was it? There were 2 big positives about that tour – our very strong set piece and our watertight defence. Now where did those two things vanish to??

Our scrum is solid enough most times, but when Coenie Oosthuizen replaces Jannie du Plessis at tighthead, our scrum comes under unnecessary pressure and concedes crucial penalties. While Coenie is a good loosehead prop, he is not a tighthead of test rugby standard and Meyer should rather blood in the likes of Lourens Adriaanse and Wiehan Herbst at 3 than Coenie. The Bok lineout had a few hiccups in the 1^st half vs Scotland and will come under more pressure against astute lineout managers like Sam Whitelock and James Horwill in the Rugby Championships. Our defence is a bit of a concern. The Bok team has gone from conceding 1 try in 3 tests against Ireland, Scotland and England away to conceding 5 tries against weaker opposition at home. In November, the team used more of a drift defence system with the opposition rarely getting over the advantage line. But in the June tests, defenders were shooting out of the line, missing one-on-one tackles and made Scotland look almost unstoppable in attack. This shooting out of line business must stop, as the savvy Antipodiean attackers will exploit the spaces that this haphazard defence structure creates. Maybe it was complacency against weaker teams, but the Boks must revert to the defensive structure that they had in Europe last year going forward.

3.        The New Kids are all right!

Apart from players such as Oosthuizen, Strauss, Eben Etzebeth, Juandre Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Francois Louw and Marcel Coetzee, who became Bok regulars last year, being given more game time in this June test series, 9 players debuted or got their first real run in the Bok jersey in the test series. And all of those players proved that they have a future in the Green and Gold. Trevor Nyakane proved in one scrum against the cult figure Martin Castrogiovanni of Italy that he can shake it in international rugby and can make the necessary impact in a test match. Arno Botha and Siya Kolisi put in man of the match displays in the first 2 tests, adding to the array of great talent we have in the loose forward department. Jano Vermaak put in a tidy performance against Italy before his hamstring pulled up after 50 minutes and Piet van Zyl brought in a lot of energy as a replacement scrum-half in the last 2 tests. Jan Serfontein might have been on for not much more than 10 minutes in the 3 tests, but he showed all his power and determination in the late try he scored against Scotland. Bjorn Basson rarely put a foot wrong on the wing, finished the opportunities presented to him and towered above the rest under the high ball. JJ Engelbrecht (against my expectations) was a revelation at outside centre (although I maintain he could be a world-class wing) – if he is given a bit of space, he is gone! While the tackling and his option-taking must improve for him to be a great centre, and bigger tests will come in the Rugby Championships, he will not give up the 13 jersey easily. Willie le Roux is like South Africa’s own jack russell, we will overlook the fur on the couch and the little pee on the carpet as long as he carries on doing those amazing little tricks. Le Roux will become house trained at test level, and I am willing to overlook the odd Willie le Roux™ (that will be the name of the ‘chip kick’ if le Roux’s agents have any brains and they trademark it) and wayward pass as long as he keeps playing like he did in the series. While we missed the likes of Pat Cilliers, Andries Bekker, Duane Vermeulen, Willem Alberts (for two tests), Francois Hougaard, Johan Goosen, Francois Steyn, Juan de Jongh and JP Pietersen from the initial squad, the new boys did very well and another layer of depth has been added to the Bok setup.

"Whose a good boy?!"

4.        I will miss Morné Steyn a lot :(

It is a rollercoaster relationship that Bok fans have with Morné Steyn, going from the highs of scoring all 31 points against the All Blacks in Durban in 2009 to the lows of being dropped from the Bok squad for the home Rugby Championships matches in 2012. At that time I remarked that Steyn should go to play in Europe to regain his confidence, but now that he is about to leave I don’t wanna say goodbye! Steyn has shown great resolve to re-establish himself as South Africa’s number one Number 10, even outstripping the acting talents of Colin Moss. Helped massively by both Bulls and Bok packs rucking better and getting quicker ball, Steyn is now lining up MUCH flatter in attack (last year he stood outside the stadium, he was so deep), engaging defenders and creating chances for team mates in attack. While le Roux should receive all the praise for his input in our backline, it is Steyn’s distribution to le Roux and him standing flatter that gives le Roux the time and space to put others away. After the end of the Super Rugby tournament, Steyn will move north to Paris to join Stade Francais, and with Goosen injured, Elton Jantjies struggling with his form and Lambie looking very limited in attack for the Sharks, no other flyhalf will give us the all round game that Morné Steyn is giving us currently.


"Sorry, could you repeat that? Was that an apology?"

 5.        Francois Louw might need a divorce

I am sure the new Mrs Louw is a lovely lady and young Francois feels like the luckiest man in the world, but the Springboks do not need Francois Louw to suffer the post-marital slump (Bryan Habana and Vet Francois Steyn are undeniable proof of this). The Scotland test in Nelspruit (which Flo missed because of his wedding) gave me nightmarish flashbacks of THAT World Cup Quarterfinal of 2011, where the Boks were like deer-in-the-headlights when our fetcher Heinrich Brussow went off injured. Again, we seemed unable to adapt to the ref’s interpretation of the rucks without a proper fetcher. Now Francois Low, the player that replaced Brussow in that quarterfinal and was totally outwitted by David Pocock has become one of our most valuable, world-class players.

The Brussow politics are well-known and I will not get into that. Coach Meyer’s position (whether right or wrong) is to trust Coetzee and Kolisi to be Flo’s backup. While I admire Coetzee’s energy and commitment, he must learn to become mufective when he does something on the field, be it cleaning out opposition from the ball, making himself a nuisance in the ruck or with tackling. Kolisi (surprisingly to me) deputised pretty well at openside flank, making his tackles, carrying the ball well and he even pilfered a few ruck balls. We all know Kolisi has the power of a moster truck, but Meyer is wary of playing him at blindside flank with Flo and Vermeulen part of the loose trio, as Meyer wants two of his loose forwards to be #lineoutoptions (thanks @flippie_vzyl) in his loose trio. But if Kolisi can start playing more towards the ball like any good fetcher flank does, he certainly has it in him to be Flo’s understudy and many a Bok fan won’t try to annul the marriage.

