Sports FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2013
SUPER15 PREVIEW
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Bulls, Chiefs in box seat for Super 15 playoffs SYDNEY: Triple champions Northern Bulls and holders Waikato Chiefs can lock up the top two positions-and with them, semi-final hosting rights-in this weekend’s final Super 15 regular round of matches. The Bulls will take a big step towards hosting this season’s Super Rugby final if they can win their South African derby against the Western Stormers in Cape Town to finish top after 20 rounds of the southern hemisphere provincial series. The Pretoria-based Bulls are two points clear of the Chiefs, who face a tricky New Zealand derby with the Blues in Auckland if they are to maintain their top two spot heading into the playoffs. The top two teams have a bye from next weekend’s opening playoffs and will face the winners in the following week’s semi-finals to decide this season’s Super 15 finalists. Only Australia’s ACT Brumbies, a former two-time winner, and, mathematically, the seven-time champions Canterbury Crusaders, can knock the Chiefs out of the top two places in final round jockeying. The Brumbies, resuming after a month’s break for Australia’s home Test series against the British and Irish Lions, take on Western Force in Perth on Saturday where they have only lost once in four trips, while the Crusaders host the Wellington Hurricanes. The Bulls, who have lost on two of their last three trips to Cape Town, have Francois Venter in for injured midfielder Jan Serfontein, and Jano Vermaak taking over from injured scrum-half Francois Hougaard. The suspension of Wilhelm Steenkamp opened the door for 19-year-old Jacques du Plessis, who could make his debut for the Bulls after he was included as replacement lock. Captain Dewald Potgieter said the Bulls will have to step up their approach and execution if they want to beat the Stormers and finish the season top of the heap. “We did not react well in certain situations when placed under pressure last weekend and will have to improve on that,” Potgieter said. “The Stormers have momentum and the home crowd on their side and this being the big North/South derby we will have to front up. It is fair to say that this will be our biggest test this season.” Springbok captain Jean de Villiers has recovered from his sternum injury, and will lead the Stormers after missing the last two wins over the Cheetahs and the Kings. Recordbreaking Springbok winger Bryan Habana will be playing in his final and 57th match for the Stormers, having scored 18 tries in the process. The Chiefs have made several team changes with prop Toby Smith starting and Liam Messam returning after a back injury. Robbie Robinson and Lelia Masaga are on the wings and Tim Nanai-Williams (centre) and Andrew Horrell (fullback) have been named. “We are obviously pretty disappointed with our performance last week but we are excited about the opportunity to redeem ourselves,” Coach Dave Rennie said. “We know the Blues will want to put in a big performance in their final game of the season.” Wallaby flanker George Smith will be on the bench with Colby Faingaa starting in the number seven jersey for the Brumbies, who have been boosted by the return of seven Wallabies from national duty for the match against Force. Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has made only one change, putting Tom Donnelly at lock with Luke Romanof out with an ankle injury against the Hurricanes in Christchurch. Prop James Slipper will captain the Queensland Reds in the injury absence of Wallabies James Horwill and Will Genia in tomorrow’s Australian derby with the NSW Waratahs in Sydney. The Reds cannot be overhauled in the top six but this weekend’s game gives playmaker Quade Cooper a chance to show what the Wallabies missed after he was passed over by former coach Robbie Deans for the Lions series. In this weekend’s other games with no playoff bearing, the Rebels face the Otago Highlanders in Melbourne and the Sharks host the Kings in Durban. The sixth-placed Cheetahs have the bye. — AFP
The Red Bull Skydive Team performs at the AirPower13 in Zeltweg, Austria. —www.redbullcontentpool.com
Heremaia backs Hull to avenge Dragons defeat LONDON: Hull FC’s Aaron Heremaia admits his side are desperate to avenge their recent loss to Catalan Dragons when the sides meet again in this weekend’s Challenge Cup quarter-finals. Hull headed to the south of France last month having gone on a five-game unbeaten throughout May, but Dragons ended that with a 30-4 victory in Perpignan. That sparked three more Super League defeats for Hull, the latest 22-16 to Huddersfield Giants last Sunday, and Heremaia, who played three seasons in the NRL for the New Zealand Warriors, believes a switch of focus to the Challenge Cup can provide a change of fortunes. Hull will have to do it back in Perpignan tomorrow but, with victory putting them within 80 minutes of Wembley, Heremaia is adamant they won’t be fazed by the challenge. “Watching the final last year and seeing the crowd at Wembley, I was thinking how amazing it would be to be a part of that,” said Heremaia.”The hunger is there to win on Saturday and to go all the way and get to the final. It will be a tough game because they are a good side and they beat us at their place last time. “There is a whole different mind-set going into this game, though, with it being a knockout game, we have to leave everything out there on the pitch. “We know we have to learn lessons from the last game. The heat affected everyone in the last game over there but we know what to expect. “We have learnt a lot from it, we know it will be hot and we know it will be tough. It will be hotter this weekend and we know coping with that is key.” Elsewhere in quarter-final action, Huddersfield face Challenge Cup holders Warrington, while Wigan host Widnes. And Brett Hodgson is desperate for Warrington to edge ever closer to Wembley with victory over Huddersfield, who sit one place above them in second in the Super League table. “I have been fortunate enough to have played in some great stadiums but Wembley tops them all,” said Hodgson, a former Giants and Wests Tigers full-back. “It has got an aura about it where you know some special players have played before in whatever sport it may be.” —AFP
Subplots aplenty as Super Rugby enters final round WELLINGTON: Subplots abound in the final round of Super Rugby matches this weekend as the top six sides jostle for home-field advantage in the playoffs, a World Cup winner returns to action and players get the chance to impress Australia’s new coach. While the top six have already booked their spot in the playoffs, which begin next week, the first five positions in the standings could all change after the final round. Only South Africa’s Cheetahs, who have a bye and will receive four points to finish sixth on 54, are guaranteed to finish in the position they started the weekend. Every other side above them could rise or fall depending on results, with the table-topping Bulls (63) and second-placed Waikato Chiefs (61) still needing to win their games against the Stormers and Auckland Blues to ensure they advance straight to the semifinals. “We are obviously pretty disappointed with our performance last week,” Chiefs coach Dave Rennie said in reference to his side’s 43-15 loss to the Canterbury Crusaders that put a dent in their run to the playoffs. “We are excited about the opportunity to redeem ourselves. “We know these are traditionally big clashes and know the Blues will want to put in a big performance in their final game of the season.” The top two sides will have home advantage for the semi-finals, with the highest-ranked winner of those matches to host the final on Aug 3. The other four teams will meet next week in the first round of the playoffs, with the third- and fourth-placed sides, currently the Australianconference leading ACT Brumbies (59) and the Crusaders (56), having home advantage. The Crusaders’ match against the Hurricanes on Friday, despite the playoff ramifications, has been overshadowed in rugby-mad New Zealand by the return of World Cup winning captain Richie McCaw following a six-month sabbatical. —Reuters