Super Rugby Round 14: The week before the fun starts

We need to really let Round 14 soak in, gang, because it will be the last pure and simple round of Super Rugby for a little while before the June recess starts getting crazy to accommodate the British and Irish Lions Tour of New Zealand.

Although, strangely, it’s the South African sides not playing next week. And Round 15 will be played in two parts over four weeks, and will conclude three weeks after Round 16 begins. Still following?

Never change, Super Rugby, you funny old bugger. Never change…

Last week: The Crowd 7; Digger, Harry, and Brett 6; Nobes 5

Digger
“’Canes by plenty, and the Crusaders too.

“I want to back the Blues for purely selfish reasons but I can’t see the Chiefs losing, even at Eden Park, simply more to play for. I like the Reds at home to tip over the Force, and though you have to think the Perth side will be pretty keen to put last week’s result in the rear-view mirror; no, Reds for me.

“I will back the Sunwolves this week, not sure why, probably because I am so far behind Harry which is why I will take the Sharks as well; because I am so far behind Harry. And it’s in Durban.

“Highlanders are a must pick back home in Dunedin, just struggle to see the Waratahs being good enough at the moment, while the Lions are a no brainer at home. Real head-scratcher, the Jaguares and Brumbies, but I will opt for the Brumbies as again; they have more at stake.”

Tips: Chiefs, Reds, Sunwolves, Highlanders, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Sharks, Brumbies, Lions

Harry Jones
“The jet-lagged Blues, despondent from a cruel loss at Newlands, will drop another to their hated neighbours, the Chiefs. The Reds-Force derby will be dour; the home team by a nose?

“The Cheetahs and the Sunwolves will aggregate ten tries; the visitors take it at the death. The Tahs will play hard, but fall short in the Highlands. The Rebels will be a little speed bump to the ‘Saders, but the train keeps rolling. The sugar Canes will sour Loftus.

“There will be blood in Durban: Stormers by one. The Jaguares will play their best match of the season.

“The Lion-King game won’t have a circle of life for the Kings.

TIPS: Chiefs, Reds, Cheetahs, Highlanders, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Stormers, Jaguares, Lions.

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Brett
Before I begin, I just want to welcome Digger to The Desperation Zone. It’s great to have some company, finally, and it’s great to see Digger clutching at the kind of straws he’ll need to survive down here!

Blues-Chiefs games are always intense, but the Chiefs have so much to play for and a gap on the Crusaders to make up in this game. They’ll be too good. In the other Friday night game, I really, really like the look of this Western Force pack this week, but I cannot get enthused by Peter Grant at 10. Jono Lance cannot return quick enough, and even if the Reds essentially concede the set piece battle, their backs will be too good.

I think the Sunwolves were robbed in Singapore last weekend (Rohan Hoffmann missed a woeful knock-on in a Sharks lineout drive on the tryline), and getting back to Tokyo will make them too mighty for the mere cats. The Waratahs really, really need to win in Dunedin, but they really, really won’t; and the first 15 people into AAMI Park in Melbourne in a Crusaders jersey will probably be too good for the injury-plagued Rebels.

‘Canes by plenty in Pretoria. I’m tipping Chris Boyd will be able to go to the bench early and give a few blokes an early mark; and the Stormers, because while I’m similarly as desperate as Digger, I’m not completely mad.

Brumbies will take a lot of confidence from one corner of the southern hemisphere to the next, but they just have to find a better attacking connection between 10 and 12. Regardless, their ability to hold possession and field position should be enough for the Jaguares. And no-one’s beating the Lions from here.

Tips: Chiefs, Reds, Sunwolves, Highlanders, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Stormers, Brumbies, Lions

Nobes
“Ok, I lost the leaderboard last weekend because I am bit naive and made a rookie mistake. I should have known better, it is hard to beat the ref in South Africa. So, with that lesson learned let’s go into Round 14.

“The Blues will still be thinking of what happened in the last game against the Stormers, and the Chiefs will keep them wondering. The rested Reds at home should have an easy game against the Force.

(AAP Image/ David Rowland)

“Sunwolves and Cheetahs will have shoot out but the team from SA will prevail. The Highlanders will have to fight a committed Waratahs in Dunedin. The Rebels do not stand a chance against the unbeaten Crusaders. The Bulls do not have enough to pull an upset over the ‘Canes.

“Sharks and Stormers should play this one in a ringside with boxing gloves. The Sharks are missing some key players, and I believe the Stormers will win not by a knock out but by points.

“Jaguares versus Brumbies is a very difficult call. We do not know which Jaguares or Brumbies will show. Jaguares seems to have some internal problems and the week off may have been able to fix them, but I do not know. I wish I could see the starting line up before committing my tip in this one. With a big question mark I go with the cats.

“The Lions will have no problem against the Kings.”

Tips: Chiefs, Reds, Cheetahs, Highlanders, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Stormers, Jaguares, Lions.

Get your tips in now – The Crowd’s tips will be revealed before kick-off in the first game of the weekend.

The sure thing

The one thing we’re all absolutely certain will happen over the course of this weekend. Well, pretty certain…

Digger
“Yes, yes I did pick Aso to get a hat trick last week. The tipping may be woeful but I slammed the sure thing! (for one week at least) Yip, nailed it.

“For this week, I will stick with the hat trick theme and suggest George Bridge will get one in Melbourne while I will also plump for BBBBB not missing a kick off the tee in Pretoria, for the second week in a row.”

Harry
“Referees will continue to make four to five errors per game; we’ll all focus only on the ones that hurt our team.”

Nobes
“We will not know this week which teams will get the axe.”

Brett
Elton Jantjies to just pip Richie Mo’unga for the most points this weekend. But only because Mo’unga will be benched earlier.

Got a sure thing yourself? Let us know in the comments below, and enjoy your rugby this weekend…