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With the start of the 2012 Super Rugby season less than a week away, the TRF Staff have taken a close look at each of the 15 teams involved. In the second of the previews we examine the South African conference. In recent years there has been a huge gap between the top three teams in the conference - the Bulls, Stormers, and Sharks, and the bottom two teams - the Lions and Cheetahs. However a promising season by the Cheetahs last year, a dominant season by the Lions in the Currie Cup, and key departures from the Sharks, Stormers and Bulls promise to shake things up this season. How will the Bulls cope without stalwarts Fourie du Preez, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, and Danie Rossouw? Will the Lions be able to replicate their Currie Cup form? Will the Cheetahs be able to improve their woeful defense? Can the Stormers build on their dominant regular season form last year? Is the loss of John Smit a blessing disguise for the Sharks?
TRF_Ezequiel attempts to answer these questions, and more, in the TRF South African Conference Super Rugby preview:
2011 Record: 3 wins, 1 draw, 12 loses (29 points) – 14th Overall
The Lions have been the mockery team of the Super 14 for years, but things are about to change in Johannesburg. They went a full season without even winning a match in 2010, but last year they won 3 matches, including a win in Canberra against the Brumbies and in Dunedin, beating the Highlanders. The weird thing is that their 1st win of last season was also on the road, when visiting the Cheetahs. The Lions have found the way back to winning, but still have to win at home for the first time since may 2009.
It's been hard for the fans, but 2011 had some festivities planned for the Transvaal franchise. It happened after the Super Rugby season was over and the Lions won the Currie Cup, for the first time in 12 years. It all fell into place, with regards to the fact that the Lions were the only top team not missing any players due to the Rugby World Cup. Despite that, John Mitchell has really turned things around and he has gained the respect of the fans at Ellis Park.
Major additions / losses:
How about the squad? What happened to the chemistry? Well, it will still be there. The Lions have lost 4 half-backs but none of them really contributed to the victory back in October. Jano Vermaak moved to the Bulls during the season, while Rory Kockott (Castres) and Andre Pretorius (Toulon) made the trip to France. The 4th is Burton Francis who will play in the Cape for Boland. The only other players who left Ellis Park, travelled to Port Elizabeth together. Johan Snyman and David Bulbring will play for the Kings.
Mitchell did look for replacements and it seems he found them. Some additions in the half-back area came from Durban, where the Cronje-twins (scrum-half Ross and fly-half Guy) were picked up. Up front CJ van der Linde is the most noticable addition, who came from the Stormers and will represent his 3rd team in Super Rugby (not including the Cats). For the lock-position they signed Hendrik Roodt from Griquas. Other additions include Whestley Moolman (Leopards), Bradley Moolman (Bulls), Stephan Greeff (Western Province) and Eddie Bredenhann (Waratahs).
Key players:
Like the Sharks and Cheetahs, the Lions also have their biggest talent playing as their fly-half. Elton Jantjies completes the "Three Musketeers" who will hold the kicking future of SA rugby in their hands. The true leader of the team is captainJoshua Strauss who is a remarkable appearance on the field. His beard cannot go unnoticed. In the back-line, eyes will be on Jaco Taute and Doppies la Grange who will have to provide the attacking skills. The experience will come from Wikus van Heerden and Franco van der Merwe who will be likely to form the lock-combination.
