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Opinionated Rugby Commentary - by Fans for Fans
Spill what you really think about events in the rugby world.
Super Rugby Round 9 - Findings and Questions 1 views
23 April 2012 by The Swede Eaters
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Super Rugby Round 9 raised some questions, but also answered others. Scotty Donaldson looks at Round 9.
Super Rugby Round 9 was one of the more predictable ones as I moved up to third place in the SuperBru tipping competition largely thanks to picking six winners out of six. It seems that the cream is rising to the top, not only in my conference, but in the Super Rugby competition. The results are getting more predictable as the strong teams are hitting their straps while the lower ranked teams who started strongly, are running out of steam and depth.
The Highlanders defeated the Blues 30-27 in Round 9 Super Rugby action, in my opinion the man of the match was the inconsistent referee Bryce Lawrence with his constant whistle blowing, his interpretation of the scrum and breakdown was laughably inconsistent. Does New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence need glasses and a guide dog?
The television news seemed to think the Blues were hard done by when it appeared that Rene Ranger was pushed which lead to a try to Kurt Baker. In my opinion it looked like Ranger was juggling the ball when tackled and from Baker's view he had possession. Did you think it was rightly awarded as a try? I think there was nothing wrong with it, but I am a Highlander's fan. Referee Bryce Lawrence did go upstairs for this one. Watch this video and decide for yourself.
Both teams were getting frustrated by Lawrence. He seemed determined to penalise the Highlanders scrum constantly, while luckily for them it didn't cost them the victory as the Blues galantly went for the win rather than settle for the draw and came up short. Was this the correct move from the Blues? A draw wasn't going to get the Blues up the ladder and it worked out better for New Zealand rugby with the Highlanders able to get more use out of four points. Blues looked better in this match and should win a few more games this season. I like the look of their props especially. The Highlanders will be stoked they got Mike Delany in, but I think they will struggle to make the Top Six as the attrition rate hurts them.
Bryce Lawrence isn't the only one making bad refereeing decisions. Just look at the forward pass/knock on after 36 minutes when Israel Dagg passed the ball to Zac Guildford as Dagg scored in the corner. It added insult to injury as the Hurricanes were denied a try scoring opportunity because of a flat pass. I think that the Crusaders are kicking into gear and are going to be very difficult to beat now that Dan Carter is back. The Hurricanes bubble appears to be bursting and I think they are beginning to get exposed upfront.
The Stormers outmuscled the Reds injuring two of the Reds backs and the Stormers had three star players out with injury, but still won away against the defending champions. There was even an amazing falcon! The Stormers look set to play the Crusaders in the final at this rate. The Stormers have amazing defence, but don't score heaps of tries. The Reds keep losing their fly half options and may have too much ground to make up once Quade Cooper returns.
The Brumbies look to be the form Australian side and they almost tipped over the Bulls in South Africa thanks to a late comeback. They have some good new players and Jake White is an awesome coach. They have a more limited squad without the stars of the Crusaders or Stormers, so it will be hard for them to win the competition, but winning the Australian conference would be a good effort. The Bulls looks set to play second fiddle to the Stormers, although it could depend on if the Stormers stop losing players to injury.
The Chiefs keep on winning after beating the passionate Sharks. The Chiefs have always had the flair, but these days they have amazing defence and are holding their own upfront. Can they continue this dream run and maintain top spot in the competition? The Crusaders and Chiefs will battle it out for the top New Zealand team, but they will want a home semi and final especially if it is against the Stormers. There was a nasty headclash in this match.
The Waratahs defeated the Rebels and so they should have. The Rebels will struggle without James O'Connor and should be targetted as a must win match by all teams this season, with the possible exception of the hapless Lions.
April 2012
21 Vodacom Bulls 36 - 34 Brumbies Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
21 Sharks 12 - 18 Chiefs Mr Price Kings Park, Durban
21 Waratahs 30 - 21 Rebels Allianz Stadium, Sydney
21 Hurricanes 14 - 42 Crusaders Westpac Stadium, Wellington
20 Reds 13 - 23 DHL Stormers Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
20 Highlanders 30 - 27 Blues Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
How did you find Super Rugby Round 9? How is your team looking? Who are you picking to play in the final?
http://www.superrugbytips.com/2012/04/super-rugby-round-9-findings-and.html
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