4. The Battle of the Spoon
Saturday sees the Western Force host the reds in what many believe to be the match that will decide who finishes bottom of the table.
In reality though the battle for the wooden spoon is far more open than it is for first position. The bottom five teams are all still in contention for the least coveted of all trophies.
The Blues are only five points off the bottom and they have a bye this week, while the Sharks are ten points off last but they have a bye next week. The Cheetahs are in between those two, five points off last with no byes to serve.
The Force though have the most to do as they are currently on the bottom of the table with a mere fifteen points for the season thus far. However, a bonus point victory could see them equal twelfth on points, but this seems unlikely. With only twenty four tries in thirteen matches they’re averaging under two, so four would be a vast change in trend.
The Reds aren’t much better with only twenty seven tries for the season and sit second last. They do seem the more attacking team though and will be aiming to tap into the same form they had against the Rebels two weeks ago. A bonus point victory for them would see them as high as twelfth.
My pick for last place this season is the Auckland Blues, they have a bye and then go on to play the Crusaders and the Highlanders.
That’s a tough run home even though they’re both home games. I wonder if finishing last is the only way they will end the curse of Sir John Kirwan who has proved ineffectual in getting the best from a talented squad.
