SUPER RUGBY
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday February 18, 2011
Hurricanes (NZ) v Highlanders (NZ)Friday, 5.35pm, Westpac Stadium, Wellington CJane 15 BSmithJSavea 14 JPatersonCSmith 13 KLynnMNonu 12 STreebyHGear 11 KPokiACruden 10 LSopoagaTKeats 9 JCowanVVito 8 NManuJLam 7 ASoakaiMReddish 6 AThomsonJEaton 5 JBerkhuisJBroadhurst 4 JHoeataMBent 3 DTeMoanaAHore (c) 2 JRutledgeJSchwalger 1 JMackintoshReserves: Hurricanes:DColes,NTialata, F Levave, S Lilo, C Eaton,DKirkpatrick,ATaylor.Highlanders:BMitchell,BMurray, J Tuineau, JHardie, A Smith,RRobinson,SPiutau.Greg Growden writes: TheHurricanes remain themost exasperating Super teamto follow‚€œ despiteabundant talent they invariably lose their way. But theywill be tooformidable for NewZealand‚„s least impressiveprovince.Referee:SDickinson (AUS)TVtimes: Live, FoxSports 2TABSportsbet: Hurricanes$1.14 Highlanders$5.25 Rebels v WaratahsFriday, 7.40pm, AAMI Park, Melbourne JHuxley 15 KBealeLMitchell 14 LTurnerSMortlock (c) 13 RHorneCVuna 12 TCarterLRooney 11 DMitchellJHilgendorf 10 BBarnesSCordingley 9 LBurgessGDelve 8 BMowenMLipman 7 PWaugh (c)HMacdonald 6 DDennisKO‚„Neill 5 KDouglasAByrnes 4 DMummGSomerville 3 ABaxterGRobinson 2 TPolota-NauNHenderson 1 SKepuReserves: Rebels:HTessmann,LWeeks,A Campbell,JSaffy,NPhipps,DCipriani,A TaumoepeauWaratahs:DFitzpatrick,BRobinson,STimani,CAlcock,BMcKibbin,DHalangahu,RCrossGreg Growden writes: Authoritativerugbytypesare betting that the Rebels won‚„twin agame in their opening season. It won‚„tbethatbadbut theWaratahs should still trouncethemin this one,winning by at least 15points.Referee:MLawrence (RSA)TV times: Live, FoxSports 2TABSportsbet: Rebels $3.50,Waratahs $1.28 Blues (NZ) v Crusaders (NZ)Saturday, 5.35pm, Eden Park, Auckland I Toeava 15 I DaggJRokocoko 14 SMaitlandJPayne 13 RFrueanBStanley 12 AWhitelockRRanger 11 TUmaga-MarshallSBrett 10 DCarterAMathewson 9 AEllisCLowrey 8 KRead (c)DBraid 7 MToddJKaino 6 GWhitelockAWilliams 5 SWhitelockABoric 4 BThornJAfoa 3 OFranksKMealamu (c) 2 CFlynnTWoodcock 1 WCrockettReserves: Blues:TMcCartney/ADixon,C Faumuina,FPaulo, L Braid,TMorland,LMunro,SStowersCrusaders:FSmith,BFranks,CJack,JPoff,WHeinz,MBerquist,TMarshall/T BleyendaalGreg Growden writes: Thereare plenty ofsmarties inNew Zealand arguing that theBlueswill be a tournament force this year, andthat should startwithawin over an injurydepletedCrusaders,who often lose their waywhen Richie McCaw is not around.Referee:CPollock (NZ)TV times: Live, FoxSports 2TABSportsbet: Blues$1.95, Crusaders$1.80 Brumbies v Chiefs (NZ)Saturday, 7.40pm, Canberra Stadium PMcCabe 15 MMuliaina (c)HSpeight 14 TNanai-WilliamsAAshley-Cooper 13 DSweeneyRColeman 12 TUmagaFFainifo 11 SSivivatuMGiteau (c) 10 SDonaldJValentine 9 BLeonardI Vaea 8 FLeeJSalvi 7 TLatimerMChapman 6 LMessamMChisholm 5 RGrahamBHand 4 CClarkeDPalmer 3 NWhiteSMoore 2 AdeMalmancheBAlexander 1 