2012 Squad:
Props: CJ van der Linde, Patric Cilliers, Jacobie Adriaanse, JC Janse van Rensburg
Hookers: Bandise Maku, Martin Bezuidenhout, Callie Visagie, Edgar Marutlulle
Locks: Wikus van Heerden, Franco van der Merwe, Hendrik Roodt
Loose-forwards: Derick Minnie, Warren Whiteley, Josh Strauss (c), Michael Rhodes, Jaco Kriel, Cobus Grobbelaar
Halfbacks: Michael Bondesio, Ross Cronje, Whestley Moolman
Fly-halves: Elton Jantjies, Butch James, Guy Cronje
Centres: Alwyn Hollenbach, Doppies la Grange, Waylon Murray
Wings: Lionel Mapoe, Jannie Boshoff, Dylan Des Fountain, Michael Killian, Deon van Rensburg
Fullbacks: Jaco Taute, James Kamana
Possible starting XV:
1. Patric Cilliers, 2. Bandise Maku, 3. CJ van der Linde, 4. Wikus van Heerden, 5. Franco van der Merwe, 6. Derick Minnie, 7. Warren Whiteley, 8. Joshua Strauss (c), 9. Michael Bondesio, 10. Elton Jantjies, 11. Michael Killian, 12. Doppies la Grange, 13. Waylon Murray, 14. Deon van Rensburg, 15. Jaco Taute
The bottom line:
The big question will be whether the Lions can build on the 2011 Currie Cup success. Some will say that the core of the team has gotten stronger, but others use the excuse of the Rugby World Cup for the Lions winning the national championship. We will never know before the season starts. All we can do is speculate. Predicted finish in 2012: 14th
2011 Record: 5 wins, 11 loses (40 points) – 11th Overall
Everbody's favourite second team: The Cheetahs. What can be said about them? They can beat anyone, especially at home but are not consistent enough to seriously compete for the play-offs. The 2011 season was lost even before it started because of injuries to their 2 star flankers, Juan Smith and Heinrich Brüssow. The depth is the one aspect where they show their weakness. Once 2 or 3 players are out with injuries, the Cheetahs fall back to being mediocre at best.
When the Free State team plays at home, in Bloemfontein, no team can be certain they leave with 4 points. Their wins against the Crusaders and Brumbies were the highlights of the season for the fans at the stadium, while the wins on the road against the Waratahs (3-23) was the first of the team across the ocean. The Cheetahs biggest asset of the 2011 season was Sarel Pretorius, the scrum-half who was the top try-scorer in the league (shared with Bjorn Basson and Sean Maitland).
Major additions / losses:
The Cheetahs are a team who always seem to end up with the short straw when it comes to player contracts. The departure of the Griquas-trio Naas Olivier, Sarel Pretorius and Riaan Viljoen will hurt most. Viljoen was their go-to guy for the long kicks and attacks from the back. The versatile back, who plays wing and full-back, moved to Durban and will play for the Sharks, while the earlier mentioned Sarel Pretorius is now part of the Waratahs squad. Naas Olivier is playing in Italy now. Other players who left the Free State are Wilhelm Steenkamp (Bulls), Frans Viljoen (Aironi), Louis Strydom (Southern Kings) and Skipper Badenhorst who retired.
Can they bounce back? It will all depend on how the new guys will do of course. Marnitz Boshoff joins them from Pretoria together with Andries Ferreira. Boland Cavaliers, who play in the Currie Cup First Division, lose 2 players to the Cheetahs as well in Willie le Roux and Janro van Niekerk. Jacques Coetzee comes over from the Southern Kings. Biggest addition however, will be Johan Goosen, who came through the academy and showed his skill during the Currie Cup season. A lot will depend on Pieter van Zyl and Tewis de Bruyn as well, who will battle for the scrum-half spot.
Key players:
The earlier mentioned flanker Heinrich Brüssow is the true star of this team. He is considered as the best openside flanker in the world together with David Pocock and Richie McCaw. His fetching skills will determine the fate of the team in most matches. Young talent Johan Goosen is destined to be the starting fly-half, with amazing talent and a gigantic boot to go with his skills. Up front, all eyes will be on the captain Adriaan Strauss who will look to compete for the hooker position on the Bok team together with Free State native Bismarck du Plessis, who plays for the Sharks. Coenie Oosthuizen and Juan Smith will miss the start of the competition but are likely to join the squad later and add some physical strength.
