Thursday, July 25, 2013

Brumbies plot fast-paced get started to tame Bulls and noisy fans

The 2 groups in motion during the 2nd semi-final at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday dominated Vodacom Super Rugby for giant chunks with the past ten years.Involving the Vodacom Bulls as well as Brumbies, they received five titles among 2001 and 2010 - three to the facet from Pretoria and two towards the crew from Canberra. The opposite 5 went to the Crusaders (4) and Blues (just one).

The Brumbies ended up dominant involving 2000 and 2004, successful the Super twelve title 2 times and finishing runners-up 2 times (additionally they missing from the remaining in 1997).

Between 2007 and 2010 however, it was the time of the Vodacom Bulls to rule – they won all three their titles in this time. One of these victories, against the Chiefs in Pretoria in 2009, ended in a record-win of 61-17, which is still the biggest win in any Vodacom Super Rugby final, dating back to 1996.

And boasting an impressive record at Loftus Versfeld this year, where they’ve not yet lost in 2013, the smart money is probably on the Vodacom Bulls to win their fourth semi-final this weekend.

But the Brumbies have done well against South African opposition this season – they’ve won three of their five matches against teams from the Republic (including a close 23-20 win over the Vodacom Bulls in Canberra), lost one and drew one.

Although their record in South Africa is not that hot – with a winning percentage of only 36.8% the Brumbies have the worst record in the Republic of any of the eight “original” Australasian teams, with the Crusaders’ 50% the best – it looks much better when they’ve taken on the Vodacom Bulls away from Canberra. Source :  thesportscampus.com

Playing in South Africa over the years, the Brumbies have won 14 out of their 38 matches (one was drawn), but in their last six encounters on this side of the Indian Ocean, they’ve only won twice.

Bulls: Zane Kirchner, Akona Ndungane, JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein, Bjorn Basson, Morné Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Dewald Potgieter (captain), Jacques Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Grant Hattingh, Flip van der Merwe, Werner Kruger, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Dean Greyling. Replacements: Callie Visagie, Frik Kirsten, Morné Mellett, Paul Willemse, Jono Ross, Jano Vermaak, Jürgen Visser.

Brumbies: Jesse Mogg, Henry Speight, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealiifano, Clyde Rathbone, Matt Toomua, Nic White, Ben Mowen (captain), George Smith, Peter Kimlin, Scott Fardy, Sam Carter, Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Scott Sio. Replacements: Siliva Siliva, Ruan Smith, Fotu Auelua, Colby Faingaa, Ian Prior, Andrew Smith, Joseph Tomane.

Crusaders unchanged their Squad for Chiefs in Semi-final

Crusaders have named an unchanged team to enjoy the Chiefs of their Exciting Rugby Semi-Final at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton on Saturday.

The seven time winner Crusaders qualified to the Tremendous Rugby Semi-finals by ending in fourth spot in general after which beating the Reds last 7 days within their Tremendous Rugby qualifier.

Crusaders Head Coach Todd Blackadder has named an unchanged twenty-two that convincingly beat the Reds 38-9. With both sides vying to secure themselves a place in the Super Rugby Finals it will be an intense, physical and passionate battle.

The Crusaders have previously met the Chiefs on twenty-one occasions with the Crusaders winning two-thirds of these encounters and scoring on average 9 points more a game than their Waikato counterparts, However the Chiefs have won the last three of the four encounters and won when it counted, in last year's semi-final, putting an end to the Crusaders title hopes.

Additional lately the two sides have achieved on two occasions this time and have occur out amount pegging having a get a chunk. They last achieved in spherical nineteen on the opposition once the Crusaders came absent with emphatic 43-15 earn. Since then the Crusaders have strike their straps and have gained their very last 5 matches in a row - rugbyweek.com

With some terrific match up's to the playing cards; Afeaki/Tamafuna vs Wyatt Crockett, Brodie Retallick vs Sam Whitelock, Matt Todd vs Sam Cane and Kerr-Barlow vs Ellis it is established being the 'test match' of your New Zealand meeting.

Even so it all may perhaps appear down to the fight of the first-fives Carter versus Cruden. Either way it is established for being an powerful and physical match of rugby with the victors under-going into the 2013 Tremendous Rugby Closing.

Defending champion Chiefs underdogs in Super Rugby semifnals Towards Crusaders

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Even with getting defending champions and ending atop the Super Rugby standings within the typical time, the Chiefs settle for that they're underdogs in Saturday's all-New Zealand semifinal towards the Crusaders.

While they won 12 of 16 video games to qualify instantly for your semifinals and although they beat the Crusaders from the first of two normal year meetings, the Hamilton-based Chiefs are presented tiny prospect of halting the Crusaders' push to an eighth Tremendous Rugby title.

The Christchurch-based Crusaders have designed an irresistible momentum in the next 50 percent of the period, winning 5 straight matches considering the fact that their 28-19 loss for the Chiefs on Might 24. Their 43-15 gain above the Chiefs three months ago as well as their 38-9 quarterfinal acquire in excess of the Queensland Reds make them sizzling title favourites.

Pretoria-based Bulls will host the ACT Brumbies within the other semifinal right after finishing second driving the Chiefs inside the typical period to generate house benefit while in the playoffs.

Bulls executed considerably higher than anticipations to complete atop the South African meeting and gained 8 straight matches before a loss for the Stormers in the very last round value them the prospect of ending in very first area over-all.Canberra-based Brumbies, who edged the Cheetahs 15-13 last weekend, experience the immense job of travelling to South Africa with the semifinal and trying to overcome the Bulls' formidable dwelling edge at Loftus Versfeld.

The job is really a greater just one for that associates on the Brumbies' squad who performed for Australia against the British and Irish Lions and will continue to be recovering from your bodily and emotional pressure of that sequence defeat. Source : timescolonist.com

All Blacks mid-year sequence in opposition to France was much less taxing and neither the Chiefs nor the Crusaders have already been harmed by their players' involvement. If something, the Crusaders' variety has steadily enhanced inside the month since the take a look at window, led especially by an upswing within the type of star flyhalf Dan Carter, who scored 18 points in their acquire about the Chiefs and 20 from the Reds.

Chiefs' sandwiched their loss into the Crusaders involving unconvincing wins in excess of the Blues and Hurricanes and seem very well short of the form which carried them for their to start with Super Rugby title last year.