Beware Flo! It is even more lethal than the Top Billing curse!

6.        This year’s Rugby Championship will be a helluva lot closer than last year’s

New Zealand ran away into the distance last year, finishing off unbeaten in last year’s Rugby Championships, but judging by the tests in June (albeit one test for Australia against the British & Irish Lions), this will be quite a humdinger of a Rugby Championship!

New Zealand whitewashed a motivated and competitive French side. Their 2^nd test in Christchurch showed that the All Blacks are almost untouchable when they’re switched on. The precise and destructive rucking and counter-rucking, a pinpoint kicking game which pinned the French back in their half for long periods, a lineout led by the best number 5 in world rugby (Sam Whitelock), the Black Wall that kept the French scoreless in the 2^nd test and managed to not concede a try against the French for almost 180 minutes and a capable scrum (probably their only weak point) compliments the attacking play we all salivate about (just look at Beauden Barrett’s try from test 2). But, the other two tests and that test last year in Twickenham show signs that it won’t be a Blackout in this competition. France and England showed that if you put their scrum under pressure, don’t allow the Kiwis to cross the advantage line in attack and expose the lack of numbers that they commit to the rucks in attack by flooding their rucks, you could leave the Kiwis lost as to what to do in attack. The other 3 teams can certainly expose the frailties shown by the English and the French in the last 4 All Black tests.

For all intents and purposes, the Wallabies really should’ve won the first test against the Lions after leaving 14 points on the field in a 2-point loss. The scrum stood up to a much hyped-up Lions pack, their attack opened up the Lions defence often enough and the Wallabies rucked brilliantly by slowing the Lions ball down and ensuring quick ball for themselves. And all of this was done with 3 of the Wallabies’ outside backs being injured after 45 minutes! Still, dodgy set pieces, selection issues, limited depth, a coach that might be fired at the end of the Lions series are weaknesses that leave them vulnerable against the other teams.

While the Argies got slaughtered by the beetroot-coloured English team, players such as Juan-Martin Fernandez Lobbe and other first choice players were rested for the test series which makes it tricky to judge how good the Argentinians will be in the Rugby Championships. Last year, they got a pasting from the French in the June series but then performed admirably in the competition. With more experience and nous in the competition, the Argentinians will be difficult to beat again (especially at home).

The Boks might not have had the toughest preparation, but they certainly showed that they are strong enough to seriously compete for the Rugby Championships. If the Boks can combine the attacking endeavour shown in this test series with the defensive solidity and set-piece strength shown last November, the Boks can beat all comers!

Super Rugby 2013 Preview: South African Conference

In my third and final Super Rugby preview blog, I look closely at the teams in the South African Conference.



It will be a battle indeed!

With all the criticism of Heyneke Meyer and the Springboks last season, it is easy to forget that the South African Conference contributed 3 teams (Bulls, Sharks and Stormers) to the 6-team knockout stages, had one (the Stormers) at the top of the overall log in the regular season and had another (the Sharks) contest in the final! But on the other side of the log, the Lions were rock bottom of the overall log, with only 3 wins in the whole season.

The disappointing results and performances of the Lions last season (and, to be frank, in seasons before that) has meant that the Lions have been removed from the competition by the South African Rugby Union (SARU) in favour of the Southern Kings, a franchise representing the Eastern and Southern Cape region, who will play their matches in Port Elizabeth at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. You could write a book about the circumstances leading to the promotion of the Kings and how SARU has messed this situation up for the Lions and Kings alike, but this blog will focus more on what will happen on the rugby field. Safe to say, there are a lot of pissed off people in Johannesburg!

What will add some drama to the SA Conference is the threat of a promotion/relegation match against the Lions at the end of the Super Rugby season for the team that finishes at the bottom of the SA Conference. While the Kings are the overwhelming favourites to finish bottom, the Cheetahs and even the Bulls will have to be weary as well, especially if injury strikes on their influential senior players. The Cheetahs will be looking for more consistency and to build on the fantastic Australasian tour they had last season. The Bulls will know that if luck goes their way, they could finish top of the Conference, but if they are unlucky, they could finish bottom as well. The Stormers and Sharks will be expecting to finish top of the Conference (or even the overall log), and gaining home advantage for the playoff matches in order to finally win that elusive Super Rugby title. 5 teams at different phases of their development and with different expectations, hoping that they (at the very least) avoid the South African wooden spoon. This Conference will be a do-or-die affair!

BULLS

Hougaard was all dressed up with nowhere to go!

 Last Year: A season that started with relatively modest expectations ended with the Bulls beaten in the playoffs - and it could easily have ended with the Bulls topping the overall log. After losing over 500 caps of Super Rugby experience, with the likes of Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Fourie du Preez and Danie Rossouw moving on, the three-time champions were expected to struggle through this year's competition. But the Bulls got off to a great start in the campaign, and were even topping the overall log in Round 12. But 2 losses to the Stormers and 2 wins in the last 6 rounds meant that the Bulls dropped from top and just about snuck into 5th place, thanks to a bonus point win against the Lions in the last round. The Bulls then travelled to Christchurch for their playoff game, where they were completely outclassed by the Crusaders.  While players and fans alike should be proud of making it into the playoffs in the first season of a new era at Loftus, the Bulls know at the back of their mind that the Conference was there for the taking. 

