Super XIV Rah-rah thread

[Blitzkrieg]

A bit late (4 weeks!), but what the hey 

Well it's been an interesting weekend in Super 14: 
-two draws, Waratahs v Force in Sydney (16-all), and Cheetahs vs Chiefs in Bloemfontein (22-all, the boys from Waikato were saved by a last second Stephen Donald penalty goal)
-the rampaging Auckland Blues continuing their good form, thumping the hapless Highlanders 28-9,
-the high-flying Hurricanes of Wellington suffering a 30-17 home loss to the Stormers - a win which lifted the plucky Cape Town outfit from the foot of the table,
-the fumbling, stuttering Brumbies embarrassed at home 19-7 by Pretoria's Bulls,
-the Jo'burg-based Lions pulling off yet another upset - this time beating the Qld Reds 26-20 in Brisbane, and propelling themselves into the top 4 to boot, and
-a heart-stopper in Durban with Sharks halfback Ruan Pienaar, to the delight of the home crowd, slotting a last-gasp sideline conversion to give his side a 27-26 win over the reigning Super 14 champs, the Crusaders.

For the second week in a row, no wins for the Aussie teams   Also, none of the South African sides lost (where's a South African flag when you need one  *sings* Nkosi Sekelel' iAfrika!), whilst for the Kiwi sides, only the Auckland Blues could manage a win, whilst the Waikato Chiefs drew with the Cheetahs.

The Blues still top the Super 14 table, with three South African sides close behind them - the Sharks (still unbeaten after 4 matches), the Lions (4 straight wins ) & the Bulls.  The Hurricanes' loss sees them drop out of the top 4. The highest placed Aussie side is the Western Force only one point outside the top 4 in 6th, whilst the ACT Brumbies are 10th, the Waratahs 12th, & the Reds last.

[perthstormer]

Force start to play a bit better now they have got al,ot to deal with as the suporters dont wnat them to play a subiaco with the ave p[rice being $50  the view from the big ground is just notr worth the cash. 

[Blitzkrieg]

Force FINALLY get a home win!!!

CAMERON Shepherd wrote himself into Western Force folklore with a last-gasp try and conversion to claim his team's first Super 14 home victory, 18-17, at the expense of the Hurricanes at Subiaco Oval last night.

Force had lost all eight previous home games, and it had lost its previous two matches at Subiaco by a solitary point.

And the side seemed set to endure more heartbreak when a substitute five-eighth Jimmy Gopperth scored and converted a controversial try in the 77th minute to gave the Hurricanes a 17-11 lead.

But Force pressed in the dying seconds, and Shepherd was able to reach across the tryline in the left corner to narrow the margin to one point as the final siren sounded.

With a strong wind making kicking difficult, and the majority of the home crowd barely able to watch, Shepherd then landed the conversion from the sideline to snatch a memorable victory that sparked wild celebrations.

The result provided a fairytale finish for Shepherd, who was criticised for missing several conversions in the draw against New South Wales last week.

"I don't know what to say," Shepherd, who scored a try, a conversion and two penalty goals, said after the win.

"So many games in the making, we've come so close.

"I hit it nice.

"It seemed to come back in the wind.

"It was relief more than anything and I'll cherish that for a while."

Hurricanes veteran Tana Umaga was philosophical as he watched the celebrations, and he praised Shepherd.

"Cameron Shepherd, ... the pressure was on him and he fronted," Umaga said.

"There will be a statue of him outside tomorrow."

The climax provided a fitting end to an entertaining match in which the officals played a crucial late part.

Hurricanes prop Neemia Tialata was denied a try by the video referee, who ruled the had lost the ball forward as he tried to force it against the post with his side down 11-10 in the 76th minute.

Gopperth was then awarded a try only a minute later, although television replays showed he, too, lost the ball as he attempted to ground it.

The Hurricanes generally had the edge in the first half, after Force had scored the opening try just four minutes in.

Force swept the ball across the field through Matt Henjak and Matt Giteau into the hands of full back Drew Mitchell, who strolled through a Cory Jane tackle and crossed the line to give the home side a 5-0 lead.

