Lions? you'd better call them "tamed cats"

When a winger takes a tap 5 meters out in front of all your forwards and nevertheless manages to trample to score a try...

... then you could very well expect to be in the losing end of a 70-point debacle.

Super 14 round 5: predictions

While I am pondering the proposal of my old friend Miff, regarding points for predictions accuracy, this is what I think shall be the outcome of the weekend games.

Chiefs: 17 - Crusaders: 22 This is the most difficult match to predict. The Crusaders are looking good, but the Chiefs will bounce back. And they won't want to lose two in a row back home. The Crusaders defense should be as good as last year's.
Waratahs: 38 - Lions: 21 This will be a much needed bonus point for the Waratahs
Bulls: 40 - Highlanders: 23 du Preez and Spies will be enough for the Bulls.
Stormers: 13 - Hurricanes: 11 This is also a very difficult match to predict. I want the Hurricanes to win, so I predict a victory for the Stormers who are on a high after their impressive display against the Highlanders.
Brumbies: 18 - Sharks: 19 There must be a first win and the Brumbies feature is as good as any other.
Reds: 25 - Western Force: 22 This game could go either way, but the Reds are confident while the Force is hungry. In the end, Will Genia will have his word.

One third of the competition and there are not but a few certainties in the Super 14

Certain: the Sharks won't be competing for the title
Uncertain: Chiefs and Hurricanes' chances

Cert: Ali Williams, Bakkies Botha and Heinrich Brüssow are out for the competition
Uncert: When will Isaia Toeava, Peter Hynes and Andy Ellis be back

Cert: The Bulls are hot favourites
Uncert: How will they fare out of Africa.

Cert: The Waratahs are improving
Uncert: Will they be consistent enough?

Cert: Will Genia is the nine to watch in the competition.
Uncert: Luke Burgess running is better than his passes.

Cert: The Stormers will get better
Uncert: The Brumbies shall get better?

You could expect the Bulls and the Crusaders to be there at the end. Followed by Chiefs, Stormers, Hurricanes and Brumbies. From now on, I would say that Christchurch and Pretoria shall be fiercely looking at each other.

Ah, the Crusaders will play the Bulls in Pretoria. It's an important detail.

Super 14 round 4: predictions

The cool guys at keohane Jan Cardinelli and Ryan Vrede were in healthy 10 from 14 and 11 from 14 predicting the outcome of the Super 14 games during the first two rounds. Notable success from the opening rounds. But last week they "only" recorded 4 right guesses each, adding up to three mistakes in their predictions.

Now I have almost catched up with them and this is how the predictions' table would look:

Ryan Vrede: 15 points
Jan Cardinelli: 14 points
sesenta y cuatro: 13 points

So, encouraged by last week's predictions, here it is how I see this weekend's games:

Chiefs 33 - Reds 28: Good news for the home side is that they have the most dreadly back three in the world starting together. It is not bad news the way Graham and Retalick are performing, either.
Brumbies 34 - Lions 19: Don't be fooled. The Brumbies problem in 2010 remains the same old problem. Who's scoring? They need the best Giteau or else they will not be in the top 4.
Crusaders 23 - Blues 18: Who would have thought these two would ever become 3rth and 4th best teams in NZ? It was so last year, and neither has made us change our mind, yet.
Waratahs 32 - Sharks 24: Back at home and with the confidence of their very good effort against the Bulls, the Waratahs should win a talented but confidence-lacking Sharks side.
Stormers 22 -Highlanders 16: Jamie Mackintosh says the Highlanders have changed for good. I'm yet to see it.
Cheetahs 26 - Hurricanes 36: The Chiefs have been impressive on the road. Can the Hurricanes show at last such consistency? The Cheetahs could very well prove very hard to blow away.

Blou Bulls

So far the Super 14 2010 has witnessed powerhouses Bulls, Hurricanes and Chiefs go undefeated the first three rounds. Although Hurricanes and Chiefs are traditionally slow starters, it's hardly surprising that both teams have won all their games so far. Quality and consistency are the key ingredients of the succesful kiwis teams.

But as good as these teams are, as high as they are flying, their deeds have been eclipsed by the highest-flying Bulls, the team that not only was impressive during the dying games of last season, but also have produced the best rugby in 2010.

Some of the new interpretations of the old rules were a backstab aimed at the Bulls. More strict rulings at the offside during the kicking and a quicker recycling of the ball, made possible by the stricter interpretation of the release-tackled-player law, had pundits saying that a side like the Bulls, so strong with the kick&chase, would struggle to get going.

It's been the other way around. No team has produced more tries, no team has a more dreadful attacking game and no team looks more dangerous with the ball in hand. Take last week's game against the Waratahs as an example. So confident were the Bulls of their attack that a number of times, unerring Morné Steyn opted for kicking penalties to touch, instead of taking the three points on offer. To good effect, must be said.

The Bulls have been so strong in the highveld. Will they be that strong on the road? It's their rivals hope, including Hurricanes and Chiefs, or there will be no stopping them. Weaker or stronger, we'll start knowing in week 5, as this week is Bulls' Bye round before they go on touring Oz and NZ.