2012 Squad:
Props: Lourens Adriaanse, WP Nel, Trevor Nyakane, Marcel van der Merwe
Hookers: Adriaan Strauss, Hercu Liebenberg
Locks: Francois Uys, Izak van der Westhuizen, Andries Ferreira, George Earle
Loose forwards: Heinrich Brüssow, Juan Smith (c), Justin Downey, Ashley Johnson, Devon Raubenheimer, Philip van der Walt, Pieter Labuschagne
Halfbacks: Tewis de Bruyn, Pieter van Zyl
Fly-halves: Johan Goosen, Sias Ebersohn
Centres: Robert Ebersohn, Barry Geel, Philip Snyman, Andries Strauss
Wings: Rayno Bejamin, Dusty Noble, Rocco Jansen, Cameron Jacobs
Fullbacks: Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux
Possible starting XV:
1. Lourens Adriaanse, 2. Adriaan Strauss, 3. WP Nel, 4. Francois Uys, 5. Izak van der Westhuizen, 6. Heinrich Brüssow, 7. Davon Raubenheimer, 8. Ashley Johnson, 9. Tewis de Bruyn, 10. Johan Goosen, 11. Rocco Jansen, 12. Barry Geel, 13. Robert Ebersohn, 14. Rayno Benjamin, 15. Hennie Daniller
The bottom line:
The Cheetahs have amazing talent and with their fanbase backing them down in Bloem, they can beat any team. Their problem still is consistency. Nobody expects the Cheetahs to make it to the play-offs but they can ruin the chances of other teams by playing to their strength. Johan Goosen has the potential to be a long-term Springbok and is the biggest talent in the rainbow nation together with Patrick Lambie of the Sharks. Predicted finish in 2012: 11th
2011 Record: 10 wins, 6 loses (54 points) – 7th Overall
When looking at the Bulls team, nobody can deny they have suffered from losing their core. Victor Matfield retired, Gürthro Steenkamp and Bakkies Botha left for France while Danie Rossouw and star scrum-half Fourie du Preez are now representing Suntory Goliath in Japan. After losing all this experience, the Bulls have to rely on others to lead by example. After winning the Super 14 in 2007, 2009 and 2010, they lost momentum during the 2011 Super Rugby season.
The low-point was the 33-0 beating by the Crusaders but at the end of the season, they just needed a win against the Sharks at home in the final match. The kick and rush-approach backfired, giving the Sharks the win and the final spot in the play-offs. Despite having a lot of experience, they were without Fourie du Preez for most of the season and that cost them. The Bulls have a lot of talent but besides Francois Hougaard, who replaced du Preez, most of them don't have Super Rugby experience.
When you ask any Bulls supporter what the most remarkable moment of 2011 was, they will agree on the announcement to play a match in red shirts, the color used by their arch rival, the Lions from Johannesburg. It was all part of Vodacom, the South African telecom provider, changing their logo from blue to red. The fans were going mad, but it didn't change a thing. When the Bulls took on the Chiefs, they were walking around in "Transvaal" shirts.
Major additions / losses:
Besides the earlier mentioned Matfield, Steenkamp, Rossouw, du Preez and Bakkies Botha, some other players left Loftus. Gary Botha, the experienced hooker, has moved to Toulouse (just like Steenkamp), while Gerhard van den Heever was the most noticable back leaving the Bulls. He will play for the Stormers this season. Stephan Watermeyer bought a ticket to Wales and will play for Ospreys and Bees Roux, arrested after beating a cop to death left for newly promoted Bordeaux in the TOP14. Jaco Pretorius and Derick Kuün retired from professional rugby. Last player who won't be playing for the Bulls is Stephan Dippenaar who will be part of the Springbok Sevens squad.
But who did the Bulls add to the mix? During the 2011 Currie Cup season, Jacques Potgieter moved to Pretoria from the Eastern Province Kings and Jano Vermaak was signed from the Lions to give Hougaard some competition for the scrum-half position. While van den Heever moved to the Stormers, 3 players went the opposite way. Johann Sadie and JJ Engelbrecht are talented backs while Lionel Cronjé will cover Morné Steyn at fly-half. Willie Wepener (hooker), Daniel Adongo (flanker) Dawie Steyn (prop) and Wilhelm Steenkamp (lock) are the remaining additions.
