Top spot in SA Conference up for grabs … again – Vodacom Super Rugby Round 15 Preview
Photo: Anton Geyser
Can the Vodacom Bulls hang on to their top spot in the South African Vodacom Super Rugby Conference or will the DHL Stormers regain the lead?
That question will be answered this weekend when all five South African teams take to the field with the competition inching closer to the last stretch before the playoffs start.
The Vodacom Bulls can cement their position at the top with a victory over the Chiefs in Rotorua on Friday morning, but it won’t be easy as the team from Waikato sits on a 10-match winning streak at home against opposition from South Africa.
The Cell C Sharks’ final tour match, against the Reds in Brisbane, is the second match on Friday morning where the KwaZulu-Natalians will aim to break a six-match losing streak – something that’s only happened once in their history.
On Saturday afternoon, the Toyota Cheetahs host the Emirates Lions in the only local derby of the round. The team from Johannesburg can still make the playoffs, but then they have to win in Bloemfontein this weekend.
The final match in Round 15 is in Cape Town at DHL Newlands, where the DHL Stormers have a good opportunity to regain the lead in the South African Conference against the Rebels. It won’t be easy as the Rebels have done well this season, but they’ve never won in South Africa and the Capetonians will want to keep it that way.
Chiefs v Vodacom Bulls
Date: Friday, May 22
SA Time: 09h35
Venue: Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), Aki Aso (Japan)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
Team news:
- The Vodacom Bulls have made three changes to their starting line-up with loose forwards Jacques du Plessis and Deon Stegmann replacing Arno Botha and Lappies Labuschagne respectively.
- At hooker, Callie Visagie will start for Adriaan Strauss, with Jaco Visagie coming onto the bench. Botha and Labuschagne are also amongst the replacements.
Stats:
- The Vodacom Bulls have one win and one draw from their eight encounters against the Chiefs in New Zealand. Both were in Hamilton, but they’ve lost on both their visits to Rotorua.
- The Chiefs’ 40-7 victory over the Vodacom Bulls in Rotorua in 2000 is their biggest ever over the Pretoria-based team.
- Since the earliest days of Vodacom Super Rugby, the Chiefs have played 11 times in Rotorua, winning seven and losing four. Their last match there was in 2008 against the Vodacom Bulls, which they won 43-27.
- The Vodacom Bulls are in danger of losing five consecutive matches in New Zealand for the first time since the end of Super 12 in 2005. They’ve lost four on the trot in the Land of the Long White Cloud once before (2011-12).
- The Chiefs have won just one of their last six games against the Vodacom Bulls, with the Pretorians winning four and drawing one.
- However, the Chiefs have won their last 10 games in New Zealand against South African opposition, with their last home defeat coming back in 2010 against the DHL Stormers.
Quotes:
Vodacom Bulls head coach Frans Ludeke: “We are up against a very formidable side and will have to play much better than last weekend. We did not execute the way we wanted against the Blues and the Chiefs will pose even more questions to our defence and attack. So we have to start well and finish well.”
The teams are:
Chiefs: Tom Marshall, Hosea Gear, Charlie Ngatai, Anton Lienert-Brown, Bryce Heem, Damian McKenzie, Augustine Pulu, Michael Leitch, Sam Cane, Liam Messam (captain), Johan Bardoul, Michael Fitzgerald/Ross Filipo, Ben Tameifuna, Hika Elliot, Mitchell Graham. Replacements: Quentin MacDonald, Siate Tokolahi, Pauliasi Manu, Brian Alainu’uese, Maama Vaipulu, Brad Weber, Andrew Horrell, Tim Nanai-Williams.
Vodacom Bulls: Jesse Kriel, Francois Hougaard, JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein, Bjorn Basson, Handre Pollard, Rudy Paige, Pierre Spies (captain), Jacques du Plessis, Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield, Flip van de Merwe, Marcel van der Merwe, Callie Visagie, Trevor Nyakane. Replacements: Jaco Visagie, Dean Greyling, Werner Kruger, Arno Botha, Lappies Labuschagne, Burger Odendaal, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Travis Ismaiel.
Chiefs v Vodacom Bulls (since 1998):
Played 17; Vodacom Bulls won 7; lost 8; drawn 2
Vodacom Bulls points scored: 513
Chiefs points scored: 542
Vodacom Bulls tries scored: 57
Chiefs tries scored: 64
Average score: 32-30 to the Chiefs
Reds v Cell C Sharks
Date: Friday, May 22
SA Time: 11h40
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Matt O’Brien (Australia), Damien Mitchelmore (Australia)
TMO: Peter Marshall (Australia)
Team news:
- The only change to the Cell C Sharks’ starting line-up is at loosehead prop, where Tendai Mtawarira, a late withdrawal last weekend, returns in the place of Dale Chadwick.
