Super Rugby 2013: South African conference will fly high

With the official start of Super Rugby 2013 drawing nearer, it’s time to look at how some of the clubs may go this year. This instalment will focus on the South African teams.

Stormers

The Stormers were the champions of the South African conference last year, the conference that sent most teams through to the finals. It is arguably the most competitive conference.

So what about 2013? They sure as hell didn’t get any worse by grabbing one of the best off-season recruits in Elton Jantjies. Jantjies is considered one of the best young guns South Africa has to offer, and one of the only reasons Lions fans had anything to be happy about last year.

Don’t be surprised to see him perhaps coming off the bench for the Springboks this year. Jantjies will be competing with Peter Grant most of the year for the no. 10 Stormers’ jersey, and will be competing with Johan Goosen for a spot at the end of the Springbok’s bench, so don’t expect him to hold anything back on the field this year.

And a Stormers’ preview would not be complete without mentioning something about the long-awaited return of the Incredible Schalk, Schalk Burger.

While he may stay sidelined for the Stormers’ first match against the Bulls, he will no doubt return this season, and the legendary flanker will only add extra firepower and fear factor to perhaps the best provincial rugby team in the world.

Prediction: 1st (1st in conference)

Bulls

The Bulls were one of the best teams in the league, let alone South Africa for most of last year, until they disappointed the bejesus out of their fans at the end of the season and the finals, ending up losing 28-13 to the Crusaders, in a match that never really was.

But expect the Bulls to be back hungrier in 2013. It’s hard to spot many weaknesses in their line-up, and without any major changes made in the off-season, apart from the addition of Grant Hattingh and Lionel Mapoe from the Lions, the Bulls can only get stronger.

They return with players such as 2012 top try-scorer Bjorn Basson, one of the competition’s best, Monre Steyn, as well as a Springbok in nearly every other position on the field. The Bulls challenge for the Super Rugby title almost every year, and have one it three times before. Keen to erase the disappointment of last year, the Bulls will be back with a vengeance.

Prediction: 2nd (second in conference)

Sharks

The Sharks shocked most last year in the Super Rugby finals, when they made it all the way to the end. In fact, they barely even scraped into the finals, but they saw their window of opportunity when the Brumbies lost to the Blues at home, and from there on, the beat the Reds and the Stormers, two of the best teams all year, both at their home stadiums.

In the final however, they ran into far too much class against the Chiefs. But 2012 was by no means a disappointing experience for the Sharks. I only wish I could say the same about their off-season.

Unfortunately, they lost two key players in Frederic Michalak and Steven Sykes. Michalak is a world-class half who can play both 9 and 10 at the top level, and Steve Sykes and Ryan Kankowski both impressed last year.

While the losses will prove to be disappointing, the additions of Butch James, Franco van der Merwe and a full season with Francois Steyn will certainly give the team plenty more attacking options, especially when their opposition is constantly in threat of being bombed by a drop goal anywhere from 60 metres out from their own line.

All in all, the Sharks should have another positive season, again making the finals, keeping in their fellow finalists minds for weeks to come that a shark attack can come from anywhere at any time.

Prediction: 6th (3rd in conference)

Cheetahs

Despite their disappointing season last year, and their relatively uninspiring off-season, there is plenty to like about the Cheetahs. Their greatest asset at this point would be Johan Goosen by a county mile.

Goosen is considered to be one of the brightest young South African rugby prospects, and impressed immensely up until the halfway mark of the season when he dislocated his shoulder.

The ‘Boks are clearly very keen to get some Test rugby into him, even beating out champion fly-half Morne Steyn for his spot in the Rugby Championship for two games, before succumbing to yet another injury.

The Cheetahs will also be happy to have talented halfback Sarel Pretorius back in the fray after an ugly sabbatical playing with the Waratahs. However, one star cannot make up a team.

While the Cheetahs do have plenty of good players on hand, such as Wille le Roux and Riaan Smit, the only real star power they posses is Goosen, and looking at last year’s’ finalists, a more than bountiful supply of test players is required for a competitive team, and while they don’t have that, the Cheetahs won’t make too much headway on the ladder.

The best they can really hope for is that the play of Johan Goosen makes Springboks want to come and play with him. There’s no reason it shouldn’t.

Prediction: 13th (4th in conference)

Kings

We have seen over the past few years that the new kids on the block usually become the punching bag for the rest of the comp for a few years – and unfortunately, the Kings will probably be no exception.

They have a list devoid of any test talent or experience, and it will take the club a few years to find it’s feet, as it always does.

To focus on the positives, however, the Kings have done something rarely seen in Super Rugby, in recruiting Pumas Nicolas Vergallo and Tomas Leonardi to the team. Unfortunately, Super Rugby is barely ever graced with test-quality players outside the big three, and Vergallo is a real coup for the side.

If the Kings can recruit some more Springbok experience to go entice more stars, perhaps fellow Argentines can tempt some more national stars such as Juan Martin Hernandez or Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.

There is no doubt that more Pumas will be coming to our competition with their instalment in the Rugby Championship, and if the Kings can be the first to crack the vault on the Argentine talent, then they can start to build a multi-cultural talent base not seen often in Super Rugby.

Who knows? Perhaps stars from even bigger nations like Ireland or Wales will start coming over. The Kings have impressed early, managing to tap in to international stardom, and while they won’t do too much impressing on the field for the season, they’ll certainly be an interesting team to watch grow in the next few years

Prediction: 15th (5th in conference)