Key players:
When looking at the squad, we cannot deny the fact that Francois Hougaard will play a vital part in the 2012 season of the Bulls. He can play both on the wing and as scrum-half and has shown his talent during the Rugby World Cup last year. In the back-row, Jacques Potgieter has shown a lot of skill in the most recent Currie Cup season and will look to carry that form into the 2012 season, with Bjorn Basson being probably the most dangerous winger in the competition. Captain Chiliboy Ralepelle will be looking to lead the team together with Pierre Spies.
2012 Squad:
Props: Rossouw de Klerk, Dean Greyling, Frik Kirsten, Werner Kruger, Morné Mellett, Dawie Steyn
Hookers: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Willie Wepener, Robbie Coetzee, Bongi Mbonambi
Locks: Juandre Kruger, Fip van der Merwe, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Franco Mostert
Loose forwards: Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Pierre Spies (c), CJ Stander, Warwick Tecklenburg, Gerrit-Jan van Velze, Arno Botha, Jacques Potgieter
Halfbacks: Francois Hougaard, Jano Vermaak, Ruan Snyman
Fly-halves: Morné Steyn, Lionel Cronjé, Louis Fouché, Wesley Dunlop
Centres: Wynand Olivier, Johann Sadie, Francois Venter
Wings: Bjorn Basson, JJ Engelbrecht, Akona Ndungane, Sampie Mastriet
Fullbacks: Zane Kirchner, Jurgen Visser, Clayton Blommetjies
Possible starting XV:
1. Dean Greyling, 2. Chiliboy Ralepelle, 3. Werner Kruger, 4. Flip van der Merwe, 5. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 6. Deon Stegmann, 7. Jacques Potgieter, 8. Pierre Spies (c), 9. Francois Hougaard, 10. Morné Steyn, 11. Bjorn Basson, 12. Wynand Olivier, 13. Johann Sadie, 14. JJ Engelbrecht, 15. Zane Kirchner
The bottom line:
The Bulls have lost too much experience to bounce back after 1 season of missing the play-offs. It is a good sign they managed to lure some young talent to Loftus, but it might take some years before they are back at the top. The talent is there, no doubt. Engelbrecht, Sadie, Jacques Potgieter, van der Merwe, Greyling and both Krugers have it in them to be long-term Bulls and may be even future Springboks. Predicted finish in 2012: 8th
2011 Record: 10 wins, 1 draw, 5 loses (57 points) – 6th Overall
Beaten in qualifying final
The Sharks have been a team with exciting rugby being played in Durban which landed them a place in the final 3 times since the inaugural Super 12 season of 1996. They are however, still waiting for their first championship. In 1996 and 2001 they lost on tour while the 2007 final is known as the most dramatic in Super Rugby history when they lost to the rivals from Pretoria, the Bulls. Last year they made the play-offs again for the first time in 3 years.
Last year was all about building on the Currie Cup win. After being crowned South African champions a couple of months before, they were tipped as a contender for the Super Rugby ***le with world-class players like Bismarck du Plessis, Willem Alberts, JP Pietersen and the talented Patrick Lambie. The season looked hopeless with 1 game left. Being tied to the Bulls, they had to travel to Loftus to play them and they needed a win to advance to the play-offs. It took some nailbiting final minutes but after the final whistle the Sharks won 23-26, leaving the reigning champions without a play-off spot.
The most memorable Sharks-moment of the 2011 season was the match against the Crusaders. After being forced out of their own stadium due to the earthquake in Christchurch earlier that year, the match was re-located to Twickenham, England. It was the first ever Super Rugby match played outside of SANZAR territory. It proved to be a golden opportunity to show the beauty of Southern Hemisphere rugby to the European rugby fans. It resulted in Sky Sports broadcasting the rest of the season's matches and despite the Sharks losing to the Crusaders, it will be a day many Sharks fans will remember for years.
Major additions / losses:
The biggest addition is in all likelihood the departure of John Smit. For several years there has been heated arguments among Sharks supporters what to do with John Smit. Bismarck du Plessis is the better option for the hooker-position according to most of them and with Smit leaving for Saracens, Bismarck gets his chance. The big addition this season is Riaan Viljoen. The fullback, playing for GWK Griquas the last few years, has Super Rugby experience with the Cheetahs and coach John Plumtree hopes he is the answer to the problems in the backline. Viljoen can play both full-back and wing. Tim Whitehead is another addition to the backs-department. Whitehead, representing the Stormers in previous years is a center who has to compete with JP Pietersen to fill the gap Jacobs and Terblanche left. Finally, Steven Sykes returned after a short stint in Ireland. Back in Durban, he will compete for a spot in the second row.
