State of play ... Round two.

[Rugby Rat]

Tahs the best so far. Cheifs and canes on their 2009 win list. Impressive without doing too much.

Brumbies have now a win away against the landers and the Crusaders. 2 more in the next 3 weeks and they are almost certain top 4.

Reds... Should win all their home games.

Force.. Have the talent yet not the results.

NZUD

Saders will win all their home games. 4th or worse.
Cheifs.. 0/2 and will struggle in SA. Reds might roll them.
Canes.. Top 4 without a doubt.
Highlanders... Could string together 3or 4 with a little luck. Top 4 smoky. Dark horse for the title.
Blues.. Will find it hard to finish higher than 8th.

SAAFERS..

Lions .. Cannon fodder again
Cheetahs...Might suprise with 5 wins
Sharks.. 4 on the road. Could miss out completely.
Bulls... Looking ominous. Will drop a couple on the road.
Stormers... Not top 4.


In summary... Top 4 chances.. Should know by round 4 how the Sharks are faring...

Bulls
Canes
Saders
Highlanders
Waratahs
Brumbies

Need to be Lucky... Sharks & Cheifs.

Final... Canes vs Tahs or Bulls

 

[Ash]

NZUD
Highlanders... Could string together 3or 4 with a little luck. Top 4 smoky. Dark horse for the title.

Keep the faith...good luck with that.

 

[en_force_er]

SAAFERS..
Lions .. Cannon fodder again
Cheetahs...Might suprise with 5 wins

surely you have these teams the wrong way around. the lions look at more convincing this year than the cheetahs. i see lions as a 6th or 7th and cheetahs as a 9th or 10th team.

 

[Ash]

SAAFERS..
Lions .. Cannon fodder again
Cheetahs...Might suprise with 5 wins

surely you have these teams the wrong way around. the lions look at more convincing this year than the cheetahs. i see lions as a 6th or 7th and cheetahs as a 9th or 10th team.

I have a theory on that Lions / Cheetahs game - it was a cracker, but between two teams on approximately the same level, with the Lions being undoubtably a little better. The credit is that both teams came to play. I think the Lions will be a real good team to watch this year - they may not win a lot, but they will provide entertaining and interesting games. I don't think the same thing about the Cheetahs.

Cheetahs did OK at Currie Cup time, but not as well as in the last few years - they won 3 years in a row and slipped to third last year. The S14 team they put out I think is actually weaker than their Currie Cup side from recent years, and they rely heavily on Juan Smith. Outside of part-time Springboks Floors, Adriaan Strauss, Bosman and Nokwe (and, of course, Smith) to a non-SAffa this looks like a team of no-names.

The Cheetahs looks set for the wooden spoon unless something changes. The really big litmus test for the Cheetahs will be the Reds next week. If the Reds beat the Cheetahs, then I can't see them finishing anywhere above 14th.

Lions I think are one of the many teams fighting for around the 8th - 13th positions, with the likes of Reds, Highlanders, Chiefs, Force, etc.

 

[Blue]

SAAFERS..
Lions .. Cannon fodder again
Cheetahs...Might suprise with 5 wins

surely you have these teams the wrong way around. the lions look at more convincing this year than the cheetahs. i see lions as a 6th or 7th and cheetahs as a 9th or 10th team.

I have a theory on that Lions / Cheetahs game - it was a cracker, but between two teams on approximately the same level, with the Lions being undoubtably a little better. The credit is that both teams came to play. I think the Lions will be a real good team to watch this year - they may not win a lot, but they will provide entertaining and interesting games. I don't think the same thing about the Cheetahs.

Cheetahs did OK at Currie Cup time, but not as well as in the last few years - they won 3 years in a row and slipped to third last year. The S14 team they put out I think is actually weaker than their Currie Cup side from recent years, and they rely heavily on Juan Smith. Outside of part-time Springboks Floors, Adriaan Strauss, Bosman and Nokwe (and, of course, Smith) to a non-SAffa this looks like a team of no-names.

The Cheetahs looks set for the wooden spoon unless something changes. The really big litmus test for the Cheetahs will be the Reds next week. If the Reds beat the Cheetahs, then I can't see them finishing anywhere above 14th.

Lions I think are one of the many teams fighting for around the 8th - 13th positions, with the likes of Reds, Highlanders, Chiefs, Force, etc.

Spot on. Cheetahs have three very good players in Smit, Nokwe and Brussow and a whole bunch of players who battle to make the step up.

As a whole, the Lions have a more competitive outfit. I predict at least two upsets from them. They may not win more than 2 or 3, but they are going to knock off someone along the way.

As for your post Rugby Rat, you have the Bulls and Sharks mixed up. The Bulls are the one that suck when traveling and the Sharks have been ok.

The Hurricanes have been downright woeful but its early days. They will battle with no real 10 to speak of.

 

[en_force_er]

also i still think the force can get it together.

last year as an example, from about round 4-8 they were the pick of the australians. that was until they lost to the tahs and things fell apart.
for the first few rounds of last year they were consistently just scraping through and they only really picked up against the saders and the blues. there is still hope in the force, they just needs one good performance to spark the rhythm.

need i remind you nsw boys how quickly the tahs went from woeful to good last year?