It is here! Super Rugby 2019 you good thing

They say wine matures and gets better with age and time and hence the wait between Super Rugby seasons should sweeten our appetites for the competition.

People and experts say too much of a good thing is in fact not a good thing and the rarer an occasion the more treasured it is. More is less and less is more.

Ha, I’m far too simple for all that deep thinking nonsense. Give me rugby every weekend of the year and I’ll be smiling like Michael Hooper after his contract deal.

I love rugby and the more I get to watch the better, no matter how many games I watch between the Bokke, Kiwis and Wallabies I never lose interest and always look forward to the next.

I live and breathe the game, bugger less is best, I’m more for lots is lekker (ask a South African).

With all that said we launch into a fantastic rugby year, sevens, Super Rugby, World Cup, Twiggy games and so on – Rugby on all the time for most of the time for a good time – sorry you sophisticated deep thinking wine sipping less is more soccer watching peeps.

Super Rugby starts tonight and it starts with a bang.

Chiefs kick off their campaign against the colour uncoordinated Highlanders, followed by the Brumbies taking on the Force of Rebels.

Saturday dawns and as the afterglow of Super Rugby is just starting to fade, bam, three more games hit us scare in the face like a good ol regmaaker (ask a South African).

A mouth-watering game between Kiwi whipping boys the Blues versus the Kiwi Legends Crusaders. This is followed by RA favourite’s Tahs versus the Hurricanes and the whimpering Sunwolves against the 2018 Currie Cup champs Sharks.

After a glorious day of rugby, braai and beer we go to bed knowing that the best is yet to come (make sure it’s being recorded).

Sunday comes, and like a teenager about to get some, we excitedly turn on the TV for the big one – Lions versus Jaguares, the boys are back! Oh yes, we quickly check the score between the Bulls and Stormers.

If you ask my friends and family, my tipping and predictions are about as accurate as a Stephen Moore lineout, I’m generally way of the mark. This, however, has never deterred me from offering my very well informed (Facebook) and qualified (RA announcements) opinion, so here goes:

Chiefs vs Highlanders
Chiefs to take a relatively close game and if Stephen Donald has a top that fits him, it might make for easier viewing.

Brumbies vs Rebels
Cracker of a game and to me looks like Brumbies forwards vs Rebels backs. Rebels backline is something of an Aussie dream, speed (Maddox/Banks), brains (Petty) and brawn (Meakes) all being controlled by the master Will Genia and hopefully the final magic spark added by the revived Quade Cooper – this could be fantastic to watch.

There is one massive hurdle to overcome and that is the Brumbies forwards. That magic backline will come to nought if it is continuously on the back foot and behind the gain line.

The tight five of the Brumbies will dominate and the ever-present tree-hugging David Pocock will decimate any quick, forward ball the Rebels have. Games are won upfront, and with a solid bench, the Brumbies should take this.

Blues vs Crusaders
All I can say is do not write the Blues off, let’s see how they go. Crusaders are generally known as slow starters and if the Blues can get a good start, stranger things have happened.

I always go for Crusaders and their history speaks for itself and once again I’ll go Crusader.

Waratahs vs Hurricanes
Reckon it’s going to be a good game but one in which the Canes will have more gas come the last 20 minutes and take the points.

Sunwolves vs Sharks
Sharks will be impressive this year – I reckon they will be finalists and therefore too much for the Wolves.

Bulls vs Stormers
Bulls are more settled and have less off-field drama. Thor will let all know that he is back and game should go the way of the Bulls, but it will be close.

Jaguares vs Lions
This is how I see it playing out – Malcolm ‘devastator’ Marx receives and bulldozes over the advantage line like a Bismarck of old, ball is quickly recycled and distributed to Elton Jantjies, who with the class and sophistication that his hairdresser obviously lacks, deftly cross quicks to the Schumacher quick Dyantyi!

Aphiwe Dyantyi deftly plucks the ball from the air and in a blur of speed is in the opposition 22, sidestepping like a raver on bad drugs, he offloads to the ever present Warren Whitely who swerves and rocket passes out wide to Andries “no pass” Coetzee who dots down for a legendary try.

Damn, I just got shivers – Lions to be dominant and none of this loss of players and negative talk to affect them; they will show why they are still to be considered contenders.

Enjoy the weekend – it’s going to be great.