Key Players: More than ever, it is time for captain Pierre Spies to step up and lead from the front this season. His work rate and effectiveness on the field has to improve, not only for the team's sake but for his own Bok aspirations as well, because Duane Vermeulen and Ryan Kankowski have leapfrogged him in the Springbok 8th man pecking order. Hopefully Spies is not used just as a crash-ball option in attack, but also as a runner in the centre channel where his power and athleticism can be more effective. The Bulls conceded the most points out of the teams that made the knockout stages last season, and a reason for that could be the lack of a fetcher for most of the competition. The flank combination of Dewald Potgieter and Jacques Potgieter lacked versatility and dynamism at the end of the season, due to both players playing in a similar way. With Deon Stegmann finally injury-free, the Bulls now have a fetcher that can slow down opposition ball in the rucks and even make a few vital steals when the team is under pressure. This will allow the Potgieters to continue their jobs as human wrecking balls, giving more balance to the loose trio. Watch out for Arno Botha as well this season, who could be used off the bench as a ball carrying, high energy impact player later in the game. The lock pairing of Juandrè Kruger and Flip van der Merwe was one of the best in the competition last season, as they offered safe options in the lineout. Flip contributed by bulldozing through rucks and mauls and Kruger was a helpful ball carrier in loose play. Chiliboy Ralepelle, who probably had his best season last season, will be looking to continue that form this season with his his work-rate and pilfering skills. Young and dynaminc Callie Visage, brought from the Lions, will be Chiliboy's back up hooker. A weakness for the Bulls last season was penalties conceded, and the discipline of props Dean Greyling and Werner Kruger in the scrums and in general play must surely improve if the Bulls have any title aspirations. The pair conceded 52 penalties between them and were 2nd and 4th for most penalties conceded respectively.

In the backs, the country's eyes will be on the halfbacks Francois Hougaard and Mornè Steyn for different reasons. Hougaard wants to prove to the country and the Bok coach Heyneke Meyer that he is not just a talented utility player, but a scrumhalf that has aspirations to be the best in the world. While Hougaard's decision-making, box kicking and passing could improve, nobody can deny how dangerous of a runner he is from broken play and around the fringes. Steyn will be moving to France after this Super Rugby campaign and will be looking for some sort of redemption from the bad season he had with the Boks. Handrè Pollard and Louis Fouchè will be looking for chances to prove that they are the heirs to Steyn's 10 jersey. The centre combination of Wynand Olivier and Lions loanee Lionel Mapoe promises much in terms of physicality and attacking potential. Both are hard running centres and hopefully Mapoe's presence could help the Bulls backline from being similar to a turnstile in defence. Jan Serfontein, last year's IRB u20 Player of the Tournament (at only 19 years old!), will be looking to make the huge step up from age grade rugby to Super Rugby. JJ Engelbrecht, who's attacking play at centre impressed many, might be utilised more in the wing this season with the acquisition of Mapoe. Him, the experienced Akhona Ndungane and Bjorn Basson (tied for most tries in the tournament last season) are two very good finishers and are experts at winning balls from the air, should Steyn employ kick-chase tactics. The ever-dependable (but much-criticised) Zane Kirchner will be a key player from the back for the Bulls. While he is not as special as Israel Dagg, his ability to do the basics really well is an asset for the Bulls and Boks alike.

"All I want is a little respect!"

This Is the Season. . . That Frans Ludeke is put to the test

Funny that I am writing this about a coach that has won this competition twice already, but this will be a season where Ludeke's expertise will be tested. Last season he lost the majority of his senior players, but still managed to get the Bulls through to the playoffs. This season he faces a different task completely, with expectations increased from last season, more potentially in playoff contention and losing the majority of his coaching and management staff (including forwards coach Johann van Graan, backline coach Ricardo Loubscher and defence coach John McFarland) to Heyneke Meyer and the Springboks. Now Pine Pienaar has taken over the defence and Bulls legend Victor Matfield will be coaching the forwards and coordinating the attack. With such an inexperienced coaching panel, can Ludeke make it work? Ludeke has also pointed out that the lack of squad rotation was the reason the performances of the Bulls tailed off near the end of the competition and has vowed to rotate more and change things in terms of player conditioning. Ludeke's biggest test though will be trying to get the best out of his underperforming stars such as Spies, Hougaard and Steyn, who will be vital to the Bulls campaign for the playoffs.

Slaughtering the Bulls: There are probably two theories as to how to beat the Bulls. One is to front up to their forwards by gaining parity in the set pieces, stopping their massive ball carriers from going over the advantage line and making their pack go backwards. This renders Hougaard and Steyn ineffective and the Bulls usually have no answer for this if it works. This worked very well for the Sharks and Stormers last season. The other theory is to make the game have as high a tempo as possible (with quick taps and quick lineouts to stay away from the Bulls strong points, like set pieces) and make the heavy Bulls forwards run around the field the whole game to tire them out, which is what the Blues did at Loftus last season. The problem is the plan could backfire at Loftus, because it is in high altitude and players not from there tire easier. In both theories there are a few constants: attack the Bulls scrum which is known to concede penalties, play with a fetcher that can disrupt the Bulls momentum in attack and steal the ball from the Bulls one-off runners, attack the Bulls fringe defence which is usually slow and lazy, big loose forwards and centres can attack Steyn's channel and test his suspect defence, and make the Bulls play in their territory, as their attack is far less likely to break your defence down from their territory.

Prediction: 8th (3rd in South African Conference)
The Bulls are part of a pack of about 6 teams that could potentially make the playoffs, but could also languish outside of the top 10 if they suffer many injuries. The Bulls have forwards that can dominate the set piece, control the rucks and mauls, a backline full of try-scorers (top points scorers in the South African Conference last year, and a 80% kicker like Mornè Steyn who accumulates points very easily (2nd highest points scorer in the competition last season when his kicking was less than 80%). But this young squad probably won't perform in the consistency required to qualify for the playoffs. It could be an up-and-down season for the franchise, and fans may have to get used to Ludeke explaining that the team is still in a "rebuilding phase" this season.