The Hurricanes were finally rewarded for their attacking efforts in the 36th minute, when Umaga followed good work by second row Paul Tito to bullock his way across the line on his hands and knees to give his side its 7-5 half-time lead.

Well done to the Force on their first win - may there be many more to come! 

I stayed up to watch the game last night, it was a pretty good one IMO.

And it was a nice gesture by Hurricanes captain Tana Umaga, congratulating the Force after the game, & acknowledging its importance for rugby in the West. 

In other matches, Stirling Mortlock returned for the Brumbies & helped them to a 26-13 win over the Lions in Canberra, although they gifted the Johannesburg side a soft intercept try right at the death.  And the Qld Reds miserable run continues, after being beaten 33-17 by the Highlanders in Dunedin.

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Bulls humiliate Horror-tahs 32-19

By Peter Jenkins
March 11, 2007
NEW South Wales Waratahs is in crisis after crashing to its biggest loss in three years, on an embarrassing night when its season was left in tatters and fans walked out in droves.

NSW is languishing in third last spot after six rounds, just one point clear of fellow Australia cellar-dweller Queensland, and has not won since the Super 14 season-opener against the Lions on February 2.

Even more galling was that the four-tries-to-one thrashing from the Bulls was the Waratahs' first defeat at home in seven matches against the South African since the tournament kicked off in 1996.

"We dropped too much ball," said skipper Adam Freier, who pleaded with NSW supporters not to stick by his struggling side.

"We've just got to hang tough now, we've got to stay strong, stay together and we'll be the better for it."

Freier refused to blame a lengthy injury toll on the Waratahs' horror start to the series, where they have gone four successive matches without a victory.

"There are no excuses," he said. "NSW have got great depth and the players coming in are doing a great job. We followed the game plan pretty well but let ourselves down with mistakes.

"We're going to be doing plenty of work. But the attitude was fantastic. The boys put in 10 out of 10."

The same could not be said for their skills. NSW dominated possession, having 66 percent of the ball, and finished 17-4 ahead in the penalty count.

It also cast off the shackles and played more expansively than at any other time this year. But the handling, passing and finishing were poor.

The lineout was also monstered at times, losing seven throws. Most significantly, the Tahs lacked the X-factor the Bulls brought in dual match-winners, halfback Fourie du Preez and winger Bryan Habana.

Wallabies coach John Connolly has bemoaned the lack of genuine speed in Australia rugby's outside backs, and his concerns will only deepen after watching Habana score two opportunist tries from blistering acceleration.

Du Preez also collected two tries, one from a snipe on the short side of a ruck, and the other after leaping to catch a high ball, turning and running 25 metres to the line.

The Waratahs are now nine points out of the top four, and the same number behind the sixth-placed side.

"There were three clear opportunities in the first half," said Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie.

"If we convert those it could be a different game."

The reality, though, is that NSW tumbled to its worst defeat since a 23-7 flogging from the Reds in 2003.

It is battling to win quality lineout possession, it has a midfield that lacks real bite and the try-scoring touch has deserted it.

There were standout performances despite the disappointment of a result which had sections of the 21,000 crowd streaming for the exits with 15 minutes remaining.

Wallaby backrower David Lyons, returning to the starting side for the first time this season after injury, thundered around the park. His ball-carrying was magnificent.

Winger Lote Tuqiri had 11 runs inside the first 30 minutes, but also came up with a high error count.

And hooker Freier gave a wholehearted performance.

If only a few more of his team-mates did the same...

The only downside for the Pretoria-based team was the 3-match sentence given to centre JP Nel, who pleaded guilty after being reported for striking NSW flanker Rocky Elsom.

The Sharks remain the only unbeaten side in the Super 14 after their 30-17 win over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

The Auckland Blues still lead on 23 pts, with the Sharks on 20, then the Bulls on 18, and the Western Force (16 pts) round out the top four.  The ACT Brumbies are 7th, but only 2 points down on the Force, whist the injury-hit Waratahs are 3rd last & Qld Reds last.

[perthstormer]

go the force

[Blitzkrieg]

Back to back home wins for the Force, this time they smash the inept Qld Reds 38-3 & jump into 2nd place!

