Two teams stood out to me this weekend, the Stormers and Highlanders. They might be the most unlucky and hard done by teams of the competition.
The reason they seem particularly intriguing is because neither displays a complete inability to compete in any part of rugby and they are both stocked with solid Super Rugby performers.
The Stormers, in particular, seem to be a side full of relatively accomplished players, but haven’t been able to get things rolling in 2013.
Going down to the Cheetahs, 26-24, means the Stormers have lost what was probably the game of the round two weeks running.
Last week when they lost to the Crusaders I thought their game was strong enough to have beaten everyone else that round besides the Reds and Chiefs.
This week they weren’t as superb, but they did play long periods of attractive rugby against perhaps the most attractive side in the competition these days.* Both sides ran out of steam to a degree near the end but they’d served up such a consistent stream of effort it was allowable.
*In fact, some people have said the Kings – due to the resilience and pugnaciousness they displayed against the Brumbies and others – have become their defacto ‘second team’. Mine however is the Cheetahs, they’ve won me right over.
Both sides also had some early injuries and substitutes and that lead to both sides not having the same level of replacement boost later in the match. The Cheetahs were actually without a recognised half back for a long stretch.
Ultimately the Stormers weren’t able to repel the Cheetahs late and spent a lot of the back portion of the match in their own half instead of protecting the lead down the opposite end of the field. That meant any infringement allowed the Cheetahs a shot at goal.
What’s gone wrong for the Stormers so far this year?
It looks to me like the Stormers have probably had the hardest draw for a team that hasn’t left their country yet.
The Stormers have played the Bulls (a), Sharks (a), Chiefs, Brumbies, Crusaders and Cheetahs (a) so far.
Starting the year away to the Bulls and Sharks wouldn’t be easy for anyone; their two wins so far, in a cruel twist, come against the Chiefs and Brumbies who are sitting atop the ladder currently.
The Crusaders played at Test match intensity for 80 minutes to pull off a tough win in Newlands and the Cheetahs are the most improved team in 2013 who were on a four-game winning streak.
Any of the Force, Rebels, Kings, Waratahs would be lucky to come away from a schedule like that with just one win, let alone two. The Hurricanes and Blues would have even struggled to get a W on the board.
I still think the Stormers have the talent to at least push for a finals spot but this rough start has made life hard now. The Cheetahs are six points ahead now and the Sharks a further three up the road.
A big match against the Sharks at Newlands will give the Stormers a chance to compress the game somewhat. Getting points there will be vital. After that they have a bye week to reload.
There actually is a team who has zero victories this year, the Highlanders. They are a very interesting to look at.
They also have the tools to be a decent team but haven’t been able to get on the right side of the ledger.
They are now a bonus-point victory away from the Kings and Force who are tied above them. It’s a horrible start to the year, but once again losing to the Blues and not having the worst game of the round by any measure.
Six weeks into the competition the Highlanders have only played one really horrible game and that came against the Cheetahs in round 6. In that game their mistakes were preyed upon by Sarel Pretorius’ running and Johan Goosen’s boot.
The Highlanders season so far: Chiefs, Crusaders, Cheetahs, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Reds and Blues.
Sub the Force, Waratahs or Rebels into that schedule and the fans would be pointing out that they only have a minus-59 point differential.
Certainly only having one notably poor game isn’t the mark of your usual Super Rugby cellar dweller.
What gives?
The Highlanders have more clean line breaks than any other team besides the Chiefs up until this point. Yet, they sit rooted to the bottom of the competition ladder with a donut in the wins column.
Hosea Gear, Ben Smith, Kade Poki, Ma’a Nonu and co have been effective enough at breaking through the line and making great metres across the grass and they break opposition defences clean open often.
To be honest, I was delighted when I saw that stat because it lined up with my thoughts about the Highlanders.
It seemed to me like they could always move the ball a fair distance but weren’t able to retain it for enough phases to draw the penalty or dot it down once they were inside the opposition 22m area.
The Highlanders are great at moving the ball in the middle parts of the field but make too many handling errors and give away penalties in possession when they get into pay dirt.
Also contributing to their inability to make the possession and attacking ability count has been their work in the rucks.
The Highlanders don’t commit enough to the rucks to secure the ball and when they do they don’t form a solid unit and are pushed off the ball too easily.
All of this is compounded by the fact Aaron Smith has been having a serious sophomore slump in his second year as Highlanders starting half back. He hasn’t been focusing enough on his primary duty of moving the ball from the base of the ruck.
Too often he’s trying to point and yell around the place instead of scooping the ball up and distributing it.
Not moving it quickly is leading to more dropped ball from him because the defence has a chance to disrupt him through counter-ruck.
What do these teams’ narratives mean for the rest of the competition?
I think they’re both too good to remain where they are for the rest of the year. That means the Stormers (who still might make the finals) and the Highlanders are great candidates to trip up other teams who are in a better position.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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