Squad: Akhona Ndungane, Arno Botha, Bjorn Basson, Bongi Mbonambi, Callie Visagie, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Clayton Blommetjies, Dawie Steyn, Dean Greyling, Deon Stegmann, Dewald Potgieter, Flip van der Merwe, Francois Hougaard, Francois Venter, Frik Kirsten, Grant Hattingh, Handrè Pollard, Jan Serfontein, Jano Vermaak, Jacques Potgieter, Jacques du Plessis, JJ Engelbrecht, Juandrè Kruger, Jürgen Visser, Lionel Mapoe, Louis Fouchè, Marcel van der Merwe, Mornè Mellett, Mornè Steyn, Paul Willemse, Pierre Spies,  Shaun Adendorff, Tony Jantjies, Travis Ismaiel, Ulrich Beyers, Werner Kruger, Wiaan Liebenberg, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Willie Wepener, William Small-Smith, Wynand Olivier, Zane Kirchner.

Teams that they don't Play: Chiefs and Force

CHEETAHS

Captain Fantastic on the prowl again!

Last Year: A great start to the campaign by the Cheetahs was undermined by losses at home in the second half of the competition, which killed off their hopes of making the playoffs. Setting off to Australasia with two home losses, expectations were not high, but the Cheetahs performed well overseas, returning with 2 wins from 4 in their Australasian tour and were a dark horse to make the playoffs with so many home matches remaining, but the Cheetahs only won 3 more matches out of 10 in South Africa, with a huge turning point coming when Johan Goosen got injured against the Highlanders. The Cheetahs were not the same team after that, only winning against the Waratahs when Goosen was out, underlining the importance of the then 20 year old to the team.

Key Players: As mentioned before, Cheetahs fans will be hoping Johan Goosen will stay injury free this tournament. Goosen's all round game is important to the Cheetahs, as it gives this free running team structure when it needs it and Goosen's decision making is usually correct as to whether to run and unleash his dangerous outside backs or to kick downfield. Francois Brummer will be the one relied on to play at flyhalf if Goosen goes down. Bigger does not always equate to better in Bloemfontein, shown by the comparatively small centre combination of Johann Sadie and Robert Ebersohn. While it could get difficult in defence for these two, the running lines and quick feet of both centres could cut up any defence to shreds in this competition. Sadie especially will be looking for some redemption after his failed one-year stint at the Bulls. If the team needs any size at centre, then the big (but limited in skillsand brains) JP Nel could be called upon. Willie le Roux established himself as one of the most dangerous counter-attackers in the competition last season and will be looking to punish more teams that kick the ball aimlessly down his throat. Amidst all this attacking talent, the tall but reliable Hennie Daniller will have a part to play this season if cool heads are needed too. After a stellar Currie Cup debut season, a lot will be expected of the dangerous Raymond Rhule who will be tested at this level, but has the composure, the power and the gas to make a success out of it. The Cheetahs are blessed with skill, experience and depth at scrumhalf, with 2011 Super Rugby Player of the year Sarel Pretorius making a return from the Waratahs, the impressive youngster Piet van Zyl and the dependable Tewis de Bruyn fighting for the scrumhalf shirt. See below why the Cheetahs are one of the most exciting teams in the competition!

Captain Adriaan Strauss had a massive breakthrough season internationally and will be expected to be the one leading the team from the front this year. The man is everywhere on the rugby field, making runs, putting in big tackles and effecting turnover ball from the ruck. The loss of WP Nel will be felt, but in Trevor Nyakane, the Cheetahs have one of the best young tightheads in the country. Nyakane has impressed when he has played and will be looking to the swashbuckling Coenie Oosthuizen to guide him this season as well. Coenie will be hoping his neck injuries are a thing of the past so that he can continue destroying tightheads, carrying ball, scoring tries and giving Heinrich Brüssow a run for his money for stealing balls in rucks. Brüssow will be motivated by the success of Francois Louw in the Springboks last season to prove that he is one of the best fetchers in the Southern Hemisphere. With big ball carrier and impact player, Ashley Johnson gone, a lot will be asked of Phillip van der Walt and Justin Downey to try and fill the gap left by Johnson by taking up more responsibility with ball carrying, making more tackles and hitting rucks.

This Is the Season. . . That the Cheetahs contest for the playoffs.
They were threatening to do it in the early part of last season, but could this be the season that the Cheetahs sneak into the playoffs? They have a similar fixture list to last season, with one home game against the Sharks before jetting off to Australasia to face the Chiefs, Highlanders, Waratahs and the Force. 3 wins from those first 5 matches, and they will be set to compete, with 7 home matches and 4 other matches in the rest of South Africa remaining. If the Cheetahs can win at least 7 of those, history states that they will at least be in contention. It is do-able! But for the Cheetahs to have any hope of making it that far, the likes of Strauss, Oosthuizen, Brüssow, Pretorius, Goosen, Ebersohn and le Roux will have to stay fit for the majority of the season, and their defence has to improve too. Coach Naka Drotske will be the one tasked with managing these key players effectively and hopefully fixing a defence that conceded an average of 29 points a match. Far too much if a team wants to make the playoffs

Mauling the Cheetahs: No team loves running the ball more from anywhere on the field than the Cheetahs,  and not many teams could beat the Cheetahs if the game becomes very loose (ask the Hurricanes last season). This means that teams need to slow down the tempo of the game and keep the game as tight as possible. With the losses of George Earle and Izak van der Westhuizen, the Cheetahs locks aren't as strong as they used to be, which means that teams could hurt them in the set pieces as well (especially the lineouts). If you deny the Cheetahs ball for most of the game and take Brüssow out of the equation by running into him and making him the tackler, the Cheetahs defence will give you opportunities to score. Large Fruean, Nonu type centres will be fancying their chances of running through a 10-12-13 combination of Goosen-Sadie-Ebersohn. But be warned, if you kick the ball down aimlessly and give the Cheetahs backline players space, they will hurt you!