And the Chiefs finally get their first win of the season, after thumping the Lions 34-7 in Hamilton...

[perthstormer]

Things are going well over here they all knew they would be better this season with the recuits they picked up.  it was a pitty there was only 28,000 at the game but i thnink there next game at home should draw a much bigger crowd

[Blitzkrieg]

In other matches...
The Bulls, who rested their captain Victor Matfield, were outclassed by the Crusaders 32-10 in Christchurch.  The home side scored 4 tries to their opponents' 1. 
It doesn't get any better for the out-of-form NSW Waratahs, losing 16-10 to the Stormers in Sydney.  The Cape Town side led 3-0 @ half time, & did more than enough to hang on in the wet & windy conditions. This was NSW's 2nd consecutive home loss.
The Cheetahs ran in 5 tries to 3 in their 38-20 win over the ACT Brumbies in Bloemfontein.  The home side started slowly, but after half an hour with the scoreline at 0-0, they started to click, and they broke their 3-match winless streak at home.
In Durban, the Sharks maintained their unbeaten run this season, defeating the Hurricanes 27-14 & grabbing a bonus point, for the first time this season, for scoring 4 tries in a match.
The Sharks' win keeps them at the top of the ladder on 25 points, with the Blues (who had a bye this week) 2nd on 23. The Force, the highest placed Aussie side, are 3rd on 21 points, whilst the Bulls stay in the top 4 despite their loss, on 18 points. The Crusaders' win over the Bulls lifts the Christchurch outfit to 5th, equal with the Cheetahs on 17 points.
As for the other Aussie teams, the Brumbies' loss sees them slump to 9th (14 pts), the Waratahs still 2nd last on 8, & the Qld Reds stay in last place on 6 points.

[Blitzkrieg]

Week 8:
Blues 34-6 Waratahs
Waratahs slip & slide further into trouble as Blues continue their hot streak & move into top spot. Injury-hit NSW now without a win in 6 matches - surely any finals hopes they once had are long gone by now.
Highlanders 13-22 Bulls
The Bulls hold on to their top 4 spot, becoming the first South African team to win 3 matches on an Australasian tour, and getting their first away win against the Dunedin side.
Crusaders 36-11 Stormers
3 wins out of 4 for the Christchurch team, but the Stormers, to their credit, simply wouldn't lie down. All-Black winger Rico Gear crossed for two 5-pointers, including one close to full-time which earned his side a bonus point.
Reds 19-21 Chiefs
Reds without a win since they defeated the Hurricanes in week 1, although the Chiefs were very lucky to escape after Qld missed a drop goal right on full time which would've given them the win.
Sharks 10-21 Brumbies
The last unbeaten streak in the Super 14 this season has finally fallen. The win gives the ACT side a much-needed confidence boost, whlie the Durban outfit will need to regroup for their Aussie/NZ tour, starting this weekend.
Lions 30-7 Hurricanes
Pride of Lions - not a flawless performance, but they can be proud of beating the Wellington side, which fielded no less than 6 All Blacks. The Johannesburg team was led superbly by their captain & fly-half Andre Pretorius.
Force, Cheetahs bye
The Blues have barged their way back to the top on 28 points, with the Sharks' defeat relegating them to 2nd on 25. The Crusaders' winning streak sees them climb to 3rd place (22 pts), ahead of the Bulls on points difference. The Western Force, still the leading Aussie team (5th, 21 pts), had the bye, as did the Cheetahs. The Brumbies impressive win lifts them to 7th (18 pts), and NSW (2nd last, 8 pts) and Qld (last, 7 pts) are rapidly falling behind...

[perthstormer]

all good things come to an end and Force saw there second defeat of the seasonb this weekend

[Blitzkrieg]

And it was a pretty bad one too, 53-0 by the Crusaders in Christchurch - ouch! As a result, the Force slip out of the top 4, replaced by the Brumbies, who inflicted yet another defeat on their bitter rivals, the Waratahs, 36-10 in Canberra.
The Qld Reds (with Schifcofske playing) copped a 59-16 hiding in front of their home-town fans by the Kwazulu-Natal Sharks.

