Aussie Super teams at crossroads

Sharks v. Rebels

The Rebels have played well this year but only for one half in every match. In their first game they found a way to beat the Force after oranges, but in their following matches against the Brumbies, Waratahs and Reds they started strongly but faded after the break.

Not that the Sharks were exactly brilliant in their first half against the Brumbies last week; they were bloody horrible. Part of that was because of the Brumbies’ onslaught that could have staggered any team, but there was an equal portion of not showing up to play. They were scarcely stellar either in earlier games against the Cheetahs, Stormers and Kings, but to their credit they won games that could have been lost.

For the Rebels, Kiwi Jason Woodward plays his first Super game on one wing and Cooper Vuna returns from injury to play on the other. No. 8 Gareth Delve also returns from injury.

Sharks’ coach John Plumtree has made seven changes to the side that didn’t fire too many shots against the Brumbies. To play against a team that has never won away from Australia, he has selected some young players who did well in the second half last week.

He has also benched Frans Steyn who weighed 118 kilograms two months ago after an injury lay off and is still 5kg overweight at 110… and showing it.

Opponent to watch out for: madman Marcell Coetzee, the human wrecking ball.

Prediction: the Sharks will rebound from their embarrassing loss last week and the Rebels will have no chance to win in Durban anyway unless they play well in both halves – Sharks by 20.

 Stormers v. Brumbies

The Brumbies brought a smile to the dials of all Aussie rugby fans last week whey they destroyed a highly rated Sharks team in the first half.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will also be relieved that there are some Australian players in good form though he would have preferred to see the Brumbies play like that last season so that he could have made significant changes to the Wallabies team in 2012 rather than in 2013 – as seems likely.

The Stormers had a good win against a poorly disciplined Chiefs team before their bye week but looked unimpressive in their losses away to the Bulls and Sharks before that.

The Brumbies will be without their ace scrummie, Nic White, but Ian Prior had a strong game for 65 minutes after White was injured last week.

21-year-old LHP Scott Sio has retained his place. Ben Alexander is rotated to the bench and THP Dan Palmer comes back into the starting team. It will be interesting to watch Sio scrummage against impressive THP Frans Malherbe, a future Springbok, after doing so well against current Springbok Jannie du Plessis in Durban.

It will also be worth looking at no. 8 Fotu Auelua and fly-half Matt Toomua who are in the form of their lives.

The Stormers are starting with hooker Tiaan Liebenberg, a harder player than Deon Fourie. The injured Bryan Habana will be absent, but inside centre Juan de Jongh returns from injury.

Opponent to watch out for: openside flanker Siya Kolisi; not a fetcher in the Aussie style, but a hard, good-linking, and skilful South African flanker.

Prediction: the Brumbies won’t have it so easy in front of the feral crowd at Newlands and against the defence of the Stormers who beat the 2012 champions, the Chiefs, at home two weeks ago. Even with the Jake White factor – Stormers by 6.

Waratahs v. Blues

One thing in the home team’s favour is that they had their best win of the season last year against the Sharks in an afternoon game – as this one will be.

That aside, the Waratahs have become easy-beats in the last two years and opponents must be looking at away matches against them as must-win games if they are serious about being in the finals at the end of the season.

The Blues will have such a view and will be smelling blood. After two fine wins against the Hurricanes and Crusaders they wobbled against a clinical Bulls team before their bye week, and will want to get back on track.

The Waratahs have made two changes to their starting team.  Drew Mitchell returns from Purgatory and replaces Lachie Turner on the wing.  Rob Horne replaces the injured Berrick Barnes at inside centre, a position he played in with distinction back in the day, for NSW Schools.

The Blues high-numbered players: 15. Charles Piutau, 14. Frank Halai, 13. Rene Ranger, 12. Francis Saili, and 11. George Moala will be hard to contain if they get ball in space; so the Waratahs must deny it.

Opponent to watch out for: outside centre Rene Ranger, who is on notice from All Black coach Steve Hansen that he has to play well every week to get into the AB squad this year – and he will want to prove a point.

Prediction: unless the Waratahs’ forwards can impose themselves physically on the visitors and deny them front-foot ball, the rain makers in the Blues backline will wreak havoc – Blues by 10.