Cheetahs v Reds R14

[Jets]

A big game for the Reds as they need a good start to their tour. The Canes managed a win over the Cheetahs last weeks so they are beatable.

I'm expecting a good game from two teams that will look to play with the ball in hand. The Reds seem to play their best rugby when the opposition try and attack.

 

[Tangawizi]

Hopefully they keep their minds on the job over there.

A couple of losses on tour would be a disaster. Will have more confidence if Horwill is back on deck this week.

 

[Jets]

3 wins from the last 4 games should get the Reds into the finals. 2 wins on tour would make life easier, especially with the Tah's finding form and having to play them in Sydney after the Lions break.

 

[RedsHappy]

3 wins from the last 4 games should get the Reds into the finals. 2 wins on tour would make life easier, especially with the Tah's finding form and having to play them in Sydney after the Lions break.

Unless some of the current top 6 fall into a bad heap in this final stretch, BPs to date and to come could make a major difference to the final top 6. Unlike the Blues and Chiefs, the Reds are not accumulating many 4 try BPs, and to stay confident of a top 6 position (if not top 2, then position 4) and to cope with what is likely to be at least 1 loss in the next 4 games, good BP accumulation may well be critical for the Reds (and this could well be 2 BPs in one game for 4 tries and close loss, for example).

 

[Tangawizi]

Not sure if 3 out of 4 will be good enough. The NZ teams have plenty of bonus points. Would prefer we win them all.

 

[Braveheart81]

2 wins and two bonus from their last four games will get the Reds into 4th spot I think.

The Reds still have a bye which helps them. Unless they have a disastrous South African tour I think that the final game against the Tahs won't be overly important for them as I don't think they will catch the Brumbies.

 

[Scrubber2050]

HOPING for 2 from 2

 

[Jets]

2 from 2 on tour is a real possibility. If the Reds can beat the Cheetahs this weekend, a real possibility if the play like they did in the first half last weekend, then they will play a Stormers team who have had to travel back from their Aust/NZ tour. It's not going to be easy but it can be done.

 

[RedsHappy]

I know this is one week premature, but to add to Jets' point above re the Stormers geez they seem a team fixed in a kind of archaic stone template set with epoxy that cannot be changed no matter what the opposition. This article captures it well:

www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/cup-competitions/where-to-now-for-the-stormers-1.1514928?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Having said that, they will by May 25 be desperate for home win vs a top 6 team, the Newlands crowd will be baying for Red blood so Link will need his finest game planning skills yet again (he created a brilliant plan for winning over the Stormers away in 2011 as we all recall). I still expect this match at Newlands will be the toughest of the remaining four, closely followed by the Tahs away.

 

[Blue]

I predict Reds will lose the the Cheetahs and beat the Stomps.

 

[Scoey]

It's funny how this comp works. The Stormers played the Tahs in Sydney on the weekend and the Tahs were the one's that had just travelled from SA. The Reds will play the Stormers at Newlands and will have been in SA for a few weeks, whereas the Stormers will be tired from travelling all the way to SA.

2 from 2 is realistic but we could easily come home with 0 from 2 also. This tour is going to be very important and how we play against the Cheetahs could make a big difference. We get dusted by them and we are desperate in Cape Town. We beat the Cheetahs and all of a sudden we're a real shot of heading home 2 from 2 and play out of our skins against the Stormers. Anything could happen!

 

[Scoey]

I know this is one week premature, but to add to Jets' point above re the Stormers geez they seem a team fixed in a kind of archaic stone template set with epoxy that cannot be changed no matter what the opposition. This article captures it well:

www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/cup-competitions/where-to-now-for-the-stormers-1.1514928?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Having said that, they will by May 25 be desperate for home win vs a top 6 team, the Newlands crowd will be baying for Red blood so Link will need his finest game planning skills yet again (he created a brilliant plan for winning over the Stormers away in 2011 as we all recall). I still expect this match at Newlands will be the toughest of the remaining four, closely followed by the Tahs away.

If you replace 'Stormers' with 'Wallabies' and 'Coetzee' with 'Deans' that article could've been written in Australia any time over the past couple of years!

 

[Ruggo]

One week at a time fellas and take each game one at a time. The Reds D is good and that will be the key this week. Discipline must also be spot on or else we will suffer. I would go a 5:2 split on the bench as that extra forward will be handy to keep the engine going at the breakdown for the full 80. The Gill vs Brussow battle will be a cracker.

 

[emuarse]

The Cheetahs results since (incl) Round 9:
R9: Bulls 26 Cheetahs 20, R10: Sharks 6 Cheetahs 12, R11: Cheetahs 26 Kings 12, R12: Bye
R13: Cheetahs 34 Hurricanes 39

It appears that the Cheetahs are the one SA side that has broken out of the mould; they play more the attacking, running game, more like the New Zealand sides. Hence their victories against the Sharks and the Kings. Even their loss to the Bulls was by less than a converted try, after leading at half time (with Steyn kicking 16 points for the Bulls).
The interesting fact is that they lost to the Hurricanes in a game where there were seven tries scored - 4 to the Hurricanes and 3 to the Cheetahs, with the kicking honours even at 19 points each.
So we can expect a fast running game on the weekend. I suspect that where the game will be won will be at the breakdown, and for this the Reds will require a maximum effort from Gill opposing Brussow, aided by Shatz and Quirk.
But for mine, I think Slipper & Holmes will have a big bearing on the outcome, not necessarily from their scrummaging, but from their open play around the field. In fact, Ben Daley might well be starting with Homes on the bench.

Reds by 3 in a high scoring game

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The Cheetahs are the 2013 danger side. Teams that have underestimated them or their attack have been on the losing side of the ledger this year. They are a classy and unpredictable side with plenty of attacking options and a reasonable defence. They will be the more dangerous team to the Reds on this tour.

50/50 call but if the Reds do not roll out their A game, with Big Kev's generalship in the engine room, they could lose and miss any BP's.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Is Daley's hammy ok ?????

 

[emuarse]

He's in the touring squad, so one has to assume it is.

 

[Ghibli]

Hard to predict who'll win with some accuracy - I's say 50/50 at this stage.
Reds will need to play top of their game to win, anything less will allow the Cheetahs to exploit the "Playing-at-home" factor (which tends to be significant in SA).

 

[redveincheese]

A season defining fortnight for sure. It will be the true test of the reds dedication and belief in themselves. Cant help casting my mind back to 2011 SA tour and reliving the surgical dissection of the Stormers at the hands of the eventual champions. That game was the epiphany for the reds that year and the moment that I started to believe they could actually go all the way.
Stocking up on no doze and contemplating the purchase of one of those coffee machine thingies to see me into the wee hours of the coming Sundays.
Go you REDS

 

[redstragic]

A season defining fortnight for sure.

Feels like we've been saying this for the last 6 weeks doesn't it? Reds to show up and win.

WE ARE RED.