Other results:
Blues 26-8 Cheetahs in Auckland
Highlanders 34-38 Chiefs in Queenstown
Stormers 30-8 Lions in Cape Town
Bulls & Hurricanes bye

Standings:
1. Blues 9 games 36 pts
2. Crusaders 9  32
3. Sharks 9  30
4. ACT Brumbies 10  27
5. Western Force 9  25
6. Chiefs 9  22
7. Bulls 9  22
8. Highlanders 9  22
9. Lions 10  21
10. Cheetahs 9  18
11. Stormers 9  18
12. Hurricanes 9  18
13. NSW Waratahs 9  10
14. Qld Reds 9  8

[Blitzkrieg]

Week 11:
Force suffer another heavy defeat, this time 64-36 to the Chiefs in Hamilton...The Perth side has leaked a total of 117 points in their last 2 outings...OUCH!!! The Chiefs have broken into the top 4, while the Force slump to 7th on for/against.
Waratahs put some distance between themselves & wooden-spooners-to-be Reds, winning 26-13 in a spiteful match at Aussie Stadium.
A thriller at North Harbour Stadium, with the Sharks hanging on for a 32-25 win over the Blues - the highlight of which was a booming 55 metre drop goal from fly-half Francois Steyn. It was enough to demote the Blues to 2nd on for/against.
The Cheetahs had more possession & territory than the Hurricanes in Wellington but they couldn't take advantage, losing 37-15.
The Crusaders shot to the top of the ladder after crushing South Island rivals the Highlanders 38-3 at Carisbrook, Dunedin.
Overnight at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, the Bulls demolished the Cape Stormers 49-12.
The Brumbies had the bye, as did the Lions.

The ladder, with all sides having played 10 games:
1. Crusaders 37
2. Blues 37
3. Sharks 34
4. Chiefs 27
5. Bulls 27
6. ACT Brumbies 27
7. Western Force 26
8. Hurricanes 23
9. Highlanders 22
10. Lions 21
11. Cheetahs 18
12. Stormers 18
13. NSW Waratahs 14
14. Queensland Reds 7

[perthstormer]

FULL TIME: Brumbies 14 Emirates Western Force 12. Another close loss for the boys, who pick up a bonus point. Gut-wrenching to lose like that (again), with a penalty in the last 90 seconds giving the ACT side the chocolates. Good performance in defence, but the attack just couldn't penetrate the Brumbies line. The two yellow cards certainly didn't help. Let's hope Shep's knee injury isn't too serious, but he looked in a lot of pain. Two home games to close out the season for the Force, but finals look highly unlikely now. See you at Subi next Friday!

Force regain possession from the kickoff, but Vedelago knocks on and Larkham kicks it into touch as trhe hooter blows.

he's kicked it. 14-12 Brumbies, one minute to go

oh no... penalty against Tai McIsaac for a late hit on Larkham. Mark Gerrard to kick for goal...

Gits lines them up... and its... GOOD! Force lead 12-11 with 2 and a half minutes to go.

76th min and the Force have a scrum on the Brumbies' 22... and it's a penalty to the Force!!

Saia Fainga'a replaces Jeremy Paul, 72 gone. Patrick Phibbs on for Gregan now too

Salesi Ma'afu is on for Guy Shepherdson as we hit the 70 minute mark - 10 to go, 2 points the difference! Richard Brown replaces Pocock, who has been superb

18,021 is the crowd in Canberra tonight

Oh this is bad news... Cam Shepherd has hurt his left knee -that's his good knee - and it doesn't look good at all. He's replaced by Digby Ioane on 65 mins

Ryan Cross steals a Gerrard kick, offloads to Shep but he's dragged down by gene Fairbanks. Whew, exciting stuff there. AJ Whalley replaces Takiari, 64 mins gone.

Frances Fainifo is out there for the Brumbies, Peter Playford off

After a series of home town decisions, Mr Dickinson awards a penalty to the Force after Yak does some great work at the breakdown. Good attacking position is rewarded by another penalty, and Gits kicks the goal! 11-9 to the Brumbies after an hour now.

Huxley lining up the posts again as Cross returns from the sin bin. Huxley kicks the dolly to make it 11-6 Brumbies after 48 mins

Luke Doherty on for Dave Pusey after 46 mins

The first 5 minutes must have broken the record for kicks in the first five minutes of a second half. Julian Salvi has replaced Jone Tawake.

