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Opinionated Rugby Commentary - by Fans for Fans
Spill what you really think about events in the rugby world.
Super 15 Rugby Round 7 Starts Thursday 10 views
04 April 2012 by The Swede Eaters
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Scotty Donaldson looks at Round 7 Super Rugby action. Don't forget the deadline finishes on Thursday.
Super Rugby Round 7 starts early with the holiday weekend. This causes a problem for managers with many of the teams not named yet leaving www.testrugby.com managers guesswork for making selections for their teams. There are some highscoring players from last week who could be a risky selection if their squad decides to rotate players. Also don't forget that three teams have the bye the following week including the high flying Highlanders!
The Super Rugby Round 7 updated team lists named can be found here
http://www.superrugbytips.com/p/super-rugby-teams-round-one.html
Round 1 - Rebels vs Blues
This game is on Thursday. The Rebels will be looking to bounce back after their shocker in Invercargill last week. They have lost winger Cooper Vuna following a dangerous tackle, but still have a sprinkling of stars to keep the Blues honest. The Blues are under far more pressure to win this match and have Keven Mealamu returning from injury to lead from the front. They have also brought Gareth Anscombe into the starting lineup with Piri Weepu being relegated. Rene Ranger is back to cause havoc. The Blues should be too good for the Rebels, but I think it will be closer than it should be. The Blues should have too much for them upfront and this will allow Rene Ranger and Ma'a Nonu to cut capers in the backline.
Players to buy - James O'Connor, Ma'a Nonu, Rene Ranger.
Bargains - Gareth Anscombe, Hugh Pyle, Chris Lowrey.
My pick - Blues by 7.
Game 2 - Hurricanes vs Sharks
Can the Hurricanes recover from their loss to the Cheetahs? The Sharks have a massive pack which will be difficult for the young Hurricanes side to contain. The Hurricanes have lost Victor Vito to injury and will struggle without his presence and leadership up front. They will have to keep this game fast and furious if they are to compete. I think that while the Hurricanes have an impressive backline, that the Sharks will strangle them up front and eventually win a close match. The Sharks are traditionally a good touring side and are coming off a win in Canberra. This game is so difficult to pick, but I am going for the visitors here. The Sharks have now been named and both Patrick Lambie and Bismarck Du Plessis are injured. Du Plessis will start on the bench, while Lambie hasn't been included in the matchday 22.
Players to buy - Willem Alberts, Andre Taylor.
Bargains - Beauden Barrett, Karl Lowe, Marcell Coetzee, Julian Savea.
My pick - Sharks by 3.
Game 3 - Reds vs Brumbies
For me, the hopes of the Reds rest on who is playing in the Number 10 jersey. They have been decimated by injuries in recent weeks and they don't have the depth in the Number 10 jersey to compete. The Reds have been flogged three weeks in a row, but it is difficult to know if they can stop the skids against a Brumbies team which is going well this season. I am going for the Brumbies because their forward pack seems to be playing better than the Reds at the moment.
Players to buy - Scott Higganbotham, Christian Lealiifano, Stephen Moore, Ben Mowen.
Bargains - Dominic Shipperley, James Hanson, Jesse Mogg.
My pick - Brumbies by 2.
Game 4 - Force vs Chiefs
Both of these teams are in good form recently. The Chiefs are playing well under Dave Rennie and should be too strong for the Force, although it is never easy to win in Perth. The Chiefs welcome back Lelia Masaga from injury to add to their firepower. The Force are a gutsy team who have already beaten the Reds and Waratahs in recent times. Their forwards are their strength with Nathan Sharpe and David Pocock two expensive points scoring options.
Players to buy - Nathan Sharpe, David Pocock, Sonny Bill Williams, Aaron Cruden.
Bargains - Brodie Retallick, Nathan Charles.
My pick - Chiefs by 5.
Game 5 - Highlanders vs Stormers
These are two of the top teams in the competition and it will be interesting to see how the visitors play outside of South Africa and how well the Highlanders cope with another team which is tough in the forwards. The Highlanders haven't been named yet but their big scorers like Adam Thomson and Ben Smith were on fire last week. The Stormers will be a stern test for them, especially at set pieces time. It isn't known if Andrew Hore will return or not, but if he is named, then he is a good option for managers. I am going for the Highlanders since they are at home and the Stormers have never played in Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Players to buy - Adam Thomson, Ben Smith, Andrew Hore, Tiaan Liebenberg, Joe Pietersen.
Bargains - Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Shaun Treeby.
My pick - Highlanders by 3.
Game 6 - Cheetahs vs Lions
The Cheetahs will be tired after their largely successful tour overseas. They play an attractive style of play which was more successful overseas than it usually is in South Africa. Unfortunately for the Lions, they are next to play the in-form Cheetahs at home and the Lions are already struggling with injuries and so will struggle in this local derby. Neither of these teams have been named. The Cheetahs are good points scorers and there are plenty of bargains.
Players to watch - Adriaan Strauss.
Bargains - Johan Goosen, Coenie Oosthuizen, Willie Le Roux, Philip Van Der Walt, Jaco Taute.
My pick - Cheetahs by 7.
Game 7 - Bulls vs Crusaders
While this isn't the match of the round, it must surely come close. The Bulls only just lost whilst wearing their pink uniforms against the Stormers, while the Crusaders were ordinary against the Lions but still won. It is difficult to bet against the home team in this match. The Crusaders will miss the grunt from the retired Brad Thorn and rested Richie McCaw for this one. These teams haven't been named yet. The Bulls should be too powerful, but remember the Crusaders are a quality outfit with some truly world class players like Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock, Israel Dagg and a certain Mr Dan Carter. These teams haven't been named yet either!
Players to watch - Dan Carter, Morne Steyn, Israel Dagg, Robbie Fruean, Chilliboy Ralepelle.
Bargains - Juandre Kruger.
My pick - Bulls by 3.
Who are you picking for Super Rugby Round 7? Which teams are you tipping to win?
http://www.superrugbytips.com/2012/04/super-15-rugby-2012-round-7-starts.html
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Super Rugby Round 7
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