BMayReserves:Brumbies:HEdmonds, S Ma‚„afu, SHoiles,CFaingaa,PPhibbs,MToomua,ASmith.Chiefs:TSmith,DPerrin,HTriggs, S Waldrom,TKerr-Barlow,JWillison,LMasaga.Greg Growden writes: It could be a tough startfor the ‚œ‚œold mates‚„‚„ province, as the Brumbiesarewithout several key players, includingRockyElsomand Stephen Hoiles. And theChiefs arebuoyedby the inclusion of their newrecruit ‚€œ 37-year-old former All Black TanaUmaga. Expect an upset.Referee:JKaplan (RSA)TV times: Live, FoxSports 2TABSportsbet: Brumbies$1.70, Chiefs $2.05Sharks* (RSA) v Cheetahs (RSA)Sunday, 2.05am, ABSAStadium, Durban Ondungane 15 HDanillerJP Pietersen 14 PBurgerSTerblance 13 REbersohnMBosman 12 AStraussLMvovo 11 RBenjaminPLambie 10 NOlivierCMcLeod 9 SPretoriusRKankowski 8 KFloorsWAlberts 7 Pvan der WaltJBotes 6 FViljoenGMostert 5 WSteenkampABresler 4 FUysJduPlessis 3 WPNelBduPlessis 2 AStrauss (c)BMtawarira 1 COosthuizenReserves: Sharks: TBACheetahs:RBarnes,KCalldo,WVermeulen,AJohnson,TdeBruyn,SEbersohn,RViljoenGreg Growden writes: Howcan younot lovea teamthat plays atahome ground called theShark Tank?And the Cheetahs should be thefirst teamtoget mauled, especially as theywillbe without their gun forwardJuan Smith.Referee:CJoubert (RSA)TV times: Live, FoxSports 2TABSportsbet: Sharks$1.17, Cheetahs $4.60Lions* (RSA) v Bulls (RSA)Suday, 4.10am, Ellis Park, Johannesburg MDelport 15 ZKirchnerTChavhanga 14 Gvan den HeeverJBoshoff 13 SDippenaarJEngelbrecht 12 WOlivierDNoble 11 BBassonHCronje 10 MSteynJP Joubert 9 FduPreezRKruger 8 PSpiesMRhodes 7 DPotgieterJKriel 6 DStegmannDBullbring 5 VMatfield (c)JSnyman 4 BBothaRGeldenhuys 3 WKrugerEMarutlulle 2 GBothaWSwart 1 GSteenkampReserves: Lions: TBABulls:CRalepelle, R deKlerk,DRossouw,D Kuun,RSnyman,FBrummer, J vanderWesthuyzenGreg Growden writes: We hear the Bullshaven‚„t exactly been spectacular in the leadup,but what does itmatter? They‚„reonlyplaying the Lions. Despite the arrival of formerForcecoach John Mitchell to the Lions, expectaBulls massacre.Referee:MJonker (RSA)TV times: Live, FoxSports 2TABSportsbet: Lions $6.25, Bulls $1.10Reds v ForceSunday, 5.40pm. Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Phynes 15 JO‚„ConnorRDavies 14 CShepherdWChambers 13 MInmanAFaingaa 12 GFairbanksD Ioane 11 DSmithQCooper 10 WRipiaWGenia 9 BSheehanLHouston 8 RBrownEQuirk 7 DPocockJHorwill 6 MHodgsonRSimmons 5 NSharpeVHumphries 4 BMcCalmanJSlipper 3 TFairbrotherSFaingaa 2 NCharlesBDaley 1 PCowanReserves: Reds:JHanson,GHolmes,S Higginbotham,BRobinson,BLucas,MHarris, A TouaForce: TBAGreg Growden writes: Can the Reds repeattheir spectacular attacking blitzof last year?It all revolves around their forwards, who willlose a lot with Daniel Braid back in NZ. All willbe revealed at the weekend, with Redsexpected to win a tight one.Referee: I Smith (Aus)TV times: Live, FoxSports 2TABSportsbet: Reds $1.25, Force$3.65
© 2011 Sydney Morning Herald