No changes at the break as Huxley kicks off.

HALF TIME: Emirates Western Force 6 Brumbies 8. Considering the Force were hard on defence with only 14 players for the last 15 minutes the boys have done pretty well to keep the scoreboard relatively even. It has been a good contest; Vedelago, Pocock and Pusey have defended like terriers, Gits has kicked well and looked dangerous. The return of Henjak has been a big boost for the Force in attack and defence... he's an underrated player the kid.

Force have to hold on til the half now; they're looking tired. And thy do - but only just!

38 mins and a try to the Brumies awarded to Jeremy Paul. The TMO awarded that one; looked dubious, I reckon he lost it into another player before regaining control. Huxley misses the kick, Brumbies lead 8-6.

35 mins and after some heroic defence the Brumbies are awarded a penalty, and Ryan Cross is given a yellow card for some reason unbeknownest to your scribe. Sharpie is back out there though.

...Larkham of all people knocks on 2 metres out after a super tackle from that man - Matt Giteau. That saved a certain try!

32 mins and the Brumbies have an 8-on-7 5m scrum...

Force players slipping a lot tonight... it hasn't allowed for any opportunities to the Brumbies as yet, but it's a worry

What?? Yellow card to Sharpie for a lineout indiscretion. A bit harsh maybe - it was certainly a penalty, but a yellow card too? 25 mins in

...But they knock on and Gitty clears from his own try line! Super defence from the Force

Hoiles makes a nice linebreak to set up attacking position for the ACT side, who turn down a shot at goal, kicking for touch instead.

Force looking solid early. Another penalty awarded 22m out, Gits lining them up, and no problems there. 6-3 to the Force after 22 mins

Penalty awarded to the Brumbies for offside against Sharpie. Huxley will line up from 25m out directly in front, and he makes no mistake; 3-3 after 15 mins

Huxley misses a drop goal after 12 mins. 40+m out was a little ambitious maybe...

Force having some good possession in the first 10 minutes, but Huxley clears well and now it's the Brumbies on attack

And from the lineout the Force win another penalty, and Giteau will have a kick for goal from about 30m out, almost in front. The kick is goos, Force lead 3-0 after 5 mins.

Force win the first penalty of the night as gregan is offside. Kick for touch is the option taken

Teams running out now, Force wearing the gold alternate jersey tonight. Our referee is Mr Dickinson. Force to kick off, and we're away...

About 10 minutes to kickoff at Canberra Stadium. Teams have been out doing their warm-ups on a typically brisk April night in the nation's capital. No late changes for either side is the news from the touchline.

Emirates Western Force vs Brumbies. Kickoff 5.35pm WA time, Friday 20 April.


From WA rugby.com

[Blitzkrieg]

Week 12:

The Qld Reds FINALLY get a win, only their 2nd of the season, a scrappy 23-13 defeat of the Cheetahs in Brisbane. A lacklustre match, not really up to the standard you'd expect from the Super XIV. But the way the Reds have been going, any win will do. Ben Tune signed off with an intercept try that proved to be the sealer for the home side.

The Waratahs mounted a strong comeback from 26-6 down in the 2nd half against a determined Highlanders, who hung on for a 26-25 win in Sydney as NSW goalkicker Peter Hewat missed a very late conversion from the touchline.  Hewat was suffering from cramp, but still had to take the kick.

And as PS described, the Force gave away a late penalty in front of goal, with the Brumbies' Mark Gerrard converting to give the ACT side a 14-12 win in Canberra.

The high-flying Chiefs outclassed the Sharks 35-27 in Hamilton, the below-par Durban side trailing 32-3 early in the 2nd half. The scoreline doesn't show how much better the Chiefs played.

The Crusaders did enough to grind out a 23-13 home win over fellow NZers the Hurricanes in Christchurch, in a game that never really sparked into life as both sides, especially the Hurricanes, threw away plenty of chances.

The rampant Bulls kept alive their finals hopes as they thumped their local rivals, the Lions, 31-7 in Johannesburg, the away side running in 5 tries to 1.