- Chadwick is on the bench alongside Mouritz Botha and Fred Zeilinga, with Matt Stevens, Lubabalo Mtyanda and Waylon Murray dropping out of the match-23 altogether.
Stats:
- The Reds have won just two of their last nine Vodacom Super Rugby fixtures against the Cell C Sharks, dating back to 2006.
- This includes two wins for the Cell C Sharks in Brisbane, a massive 59-16 win in 2007 and an impressive 30-17 victory in their qualifier in 2011, when the team from Durban went all the way to the final.
- The nine tries the Cell C Sharks scored in Brisbane in 2007 is the most any South African team has ever scored on the road in Australia or New Zealand.
- The Cell C Sharks have lost their last six games, but it’s only the second time in their history that they have lost so many back to back in a single campaign. The other bad run was way back in 2000.
Quotes:
Cell C Sharks Director of Rugby Gary Gold: “If you look at the players in their team – Slipper, Horwell, Genia, Turner, O’Connor – these are really good rugby players, highly experienced internationals and this is a team going through a similar season to us. A couple of injuries, a couple of poor performances and they’ve found themselves on the end of a couple of bad results. But credit to them, they turned the corner last weekend against a good Rebels team and we know we’re going to have our hands full this weekend.
“A really good performance and a win this weekend against the Reds is critically important for our campaign, and confidence.”
The teams are:
Reds: James O’Connor, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Karmichael Hunt, Samu Kerevi, Chris Kuridrani, Jake McIntyre, Will Genia, Jake Schatz, Liam Gill, Adam Thomson, James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Greg Holmes, James Hanson, James Slipper (captain). Replacements: Andrew Ready, Pettowa Paraka, Sam Talakai, Ed O’Donoghue, Lolo Fakaosilea, Nick Frisby, Sam Greene, Ben Tapuai.
Cell C Sharks: Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, JP Pietersen, Frans Steyn, S’bura Sithole, Lionel Cronje, Stefan Ungerer, Renaldo Bothma, Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee, Marco Wentzel (captain), Stephan Lewies, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Franco Marais, Dale Chadwick, Lourens Adriaanse, Mouritz Botha, Etienne Oosthuizen, Conrad Hoffmann, Fred Zeilinga, Andre Esterhuizen.
Reds v Cell C Sharks (since 1998):
Played 17; Cell C Sharks won 8; lost 9
Cell C Sharks points scored: 424
Reds points scored: 396
Cell C Sharks tries scored: 50
Reds tries scored: 43
Average score: 25-23 to the Cell C Sharks
Toyota Cheetahs v Emirates Lions
Date: Saturday, May 23
SA Time: 17h05
Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Referee: Jaco van Heerden (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Team news:
- The Toyota Cheetahs will start with new wings in Raymond Rhule and Cornal Hendricks.
- Rayno Benjamin moves to the bench and will earn his 50th Vodacom Super Rugby cap should he get game-time, while Sergeal Petersen is out of the match-23.
- Injury has forced a change at loose forward, where Carel Greeff will start for Tienie Burger (concussion), with Henco Venter moving onto the bench.
- The Emirates Lions starting line-up shows nine changes from last week, which includes three positional shifts.
- At the back, Ruan Combrinck moves from left to right wing and Lionel Mapoe moves to outside centre, with Courtnall Skosan and Howard Mnisi getting starts at left wing and inside centre respectively.
- Upfront, Jacques van Rooyen and Ruan Dreyer will start in the front row, while Andries Ferreira will partner Martin Muller in the second row with Muller swapping shirts, and Warwick Tecklenburg returns to the starting side at flank.
- Last week’s starters, Schalk van der Merwe, Julian Redelinghuys, Franco Mostert, Robert Kruger and Harold Vorster are on the bench.
Stats:
- The Emirates Lions will be heading to their favourite away venue in South Africa – they’ve won three from six in Bloemfontein, which is more than against any other local derby.
- Their seven wins from 12 encounters against the Toyota Cheetahs is the Emirates Lions’ best in derbies – they sit at two from 13 against the Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks (against whom they’ve also drawn once), and one from 12 against the DHL Stormers.
- The Toyota Cheetahs have held a half-time lead in four of their last five matches against the Emirates Lions, but won just one of these matches.
- Having previously lost 17 out of 18 away games, the Emirates Lions have won three of their last five on the road.
Quotes:
Toyota Cheetahs captain Francois Uys: “We know we will have to meet fire with fire against the Lions on Saturday. If you allow them to do what they want and not disrupt them at all, it will be easy for them, as they are a good unit and play well together.
“So we will have to play well to beat them, like we did in Johannesburg earlier in the season when one or two errors in the end probably cost us the game. If we stick together as a team, we know we’re in with a chance.”