Prediction: 12th (4th in the South African Conference)
A lot has to go right for the Cheetahs to get into the top 6, and they have to rely on injury-prone players such as Brüssow, Oosthuizen and Goosen in order to get far in this tournament. Chances are they will have injuries to key players and they will have to rely on what is a wafer-thin squad in order to do the business. If things get really bad, the Cheetahs could find themselves in a dog-fight with the Kings to avoid the promotion/relegation match. But with the experience of winning two matches in Australasia last season and the run of 11 matches in a row in South Africa from round 7 onwards, the Cheetahs should get enough wins to avoid bottom of the SA log, but not enough to get into the business end of the competition. The Cheetahs will probably be the worst of a bunch of teams looking to make the playoffs.

Squad: Laurens Adriaanse, Ryno Barnes, Ryno Benjamin, Jannie Boshoff, Francois Brummer, Heinrich Brüssow, Hennie Danniller, Tewis de Bruyn, Lodewyk de Jager, Rossouw de Klerk, Robert Ebersohn, Joubert Engelbrecht, Andries Ferreira, Barry Geel, Johan Goosen, Rocco Jansen, Pieter Labuschagne, Ligtoring Landman, Willie le Roux, Hercu Liebenberg, Martin Muller, JP Nel, Dusty Noble, Trevor Nyakane, Caylib Oosthuizen, Coenie Oosthuizen, Sarel Pretorius, Boom Prinsloo, Davon Raubenheimer, Raymond Rhule, Johann Sadie, Nico Scheepers, Marnus Schoeman, Riaan Smit, Adriaan Strauss, Francois Uys, Philip van der Walt, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Pieter van Zyl, Waltie Vermeulen, Elgar Watts.

Teams that they don't Play: Crusaders and Brumbies

KINGS

Background: The Southern Kings represent the Eastern and the Southern Cape region of South Africa and this will be their first foray into the competition, amid a cloud of controversy. With SARU promising them entrance into the Super Rugby tournament in 2013, SARU (after failed attempts to enter 6 South African teams into the competition) decided to relegate the worst placed team of last season, the Lions in favour of the Kings, without any promotion/relegation match, which left the Lions fuming. But SARU has not made things easier for the Kings, with them not being exempt from relegation this season if they finish bottom of the South African conference, and only being allowed 3 foreign players in their squad in their first season (although they have put in 5 in their squad), it will be a backs-against-the-wall effort. 

Key Players: Not too many players in the squad have as much Super Rugby experience as captain Luke Watson, who was a hit at Bath in England, before coming back to help his home province. The loose trio he forms with Daniel Adongo - a player that impressed for Counties Manukau in the ITM Cup in New Zealand last season - and Tomas Leonardi - a 15 capped Argentine international 8th man - is formidable at the least. Former Blitzbok Mpho Mbiyozo adds depth and some dynamism to the loose forward department. The talented Bandise Maku has also come back home to help out the Kings from the Lions and his ball carrying and accurate throwing in the lineouts will be needed. Steven Sykes is an experienced campaigner at lock signed from the Sharks, looking to lead a young, inexperienced tight five through this campaign. Prop stocks are relatively bare, with the Kings having to rely on journeymen such as Ross Geldenhuys from the Cheetahs, former Stormer Schalk Ferreira and former Bull Jaco Engels.

At least the Kings can call upon the flyhalf that won the Currie Cup final for Western Province last year, the Greek god Demetri Catrakilis. He has been steadily improving during his time in Cape Town and now that he knows he is the first choice flyhalf, he can express himself more and take more responsibility in a team where people are not expecting much. Catrakilis should be receiving great service from Nicolas Vergallo, an Argentine international scrumhalf signed from French powerhouses Toulouse - a welcome addition to the competition. A centre combination of tough-tackling Andries Strauss and hard running Waylon Murray (signed from the Lions) won't be the worst in the competition and could cause some damage if given front-foot ball. The centre combination has enough experience and creativity to release the experienced outside backs like Michael Killian (also from the Lions) and the recruit from the Blues Hadleigh Parkes - two players that know about crossing the whitewash in Super Rugby. Parkes has a big boot that can bail the team out of their territory as well. Watch out for young centre Siyanda Grey from Grey High School in Port Elizabeth, whose great on his feet and is good ball runner.

A lot will be required of the guy with the ball!



This Is the Season. . . That the Eastern Cape finally gets some Super Rugby!

Finally, the time has arrived! The Eastern Cape, a hot bed of rugby talent, can finally claim a Super Rugby team as their own. It is almost damning how little Super Rugby is played here, considering the strength of the school rugby in the region and the players such as Luke Watson, Bandise Maku, Michael Killian, Keegan Daniel, Siya Kolisi, Bjorn Basson, Dewald Potgieter and Lwazi Mvovo being products of the region. Looking at the bigger picture, the addition of the Kings not only offers chances to players (especially of colour) in the region the chance to play in the best provincial tournament in the world (well in theory anyway), but it also offers the chance for black rugby-mad supporters to watch games of the highest quality regularly when they could not before. Before, people in the Eastern Cape could hope for maybe one test match a year and would have to travel about 600kms to get to the closest city with Super Rugby matches (Bloemfontein). But now the people in the province, especially young aspiring rugby players, can watch the best of the best on a weekly basis and be encouraged to emulate their heroes and become the heroes of tomorrow. Now isn't THAT what transformation is about? 

Prediction: 15th (5th in the South African Conference)
Unfortunately, opposition teams will be less charitable on the field and the step up from effectively 1st division rugby to Super Rugby will be a massive one. If the players with Super Rugby experience can stay fit throughout the season, the Kings have a chance at finishing fourth and avoiding the promotion/relegation match against their friends, the Lions. Unfortunately, this tournament has a notoriously high attrition rate and if the key players are injured, you are left with the squad that got beaten 69-20 over two matches last year in the Currie Cup promotion/relegation match by the Cheetahs. If the Kings could get a win against the Force first up, then maybe they could drag themselves out of the bottom. But, as history suggests, new teams usually finish bottom of the log after their first seasons - just ask the Force and the Rebels. At least these 16 matches will be great preparation for the 2 vital matches against the Lions.