Of the players leaving, the most noticable one is lock Gerhard Mostert. Making the Springbok squad for last years' Tri Nations shows he has a lot of quality. He has moved on to France to play for Stade Français. The front-row also suffers a loss in Eugene van Staden who is representing Montpellier. Despite rumours going around, half-back Michalak is still hanging around in Durban.
Key players:
Nobody will disagree when said Bismarck du Plessis is the key player in the forward-pack. Being appointed vice-captain will bring responsibility which will make him even better. In the back-row captain Keegan Daniel is the only one assured of a place in the starting XV with Kankowski, Coetzee, Alberts, Deysel and Botes batteling for the remaining 2 spots. The most important player however, is the one posted as fly-half. Young Patrick Lambie has matured last year and despite only being 21, he is the key to possible success in Durban.
2012 Squad:
Props: Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira, Jannie du Plessis, Julian Redelinghuys, Wiehahn Herbst, Dale Chadwick
Hookers: Bismarck du Plessis, Kyle Cooper, Craig Burden, Monde Hadebe
Locks: Steven Sykes, Alistair Hargreaves, Ross Skeate, Anton Bresler, Jan-Andre Marais, Peet Marais, Pieter-Steph du Toit
Loose forwards: Ryan Kankowski, Jacques Botes, Willem Alberts, Keegan Daniel (c), Jean Deysel, Marcell Coetzee, Lubabalo Mtembu
Halfbacks: Frederic Michalak, Conrad Hoffmann, Charl McLeod, Cobus Reinach
Fly-halves: Patrick Lambie, Meyer Bosman
Centres: Tim Whitehead, Marius Joubert, Paul Jordaan, Heimar Williams
Wings: Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, Sibusiso Sithole, JP Pietersen, Wandile Mjekevu
Fullbacks: Riaan Viljoen, Louis Ludik, Gouws Prinsloo
Possible starting XV:
1. Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 4. Steven Sykes, 5. Alistair Hargreaves, 6. Keegan Daniel (c), 7. Marcell Coetzee, 8. Willem Alberts, 9. Charl McLeod, 10. Patrick Lambie, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 12. Meyer Bosman, 13. JP Pietersen, 14. Subisiso Sithole, 15. Riaan Viljoen
The bottom line:
The Sharks have made the Currie Cup final 3 out of the last 4 times, winning 2. The lost final in 2011 shows nothing is certain in Durban. The additions in Viljoen, Sykes and Whitehead should give the Sharks a more balanced squad but can they finally break the curse of 2007? Nothing shows they will go all the way but it looks like they will battle with the Stormers for the Conference championship, giving them a top 3 spot for the play-offs. Predicted finish in 2012: 5th
2011 Record: 12 wins, 4 loses (63 points) – 2nd Overall
Beaten semi-finalists
The Stormers have been the most talented team in South Africa these last few years. They had the best lock, the best center-pairing and ended 2nd on the log twice in a row. Despite that, no silverware to show for it yet. After losing the Super 14 final of 2010 to the Bulls, they didn't manage to eliminate the Crusaders in the semi's this year, leaving them again empty-handed. In domestic rugby (as the Western Province), they have been waiting for success for over a decade but if all the pieces fall into place, 2012 might be the year things change.
The 2011 Super Rugby season was a near perfect one up until the play-offs started. Many fans blame the bye they had in between, killing their momentum but it's no shame to lose to the Crusaders. The painful thing about it, is that it was the second time in 2 months they lost to the Crusaders while playing at Newlands. If they want to compete for the trophy, they have to find the spark that lit them in 2010, when they became the only team ever to beat all 5 NZ franchises in 1 season.
