You gotta love the Cheetahs
by Tony Johnson 19/03/2012, 11:08
If round three was New Zealand’s in Super Rugby, then round four definitely belonged to South Africa.
It’s not often all five teams in a conference get four points, but that’s exactly what happened…OK so the Bulls and Lions had the bye, but that’s the way the system works.
So all five South African teams gained, at the other end of the scale the Aussies had a shocker with four losses and a solitary win and the Kiwis were in the middle with two wins, two losses and a bye.
The Sharks and Stormers gained the most significant wins. The Sharks' come-from-behind effort to beat the Reds was probably the most impressive and important effort of the weekend, while the Stormers were just too clinical when it counted for a Blues effort that was disappointingly poor following their win in Pretoria the week before. The biggest positive for the Stormers was the form of Jean de Villiers, who looked as fit and sharp as ever.
But the win I enjoyed most was the Cheetahs beating the Rebels.
I spent most of Sunday in Wellington attending the funeral of former All Black captain and NZRU Chairman Jock Hobbs. There was a massive gathering of rugby luminaries from around the country there to pay their respects in a very emotional service. Jock’s son Michael, who’d returned home early from the Blues-South African road trip to be with his ailing father, gave a very moving tribute to his dad.
Jock was a man I got to know well and respect greatly….he will be missed, and by the time I got home I was feeling a bit spent, so it was good to sit down with a red wine and catch the second half of the game in Melbourne.
A lot of us here in New Zealand have become closet fans of the Cheetahs. Why? Well they have this gutsy, full bore, never say die attitude. If they’re down by 30 points with five to play they’ll still be going for it hell for leather.
Most teams, with time up and the scores locked as they were on Sunday, would have tried to grind themselves into position to milk a penalty (more than likely to happen the way things are being refereed this year) or drop a goal, but not the Cheetahs.
It was a stunning try by Piet van Zyl (who looks a bit quicker than another Piet van Zyl I know of) and it brought a real smile to the face, although it cast more doubt on the quality of the Aussie conference.
Now the Cheetahs come to New Zealand, although the timing is not exactly perfect.
They face the Crusaders who are coming off a bye and, by their standards, a rather ordinary start to the season.
They are in need of some points, and after Sunday's result there’s no chance of the Cheetahs catching them off guard.
It’s also the first game to be played in Christchurch by the ‘Saders since May of 2010 because of the earthquake, so it will be an emotional night in front of what should be a packed crowd in their new temporary stadium.
And there’s every chance Dan Carter will make his first appearance of the season, albeit off the bench.
The Cheetahs have to stop giving away scrum penalties…it was a big problem for them last year too, but if they can get their high octane game going, who knows what might happen?
So far this season, the New Zealand teams doing best are the ones with the fewest All Blacks.
The unsung Highlanders are grinding out narrow wins and sit atop the table with the Stormers. The Chiefs are handy to the pace….and will stay handy as they have the bye, and the Hurricanes are also doing OK. The Crusaders and Blues have one win each.
That could be a sign of a World Cup “hangover”, and a reflection of the extra time off and lack of pre season action for the World Cup players.
But surely it’s only a matter of time before they start to find their form.
Meanwhile things are not so rosy across the Tasman Sea in Australia, with the only team to get four points at the weekend being the lowly Force, and that was at the expense of the Waratahs, who were booed by their fans.
It sounds a bit strange, but it might be their turn for a good weekend this weekend. The Brumbies are home to the Highlanders, and they so often get the rub of the green in their home matches where referees seem to be easily intimidated.
The Sharks have a few injury issues with their locks and will have to get over the long trip east to meet a desperate Waratahs team in Sydney, and the Reds will want to bounce back from their first defeat of the year against the Bulls.
Form suggests they could lose all three of those games, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they won them all either.
This year’s competition is not quite as predictable as it has been in the past, and that’s not a bad thing.