Squad: Kevin Buys, Jaco Engels, Schalk Ferreira, Ross Geldenhuys, Lizo Gqoboka, Hannes Franklin, Virgile Lacombe, Bandise Maku, Edgar Marutlulle, Daniel Adongo, Rynier Bernardo, David Bulbring, Darron Nell, Steven Sykes, Cornell du Preez, Jacques Engelbrecht, Tomas Leonardi, Mpho Mbiyozo, Devin Oosthuizen, Wimpie van der Walt, Luke Watson, Johan Herbst, Scott Mathie, Shaun Venter, Nicolas Vergallo, Demetri Catrakilis, Wesley Dunlop, George Whitehead, Ronnie Cooke, Siyanda Grey, Waylon Murray, Hadleigh Parkes, Wayne Stevens, Andries Strauss, Michael Killian, Sergeal Petersen, Marcello Sampson, SP Marais, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Elric van Vuuren.

Teams that they don't Play: Blues and Reds

SHARKS

In the end, the Sharks season nose-dived like Coetzee

Last Year: Typical Sharks season: Start with high expectations, then play poorly, leave themselves with must-win games, play the best rugby of the season under immense pressure, win matches against all odds, but fall at the final hurdle in the final. The Sharks were already under pressure after losing against the Bulls and Stormers away first up. They found themselves having only won 4 out of their first 9 games, having to win the majority of games to sneak into the playoffs. Won 4 on the trot, including beating the top-of-the-table Stormers in Durban, but then lost inexplicably to the Lions. Then returned  to win the last 2 matches, including beating the Bulls to make it as the last-placed team in the playoffs by a whisker. Then, the unimaginable happened. The Sharks travel to Brisbane, home of the Australian Conference winners, the Reds, for their playoff match and beat them convincingly. They then had to travel back to South Africa to face the league-phase winners, the Stormers, in Cape Town for the semi-final - and they won to inflict the Stormers first loss at home of the season. The final though was in Hamilton New Zealand against the Chiefs, which was one bridge too far for the Sharks, who lost the final and somehow ended up as the runner-up.

Key Players: Not many players in the world had a better season than JP Pietersen, now the best wing in the world (arguably). The Sharks game plan of always looking for the offload suits Pietersen, who can pop up on the flyhalf or centre's shoulder, and has the strength and speed to exploit any sort of space on the field. With John Plumtree stating his intention to play Pat Lambie at flyhalf permanently now, it is now up to the new 'Jockey' ambassador to prove to sceptics (like me) that he can become the real deal at 10. A great buy from the Sharks was the acquisition of Butch James from the Lions, who knows he will play second fiddle to Lambie and the sort of experienced team man any squad needs. The Sharks have a lot of variety in the centres this year, with Francois Steyn playing in his first full Super Rugby tournament since coming back from Racing Metro, the ever-improving Tim Whitehead, a tidy distributor and somebody that can take the gap, the young and exciting Paul Jordaan who has the pace to run around most other outside centres and the not-so-brilliant but reliable Meyer Bosman, a physical customer with a good boot on him to help the flyhalf. Speaking of boots, Steyn's bazooka boot will be valuable to the Sharks this season to help Lambie clear his lines and to gain territory. Steyn's physicality and tendency to offload is one that Jordaan, Whitehead, Pietersen, Lwazi Mvovo or Odwa Ndungane will be looking to benefit from. Mvovo had a very good year last year with his wing work and work rate improving game-by-game and he remains one of the best finishers in the competition. Ndungane will be a valuable and experienced squad member, allowing the other wings to be rotated. Watch out for the lanky but speedy Wandile Mjekevu and quick-footed Sibusiso Sithole, who are two youngsters who will be also waiting for opportunities on the wing. Louis Ludick had a brilliant Currie Cup campaign last season and will be looking to prove that he can make an impact at this level, while Riaan Viljoen will be looking to improve from a decent first season at the Shark Tank. The young, but supremely talented Cobus Reinach seems to have gotten ahead of Charl McLeod and Conrad Hoffmann in the scrumhalf queue, but all three are good enough to do the job and give service to this dangerous backline!

One only has to look at the depth at loose forward to answer why the Sharks are one of the favourites for the trophy this season, as coach John Plumtree has the luxury of picking 3 from the young, but committed Marcell Coetzee, the dynamic ball carriers like captain Keegan Daniel and Ryan Kankowski (who grew in leaps and bounds last season), the big bruisers like Willem Alberts and Jean Deysel, a hardworking fetcher like Jacques Botes and a youngster showing lots of potential in Lubabalo Mthembu. I don't envy the decision you have to make there, Plum! There won't be many better front rows than the Springbok-laden front row of Tendai Mtawarira, the battleship Bismarck du Plessis and the scrum doctor Jannie du Plessis. The dynamic ball carrier, Craig Burden, will be a big impact player for the Sharks this season as well. The Sharks have added some much-needed depth to their lock stock by buying the experienced and hard working Franco van der Merwe from the Lions, who will pair up well with the improving Anton Bresler at lock, with IRB Junior World Cup winner from last year, Pieter-Steph du Toit adding some physicality and mobility to the lock ranks. The Sharks are usually the best in SA when it comes to squad rotation, and they have the squad this year that allows them to rest key players

This Is the Season. . . That Pat Lambie experiences the 'Butch Effect'
In a previous blog, I stated my reservations about Pat Lambie being a flyhalf in the long term, reasoning that his tendency to run with the ball rather than pass it could hamper him from being a world-class flyhalf. But, with the Sharks bringing Butch James into the squad, there is nobody better than him left in South Africa to improve Lambie's distribution game. James is a vastly experienced flyhalf who has seen it all before and will impart some wisdom to Lambie about flyhalf play in general, but it is his fantastic distribution game that Lambie could learn from. James is one of those flyhalves that plays flat, close to the line, draws defenders to him and will pass to a player in space or kick the ball forward for a team mate to collect. He is one of those flyhalves whose kit will remain clean during the game, as he only runs with the ball and takes contact when he has no other choice (of course his kit does not really remain clean because of his commitment in defence, but you know what I mean). While Pat can do all of this and more, he has to learn that sometimes it is better to put others into gaps, rather than be the one taking the gap. Now I am not saying he is selfish, he does usually create chances for others, but not enough for me. Butch James could be the person that teaches Lambie to be the distributor at flyhalf and make his linebreaking runs so rare and special, that they will become even more effective. Could Butch James be Pat Lambie's missing link to greatness?