And finally, another loss for the Auckland Blues, this time 33-20 against the Stormers in Cape Town. The home side defended strongly, particularly late in the match to keep the visitors at bay.

The ladder, with all sides having played 11 matches:
1. Canterbury Crusaders 41 pts
2. Auckland Blues 37
3. Coastal Sharks 35
4. Northern Bulls 32
5. Waikato Chiefs 32
6. ACT Brumbies 31
7. Western Force 27
8. Otago Highlanders 26
9. Wellington Hurricanes 23
10. Western Cape Stormers 22
11. Johannesburg Lions 21
12. Central Cheetahs 18
13. NSW Waratahs 15
14. Queensland Reds 11

[Blitzkrieg]

The final round of the Super XIV:

Crusaders 24-30 Chiefs @ Jade Stadium, Christchurch
The Chiefs have inflicted the Crusaders 1st loss in 26 home matches, and ultimately have cost their fellow Kiwis a home final. The Chiefs climbed to 4th, but had to rely on other results going their way to stay in the finals. Alas, it wasn't to be. Which is disappointing given the Waikato side's red-hot form late in the season.

Western Force 6-33 Blues @ Subiaco Oval, Perth
The Blues confirmed a finals spot with this win over a disappointing Force outfit, who didn't manage to get across the line. However, the Auckland side had to wait for the remaining matches to see who they would play, and where. The WA boys certainly improved on last season's effort, and will be looking to push for a fnals berth in season 2008.

Highlanders 10-29 ACT Brumbies @ Carisbrook, Dunedin
The Brumbies did all they could do, i.e. win against a lacklustre Higlanders team & claim a bonus point, to make a push for the finals. But, like the Chiefs, they fell just short. The ACT-based side had the best shot at a finals place out of all the Australian teams, but this will be the first time since 1998 that the finals will not feature an Aussie side.

Hurricanes 14-38 NSW Waratahs @ Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Not the send-off that Hurricanes & All-Blacks great Tana Umaga was hoping for, ditto for Paul Tito, Luke Andrews & Lome Fa'atau, but this 4 tries to 2 win certainly gives the Waratahs something to take heart from.  Both sides, NSW in particular, have endured a pretty ordinary campaign & will surely have to be aiming for significant improvement next season.

Lions 10-16 Cheetahs @ Ellis Park, Johannesburg
A winning send-off for Cheetahs coach Rassie Erasmus, the Bloemfontein-based side coming out the better in a match marred by schoolboy handling errors, poor options & generally just an appalling lack of skill from both sides - but then, both these sides had only pride to play for. Their fans surely must have had their patience sorely tested over the past few weeks.

Stormers 10-36 Sharks @ Newlands, Cape Town
Congratulations to the boys from Durban on becoming the first ever South African-based side to claim the Super 14 minor premiership, and the first side from that country to host a playoff since the 1999 season.  And they did it in pretty convincing style too - a scintillating 5 tries to 1 win, which would have been a delight for the many fans who made the trek from Kwazulu-Natal province.

Bulls 92-3 Queensland Reds @ Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
If Tana Umaga's send-off was bad, spare a thought for poor Ben Tune! The Queensland star had the ignominy of being part of a side that was absolutely annihilated by the raging Bulls, 13 tries to zip! Not even the most ardent Bulls fan could have believed that their side would get anywhere near the 72-point winning margin required for the Pretoria side to grab a home final. But they did - the 89-point demolition eclipsing the previous record margin set by the Crusaders crushing of the Waratahs by 77 points (96-19).

The final table:
1. Coastal Sharks 45 pts
2. Northern Bulls 42
3. Canterbury Crusaders 42
4. Auckland Blues 42
5. ACT Brumbies 40
6. Waikato Chiefs 40
7. Western Force 32
8. Wellington Hurricanes 27
9. Otago Highlanders 27
10. Western Cape Stormers 27
11. Central Cheetahs 22
12. Johannesburg Lions 22
13. NSW Waratahs 21
14. Queensland Reds 11

Next week:
Northern Bulls v Canterbury Crusaders @ Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Coastal Sharks v Auckland Blues @ ABSA Stadium, Durban