SA Conference closer than it’s ever been
The 2015 season is shaping up as the most closely contested South African Conference title race.
The 2015 season is shaping up as the most-closely contested South African Conference title race since the expansion of Vodacom Super Rugby in 2011.
The leadership of the SA Conference is up for grabs once more this weekend after four teams have already topped the local log so far this season, with anyone of the Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers and Cell C Sharks that could be on top on Saturday night.
A mere four log points separate the top four South African teams, with the Vodacom Bulls on 24 (after eight matches), DHL Stormers on 22 (eight), Emirates Lions on 21 (nine) and Cell C Sharks on 20 (nine).
And even the fifth-placed Toyota Cheetahs are not out of the running as they trail the Cell C Sharks by seven points with a game in hand and a host of “eight-point” local derbies to come.
Last year at a similar stage, the difference was a massive 21 points, but only the Cell C Sharks ended up making the playoffs.
In 2013, the difference between teams one and four in South Africa was eight points at roughly the halfway stage of the competition, with the Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs eventually proceeding to the playoffs, and DHL Stormers and Cell C Sharks just missing out in positions seven and eight.
In 2012, a total of 12 points separated the teams from first to fourth at a similar stage and in the end the DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks made the playoffs – South Africa’s most successful season yet in terms of representation in the top six. Halfway through the season in the first year of Vodacom Super Rugby in 2011, the difference between the first and fourth South African teams was 20 points and in the end, only the DHL Stormers and Cell C Sharks progressed to the knock-out stages.
The Emirates Lions have a bye this weekend.
Force vs DHL Stormers
DHL Stormers pack shows three changes and one positional shift from last weekend – Bongi Mbnambi (hooker), Ruan Botha (lock) and Siya Kolisi (flank) will start, while Schalk Burger moves to the other side of the scrum.
In the backline, the only change is at scrumhalf, where Louis Schreuder is rotated with Nic Groom, the latter moving to the bench where he will be joined by Scarra Ntubeni.
Manuel Carizza (lock) and Michael Rhodes (flank) are injured and were not considered.
The teams are:
Force: Dane Haylett-Petty, Luke Morahan, Kyle Godwin, Luke Burton, Nick Cummins, Sias Ebersohn, Alby Mathewson, Ben McCalman, Chris Alcock, Steve Mafi, Adam Coleman, Sam Wykes (captain), Tetera Faulkner, Nathan Charles, Pekahou Cowan. Replacements: Heath Tessmann, Chris Heiberg, Oliver Hoskins, Ross Haylett-Petty, Angus Cottrell, Ian Prior, Zack Holmes, Marcel Brache.
DHL Stormers: Cheslin Kolbe, Kobus van Wyk, Juan de Jongh (captain), Damian de Allende, Dillyn Leyds, Demetri Catrakilis, Louis Schreuder, Nizaam Carr, Schalk Burger, Siya Kolisi, Ruan Botha, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Scarra Ntubeni, Ali Vermaak, Vincent Koch, Jean Kleyn, Sikhumbuzu Notshe, Nic Groom, Kurt Coleman, Huw Jones.
Cell C Sharks vs Vodacom Bulls
The return of Springbok props Tendai Mtawarira and Jannie du Plessis, for Dale Chadwick and Lourens Adriaanse respectively, are the only changes to the Cell C Sharks’ starting team.
Adriaanse moves to the bench where he is joined by SP Marais, in for Jack Wilson. Chadwick drops out of the match-23 completely.
Rested Springboks Handré Pollard and Adriaan Strauss are back in the Vodacom Bulls’ starting team. Jacques-Louis Potgieter drops out, because of injury, and Callie Visagie moves to the bench.
The other changes to the starting line-up are at flank, lock and tighthead prop, where Jacques du Plessis (for Arno Botha), Flip van der Merwe (for Du Plessis) and Marcel van der Merwe (for Trevor Nyakane) will start.
Botha, Nyakane and Lappies Labuschagne have been included on the bench, while Hanro Liebenberg is not involved this week.
The teams are:
Cell C Sharks: Odwa Ndungane, S’bura Sithole, Waylon Murray, Andre Esterhuizen, Lwazi Mvovo, Fred Zeilinga, Cobus Reinach, Renaldo Bothma, Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee, Marco Wentzel (captain), Mouritz Botha, Jannie du Plessis, Franco Marais, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Monde Hadebe, Thomas du Toit, Lourens Adriaanse, Lubabalo Mtyanda, Etienne Oosthuizen, Conrad Hoffmann, Lionel Cronje, SP Marais.
Vodacom Bulls: Jesse Kriel, Francois Hougaard, JJ Engelbrecht, Burger Odendaal, Bjorn Basson, Handré Pollard, Rudy Paige, Pierre Spies (captain), Jacques du Plessis, Deon Stegmann, Grant Hattingh, Flip van der Merwe, Marcel van der Merwe, Adriaan Strauss, Dean Greyling. Replacements: Callie Visagie, Morné Mellett, Trevor Nyakane, Arno Botha, Lappies Labuschagne, Piet van Zyl, Tian Schoeman, Jurgen Visser.
Toyota Cheetahs vs Reds
The Toyota Cheetahs have made only one change to their match-23 for this encounter – Springbok fullback Willie le Roux will get a break and has been replaced by Coenie van Wyk, who played for the Emirates Lions last year, but will make his debut for the men in orange.
The teams are:
Toyota Cheetahs: Coenie van Wyk, Cornal Hendricks, Johann Sadie, Francois Venter, Raymond Rhule, Joe Pietersen, Sarel Pretorius, Willie Britz, Boom Prinsloo, Heinrich Brüssow, Francois Uys (captain), Carl Wegner, Coenie Oosthuizen, Torsten van Jaarsveld, BG Uys. Replacements: Stephan Coetzee, Danie Mienie, Maks van Dyk, Steven Sykes, Tienie Burger, Tian Meyer, Willie du Plessis, Ryno Benjamin.
Reds: Karmichael Hunt, Lachie Turner, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Samu Kerevi, James O’Connor, Nick Frisby, Will Genia, Adam Thomson, Liam Gill, Curtis Browning, James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Greg Holmes, James Hanson, James Slipper (captain). Replacements: Andrew Ready, Ben Daley, Sam Talakai, Marco Kotze, Adam Korczyk, Anthony Fainga’a, Campbell Magnay, Chris Kuridrani.
Other fixtures (SA kick-off times):
Friday April 17:
09:35: Crusaders v Chiefs – ChristchurchSaturday March 18:
06:30: Hurricanes v Waratahs – Wellington
09:35: Highlanders v Blues – Dunedin
11:40: Brumbies v Rebels – Canberra