You won't be the only ones "supporting" Pat

Drowning the Sharks: Quite simply, the Sharks have literally everything you could ask from a club team to win any game, in any conditions, against any team, with any sort of game plan. The Sharks weakness mostly is themselves and how they can be their own worst enemies. To beat the Sharks, the opposition forwards will have to have a massive game and control the set pieces, rucks and mauls. While most teams can only hope for parity against the Sharks scrum, teams could definitely target the Sharks lineout, which looks like their major weakness, with van der Merwe and Bresler not being the best of lineout jumpers. The opposition will have to ruck and defend aggressively and ensure that the Sharks do not cross the advantage line often enough. If the opposition can stop big ball carriers like Bismarck, Alberts, Deysel and Kankowski from making meters, the Sharks are there to be beaten.

Prediction: Semifinalists - 4th Overall (2nd in South African Conference)
The Sharks have one of the best squads in the tournament, and have the potential to win the whole thing, but I predict that the Stormers will pip them to the post and win the SA Conference. There are not many question marks around this squad except for the locks and what would happen if Franco van der Merwe got injured - would the likes of Alberts and Deysel fill in (which for me, takes something away from their set pieces)? Added to that is the Sharks tendency to make life difficult for themselves, could a calming influence at flyhalf like Pat Lambie be the one that gives the Sharks enough consistency to top the overall pool? The Sharks will be hard to beat at home in knockout games, but they only have to look at the 2007 Super 14 final against the Bulls and last year's Currie Cup final against Western Province to see that winning a home knockout game is not a sure thing. But my prediction is that the Sharks will fall short in the semi finals after qualifying in 4th place.

Squad: Louis Ludik, Gouws Prinsloo, Riaan Viljoen, Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, JP Pietersen, Sibusiso Sithole, Meyer Bosman, Paul Jordaan, Wandile Mjekevu, Frans Steyn, Tim Whitehead, Heimar Williams, Patrick Lambie, Butch James, Cobus Reinach, Charl McLeod, Conrad Hoffmann, Dale Chadwick, Jannie du Plessis, Wiehahn Herbst, Tendai Mtawarira, Julian Redelinghuys, Craig Burden, Kyle Cooper, Monde Hadebe, Bismarck du Plessis, Anton Bresler, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jaundre Marais, Peet Marais, Franco van der Merwe, Willem Alberts, Jacques Botes, Marcell Coetzee, Keegan Daniel (captain), Jean Deysel, Ryan Kankowski, Francois Kleinhans, Lubabalo Mtembu.

Teams that they don't Play: Hurricanes and Waratahs

STORMERS

"Damnit! Wrong trophy again!"

Last Year: A team that loses only 3 matches in the whole competition must have come home with the Super Rugby trophy at the end of the season, right? Not if you are the Stormers. With only two losses in the regular season against the Crusaders and the Sharks away, the Stormers finished top of the overall log - without even getting one four-try bonus point. Not even one! Having finished top of the log, the Stormers won the right to play the lowest ranked team from the playoff stage - the Sharks. But the Sharks proved to be the Stormers downfall again, defeating the Stormers in Cape Town in the semi final. For three seasons in a row, the Stormers have lost in the knockout stages of the tournament, and for two of those seasons they have lost knockout games in Newlands.

Key Players: The Stormers have had the stingiest defence in the competition for the last two seasons, and it is usually the loose forwards that set the tone for the team. The human pick-up truck, Siya Kolisi had a breakthrough season last season, as he was the wall that no attacker could go through, and left a lot of defenders in his wake when he carried the ball. He is almost Jerome Kaino-esque the way he plays. Duane Vermeulen finally ascended to being the first choice Springbok 8th man and will look to continue that form. But the big news is the Return of the Schalk! You won't like him when he's angry! Schalk Burger will be looking to make up for lost time, making telling hits in defence, being a reliable ball carrier and lineout option and being this team's fearless captain. Not many breakthrough seasons can beat Eben Etzebeth. Look below this paragraph as to why. His lock partner, Andries Bekker, is becoming as much of a nuisance in the lineouts as his predecessor in the Springboks, Victor Matfield, and has the ball skills that would make NBA players impressed. At lock or at flank, Rynhardt Elstadt (if not in the sin-bin) and Michael Rhodes will play key roles filling in for players that are injured or resting. Both are great lineout options, solid tacklers and cause damage in rucks. Currie Cup winning captain of last year Deon Fourie will be the player thrown on if the Stormers need to up the tempo, as he can play as a hooker or a decent openside flanker. Scarra Ntubeni had a stellar Currie Cup campaign and him and Fourie will be pushing incumbent Tiaan Liebenberg for a starting place. The two youngsters at prop, Frans Malherbe and the fiery Steven Kitshoff will only get better with experience and age, and with the guidance and experience of the recruit from the Lions, Pat Cilliers, to help.

Etzebeth's 2012 in a nutshell, don't look Bissie!