Emirates Lions head coach Johan Ackermann: “I’ve been saying since day one of this competition that any side can beat any other side and the Cheetahs proved it a few weeks ago against the Stormers.”
The teams are:
Toyota Cheetahs: Clayton Blommetjies, Cornal Hendricks, Francois Venter, Michael van der Spuy, Raymond Rhule, Francois Brummer, Tian Meyer, Willie Britz, Boom Prinsloo, Carel Greeff, Francois Uys (captain), Carl Wegner, Maks van Dyk, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Danie Mienie. Replacements: Stephan Coetzee, BG Uys, Ewald van der Westhuizen, Steven Sykes, Henco Venter, Shaun Venter, Coenie van Wyk, Rayno Benjamin.
Emirates Lions: Andries Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Lionel Mapoe, Howard Mnisi, Courtnall Skosan, Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Warren Whiteley (captain), Warwick Tecklenburg, Jaco Kriel, Martin Muller, Andries Ferreira, Ruan Dreyer, Robbie Coetzee, Jacques van Rooyen. Replacements: Armand van der Merwe, Schalk van der Merwe, Julian Redelinghuys, Franco Mostert, Robert Kruger, Ross Cronje, Jaco van der Walt, Harold Vorster.
Toyota Cheetahs v Emirates Lions (since 2006):
Played 12; Toyota Cheetahs won 5; Emirates Lions won 7
Toyota Cheetahs points scored: 351
Emirates Lions points scored: 291
Toyota Cheetahs tries scored: 36
Emirates Lions tries scored: 28
Average score: 29-24 to the Toyota Cheetahs
DHL Stormers v Rebels
Date: Saturday, May 23
SA Time: 19h10
Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Quinton Immelman (South Africa), Rodney Boneparte (South Africa)
TMO: Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)
Team news:
- Springbok Sevens star Seabelo Senatla is back from Blitzbok duty and will start on the right wing for the DHL Stormers, in the place of Johnny Kotze.
- The other change to the DHL Stormers’ backline is at scrumhalf, where Louis Schreuder is rotated with Nic Groom.
- Groom is joined on the bench by Bongi Mbonambi, who makes way at hooker for Scarra Ntubeni in another rotational shift.
Stats:
- The DHL Stormers are on a four-match winning streak against Australian opposition, despite trailing at half-time in two of these matches. Their longest winning run against Aussie teams is seven (2011-13).
- The Rebels have never won in South Africa, losing all eight so far, picking up just two losing bonus points in the process and conceding an average of 40 points per game.
- The Melburnians’ only victory outside Australia was earlier this season, when they beat the Crusaders in Christchurch in the opening round of the competition.
- In total, the Rebels have won only two matches out of 17 against teams from South Africa, both in Melbourne – in 2013 against the DHL Stormers (30-21) and last year against the Toyota Cheetahs (35-14).
- This weekend will see the Rebels’ second visit to Cape Town – their last match at DHL Newlands finished in a 26-21 win for the DHL Stormers, with the visitors scoring three tries to two.
Quotes:
DHL Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee: “The Rebels have beaten the Crusaders and the Brumbies away this year, so it shows their capacity as a team. We need to pitch up for this weekend’s match – we need to bring attitude and ensure our physicality is spot-on. This is much-improved Rebels team; they’re a good team, they’re well-coached and we know we’re in for a tough time of it on Saturday.”
The teams are:
DHL Stormers: Cheslin Kolbe, Seabelo Senatla, Juan de Jongh, Damian de Allende, Dillyn Leyds, Demetri Catrakilis, Louis Schreuder, Duane Vermeulen (captain), Siya Kolisi, Schalk Burger, Manuel Carizza, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Scarra Ntubeni, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Alistair Vermaak, Vincent Koch, Jean Kleyn, Nizaam Carr, Nic Groom, Kurt Coleman, Huw Jones.
Rebels: Mike Harris, Cam Crawford, Dom Shipperley, Mitch Inman, Tom English, Jack Debreczeni, Nic Stirzaker, Scott Higginbotham, Scott Fuglistaller, Sean McMahon, Lopeti Timani, Luke Jones, Paul Alo-Emile, Pat Leafa, Cruze Ah-Nau. Replacements: Tom Sexton, Keita Inagaki, Laurie Weeks, Cadeyrn Neville, Jordy Reid, Colby Fainga’a, Luke Burgess, Bryce Hegarty.
DHL Stormers v Rebels (since 2011):
Played 3; DHL Stormers won 2; lost 1
DHL Stormers points scored: 87
Rebels points scored: 54
DHL Stormers tries scored: 10
Rebels tries scored: 6
Average score: 29-18 to the DHL Stormers
Other fixtures (SA kick-off times):
09h35: Blues v Hurricanes – Auckland
11h40: Waratahs v Crusaders – Sydney
13h45: Force v Highlanders – Perth
Byes: Brumbies
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