Round 14 sees the seventh-placed Cheetahs play host to the fourth-placed Reds at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein. We’ll have live scores and a blog from 3.10am AEST.
The Cheetahs have won seven of their 11 matches so far in what has been somewhat of a breakout season for a team with a lot of young faces.
One of the consistent performers over the last few seasons for them has been Coenie Oosthuizen, the twice capped Springbok man mountain has shown great speed and power all over the pitch and is fast becoming a cult figure in South Africa.
Expect a big game from him. In the backs Burton Francis has kicked crucial goals at a few times this season and will be looking to pressure the Reds and keep them pinned downfield with his kicking from hand.
The Cheetahs have been full of running so far this season and have been the most entertaining South African side to watch in my opinion.
The Reds are coming off a solid victory over the Sharks in Brisbane and will be looking to get their South African tour underway with a win against a Cheetahs side that should prove to be stiff opposition.
Genia and Cooper are back to their old tricks and that duo will be crucial in orchestrating the Reds try scorers out wide, that being said the forward pack will be the key to success.
As it so often is against South African sides and the likes of Slipper, Horwill and Schatz will need to impose themselves early to set up a platform for the lightning players out wide.
The battle between Brussow and Gill at ruck time should be a spectacle as well.
I expect this to be a cracker of a match full of counter attacking and big clashes at the breakdown!
I am backing the Reds to come out on top but it will be no walk in the park against such a resilient Cheetahs side, so I say Reds by less than seven.
Haha, might have been easy for the Tahs'
Zingar
Guest
Point of order - the story about SA mothers drinking to get higher benefits has been spread through highly suspect journalism: http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-01-24-sky-really-is-the-limit-the-lowdown-on-alex-crawfords-reporting ... if you wouldn't believe that your own daughter would do something like that, it's pretty mean to believe that someone else's would based on such flimsy evidence.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
I think you've pretty much nailed it, Biltongbek. It really wasn't their night, along with the thought of injuries with the Lions series having no doubt witnessed the unfortunate injuries to TPN and Smith just hours before. It will be a mind game next week against the Stormers as well. No easy games this year, except perhaps Waratahs Kings ;)
Remember the Boks against Australia at home in 2011? The Boks made a ,ot of play and yet could not finish a try, they had numerous knocks with open try lines, numerous forward passes and nothing stuck on the day. The Aussies won that match 14-9, yet the Boks made most of the play. That is what happened to the Reds this weekend, it just wasn't their night.
Doubt it will be dull, you will most likely see some very hard tackles, some good tactical kicking by Cooper, you will see Cooper put Elton Jantjies to shame in defense, and with Joe Pietersen at the back who can't run through a wet tissue there will be plenty of line breaks.
Jerry
Guest
Firstly, YOU re-posted something from the SA referees website the other day noting that the TMO wasn't permitted to consider the knock on. So it's not bias, it's following the laws of the game. Or do you not bother to read your own posts? Here's a reminder. "about the possible knock-ons by Jones and Higginbotham. The TMO appeared not to have examined them. He was right not to have examined them. The expanded TMO functionality includes identifying foul play, and clear and obvious infringements in the last two phases before a try is scored. All officials (the referee, assistant referees and TMO) are allowed to initiate a referral and make recommendations. This would include a possible knock-on but applies only to a case where a try is scored. In this case the try was not scored. Then, according to the IRB’s protocol, the possibility of a knock-on could not be considered. Ands so the TMO did not consider the possibility of a knock-on." Secondly, Habana should play to the whistle so it's his own fault. Thirdly, given the TMO can't consider the knock on, WHY Habana wasn't gonna get there first is irrelevant. The simple fact is the probability is that he wasn't. Fourthly, he's the replacement halfback which is why he called him '9'. Don't be obtuse.
dadiggle
Guest
No Jerry Habana jogged and was anticipating the whistle then put on the burners for last meters. If there wasn't a knock on then Habana would have burned him. You know what was the funny thing? TMO said Blue 9 was held back. Blue 9 went off 33 minutes before the incident. How could he get the number wrong its as clear as daylight. This incident shows a bias TMO as he cherry picked what he wanted to adjudicate on. Referee said check everything. Everything would be to the last ruck. That would have included Higgers knock on yet he went past it and picked the guy being held back.
mpm
Guest
I hope not. That could be an amazingly dull game of rugby.
tubby
Guest
joel stranszky will make up ridiculous stories to prove why the ref is always right. it's not in the least bit out of character for him to reverse his view to continue to match the ref.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
You're right, Fredstone. The Reds were flat. I tend to think that the Lions tour was on the back of many minds and having just witnessed the carnage of the Waratahs Brumbies game, unfortunately, regardless of all the 'these are professional players' blah blah blah, I think many were pretty apprehensive when it came to commitment. That is purely human nature at work. So, call it flat but I think there was a bit more to it than that. Will probably see much the same next week against the Stormers.
fredstone
Guest
In order to understand the backlash that will hit the reds for the rebels fiasco next week you need to undertand south african rugby politics, sorry mates, log points on this tour are going to be very exceptionaly hard to come by. But then again we'll just explain it away from our own bias as was done in this thread and the rebels stormers thread. Second game that I've read about the supeiority of the reds and how the other team didn't roll away blah blah blah. Found the reds to be very predictable, one dimentional and their forwards flat.
Jerry
Guest
The fact that the slow 'centre' even with him being held back, only just lost the race kind of suggests he probably was gonna win the race to the line if he'd been allowed to run unimpeded.
mpm
Guest
Joubert is from Durban, not Bloem.
mpm
Guest
Maybe Drotske is just better. Can't criticise Mckenzie for that. Could all be Richard Graham's fault, of course.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
mpm it's the height of immorality and sacrilege on the Roar to criticise Ewen Mckenzie. Any other deity yes, but not this ultimate one. Anticipate neverending howls of excoriation.
IvanN
Guest
Did anyone see the wonderful penalty try that the Rebels got ? The ref was of the opinion that the slow centre was going to beat Habana to the tryline.... At best a penalty, never a penalty try.... Officiating is ruining the game as a spectacle, and theres always the feeling that results are bought.
mpm
Guest
I thought MacKenzie was decisively outcoached by Drotske. The number of Cheetah's plays that ended up in intercept positions to stop flat balls was incredible and no doubt contributed to the number of forward passes the Reds threw and the general ineffectiveness of the attack. That Cooper, Genia and co couldn't adjust was also interesting. The Commentators also mentioned the Cheetahs ceding the front of the line out to the Reds, no doubt to minimise the use of the backline on first phase. And why did the Reds go for a try at 18-6 when the kick was right in front? Poor captaincy again Horwill.
watching
Guest
a couple of years ago the Red won the competition!!!!!
watching
Guest
what is with Joubert - he penalised the reds for tackling while the player was in the air yet let go at least two times when the Cheetahs tackled the Reds player in the air - look at the replay it is very obvious - home town ref - I wonder
Dan H
Guest
Kah-kah is a highly alcoholic drink some pregnant women in SA drink to give their children brain damage so they can collect the higher benefits that come with having a disabled child.