The biggest news around the Stormers in 2010 was the temporary loan of hooker Schalk Brits (Saracens) as an injury-replacement for the loose forward-position. The controversy around the transfer became a global issue when rumours were going around they might use him as a hooker. That didn't happen and the Stormers, as mentioned, lost to the Crusaders.
Major additions / losses:
When counting the losses of the Stormers, no player will be missed more than Jaque Fourie, who left the Stormers to broaden his horizon, among other things, in Japan. His loss will be the most difficult to recover from. Other players who left the Cape area are Ricky Januarie who moved to France while both JJ Engelbrecht and Johann Sadie travel to Pretoria to dress up in a lighter shade of blue. During 2011, loose forward Francois Louw already left to play for Bath, while CJ van der Linde has packed his bags and plas for the Lions. Other players who left are Tim Whitehead (Sharks), Conrad Jantjes (Biarritz), Adriaan Fondse (Newcastle), Anton van Zyl (Stade Français), Ethienne Reynecke (Connacht) and Paul Bosch (Montpellier)
The big signing this season seems to be Gerhard van den Heever joining them after winning the Super 14 trophy with the Bulls. The young, talented back can play both on the wing and at fullback, giving Conrad Gio Aplon more competition for the spots in the back-line. Another big addition is the return of Joe Pietersen, after a stint in France playing for Bayonne. The weakness of the Stormers however, was in the front-row which they tried to fix by signing Deon Carstens. The prop, who played Super 14 rugby for the Sharks, won the English Premiership with Saracens last year and hopes to celebrate once again this year. The last big signing is JP du Plessis. Born in South Africa, the 20-year old was the youngest player in the squad during the inaugural Melbourne Rebels season but has to compete with Juan de Jongh for the void left by Jaque Fourie, who moved to Japan.
Key players:
The Stormers have quite a few key players but the most important ones are in the forward-pack. Captain Schalk Burger has stepped up in recent years and has proven to be a worthy captain after being the world's enemy no. 1 following the eye gouching incident during the Lions tour of 2009. Burger is the captain, but no player is more important to the Stormers thanAndries Bekker. He might not be the captain, but he is the true leader on the field and being the tallest ever Springbok, his line-out qualities will be necessary to be Victor Matfield's successor in the Bok squad. In the back-line, the most dangerous player is Gio Aplon. The quick winger, who also has a good boot, is already 29 but plays with the energy of a teenager.
2012 Squad:
Props: Deon Carstens, Wicus Blaauw, Brok Harris, Schalk Ferreira, Frans Malherbe
Hookers: Tiaan Liebenberg, Deon Fourie, Siyabonga Ntubeni
Locks: Andries Bekker, Rynhardt Elstadt, De Kock Steenkamp, Eben Etzebeth, Hilton Lobberts
Loose forwards: Schalk Burger (c), Duane Vermeulen, Nick Koster, Siya Kolisi, Nizaam Carr, Nick Fenton-Wells, Rohan Kitshoff
Halfbacks: Dewaldt Duvenhage, Bolla Conradie, Nic Groom, Louis Schreuder
Fly-halves: Peter Grant, Demetri Catrakilis, Kurt Coleman, Burton Francis, Gary van Aswegen
Centres: Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Marcel Brache, JP du Plessis
Wings: Bryan Habana, Danie Poolman, Gerhard van den Heever
Fullbacks: Joe Pietersen, Gio Aplon
Possible starting XV:
1. Deon Carstens, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg, 3. Brok Harris, 4. Rynhardt Elstadt, 5. Andries Bekker, 6. Schalk Burger (c), 7. Siya Kolisi, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 9. Dewaldt Duvenhage, 10. Peter Grant, 11. Bryan Habana, 12. Jean de Villiers, 13. Juan de Jongh, 14. Gio Aplon, 15. Joe Pietersen
The bottom line:
The Stormers have a strong squad once again, but after losing so many players, despite not all being regular starters, what will happen to the team spirit? Will the new players fit in? Will the departure of Jaque Fourie and Francois Louw prove too much to handle? All in all, things still look great in the Cape. Stormers will top the conference second time in a row. Predicted finish in 2012: 2nd
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