Will we seen Juan de Jongh's dance moves under the Newlands posts this season? We certainly hope so! If it was ever in doubt, de Jongh's try in last year's Currie Cup final showed why he must get much more of the ball, as the angles he runs can cut through any defence (are you listening, Heyneke?). Maybe Elton Jantjies at flyhalf will be able to get the ball to de Jongh more, if he can keep the 10 shirt once Peter Grant comes back from Japan. With Grant's goal kicking touching 90% last season and his solid defence in the flyhalf channel, it will be interesting to see how coach Allister Coetzee utilises both players. Another big battle for the shirt will be between another loaned Lion Jaco Taute and established star Joe Pietersen. Taute has the running game, the defence and the big boot to influence any game, and he will be hoping to show enough form to win a Springbok 15 jersey. Pietersen might well be seeing himself on the wings with either one of  Gerhard van den Heever, Bryan Habana and the man that can make a try out of nothing, Gio Aplon. Habana is well and truly back from his mid-career wobble and the reigning SA Player of the Year will be looking to bring the Super Rugby trophy to Cape Town before he leaves for Toulon at the end of the season. At the center of Western Province's attacking efforts in the Currie Cup last season was the sharp passing and quick sniping scrumhalf play of Nic Groom, who will hopefully play in more matches this season, as he shows great potential as a future Bok scrumhalf. But the experienced Dewaldt Duvenage and another livewire scrumhalf, Louis Schreuder want to be the Stormers number 1 number 9 as well. The experience Jean de Villiers is the glue that holds this whole thing together with his organisation of attack and defence, but hopefully chances will be given to exciting youngsters like Marcel Brache, Damian de Allende and JP du Plessis to give de Villiers a rest during the season.

This Is the Season. . . That a bunch of Lions bring Pride to the Cape
What do the Bulls side of 2010, the Reds side of 2011 and the Chiefs side of 2012 have in common? Those three teams could score a glutton of tries when needed to take the game away from the opposition. This is the one thing that the Stormers lack at the moment, shown by them not having one four-try bonus point last season. While the Stormers still won the league stages of the competition, when asked to score tries to win, they have failed. Encouraging signs were shown by the Western Province Currie Cup team, as they scored tries aplenty by playing with quicker ball and relying on the offload more. Added to that, the signings of Pat Cilliers, Elton Jantjies and Jaco Taute could be key to making the Stormers more attacking. Pat Cilliers is a seriously good tighthead prop, one that the Stormers have been lacking for a while (no, Brok Harris doesn't count!). With Etzebeth or Elstadt behind him, Cilliers could turn a long-time weakness, the scrum, into a strength this season - and something that the talented backline could attack from. Jantjies and Taute are two of the most exciting attacking players in SA, who can create chances from absolutely nothing. Jantjies could be the flyhalf that brings de Jongh, Habana and Aplon into the game more with his precise passing game when playing on the gain line. Taute is a fullback whose instinct is to counter-attack, which means he could combine with Aplon, Habana or even Joe Pietersen to tear unstructured defences to shreds. Kick to them at your own peril! Most importantly, these signings (including Michael Rhodes) add depth to a squad that has struggled with injury crises over the last two seasons. The loose forward crisis of last season (that required the services of a Canadian to fill in for the wounded) and the flyhalf crisis of 2011 are stark reminders of how harsh this tournament could be with injuries. But the addition of these Lions loanees might be that key factor that brings that elusive crown to Newlands.

Overcoming the Storm(ers): Well, there is still one area that the Stormers remain vulnerable: If you get ahead of them on the scoreboard, the Stormers just cannot come back from a deficit. Once the Stormers are ahead, that Great Wall of Cape Town of a defence will close any game out - the Stormers defence in the last two seasons has been impregnable. The Stormers lost the three matches where the opposition was ahead of them after 60 minutes, with the Stormers attack just lacking any ideas and creativity to break down the defence and score tries when needed. But the Stormers are looking to rectify that by signing Jantjies and Taute. Now, how to get ahead of them? A strong tactical kicking game is needed where you make Habana, especially, kick from hand and a good kick-chase game to force young Taute into making a mistake under pressure. You want Duvenage and Grant (if on the field) making kicks from inside their 22, because their tactical kicking is not the best and their kicks do not get enough distance. The Stormers tactical kicking game is one of the weaker ones when it comes to the top teams and good opposition teams can win the kicking battle. Once in the Stormers half, make sure that you take points away from every visit through drop goals and penalties, in order to get ahead of the Stormers and force them under pressure to attack. The Stormers set pieces are solid, but not the best in the world and a good team can use that as their platform for attack.  

Prediction: Finalists - 2nd Overall (1st in South African Conference)
If my prediction is true, I do sympathise with the Newlands faithful for going through now 4 seasons of heartbreak. But it doesn't have to be like that! The Stormers will be hard to beat, especially with the additions made to the squad. A potential problem is deciding whether to play with the freedom of the Province Currie Cup team, or be more conservative like the table-topping Stormers of last year. If the coaching staff can marry these two styles, then the Stormers could go all the way. Psychologically, the game against the Crusaders at Newlands on March 30th could be huge! The Stormers could exorcise the demons of the past by proving that they can beat the Saders (at home at least) and stop the 3 match losing streak they have against the men from Christchurch. But if the tournament goes as I predicted, it will be the Crusaders in Christchurch that will beat the Stormers in the final, meaning that the wait for the Super Rugby trophy continues. But, it does not have to be like that!

Squad: Deon Carstens, Pat Cilliers, Brok Harris, Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Martin Bezuidenhout, Deon Fourie, Tiaan Liebenberg, Siyabonga Ntubeni, Andries Bekker, Ruan Botha, Rynhardt Elstadt, Eben Etzebeth, De Kock Steenkamp, Don Armand, Schalk Burger, Nizaam Carr, Siya Kolisi, Sikumbuzo Notshe, Michael Rhodes, Duane Vermeulen, Dewaldt Duvenage, Nic Groom, Louis Schreuder, Kurt Coleman, Peter Grant, Elton Jantjies, Tim Swiel, Gary van Aswegen, Marcel Brache, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, JP du Plessis, Patrick Howard, Berton Klaasen, Gio Aplon, Ederies Arendse, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana, Gerhard van den Heever, Joe Pietersen, Jaco Taute.

Teams that they don't Play: Highlanders and Force