Right, now that South Africa’s elite are broken and bruised after smashing themselves up against England, let’s return to Super Rugby.
And the same can be said of the best Australia and New Zealand can offer following their Test series against Wales and Ireland respectively.
After the three-week Test schedule, Super Rugby gets going again this week and it’ll be interesting to see exactly what kind of effect the break has on the teams and the players.
Of course, only a small number of all the men involved in the competition took part in the Test matches so while some players might be tired, broken and bruised, the majority will be well-rested and hungry for action.
Or they may simply be wondering what the point is of going back to Super Rugby now; after all, some teams are out of the running and the Test matches have been played so there’s no national coach to impress. Or is there, with the new-look Rugby Championship just a few weeks away and several Springboks injured and out of form? And in the case of the Lions, well, they’re playing for their lives, it seems, with the South African Rugby Union set to make a decision on Super Rugby participation in a few weeks time.
Right now the Lions are in danger of being dropped from the competition – because they’re the worst performing local team – to allow the Southern Kings to take their place in 2013. And complicating their already disorganised existence is the fact the Lions on Friday suspended their head coach John Mitchell.
It is understood several players have complained to Lions president Kevin de Klerk about poor treatment from Mitchell – the very man who brought Currie Cup success to the team last year and the first Lions coach to win a trophy since Laurie Mains in 1999.
The Lions have little to play for in the coming weeks, but they’ll be buoyed by their last outing – an impressive win over the Sharks – and will want to show Saru they belong in Super Rugby.
Johan Ackermann and Carlos Spencer will take charge of the team while the Lions administration investigate the complaints laid against Mitchell. Most of the attention, though, in the coming weeks will be on the Stormers and Bulls, who’re both well set to reach the play-offs in a few weeks time.
The Sharks, too, are in with a shout, while the Cheetahs can only play the role of party-poopers in the coming weeks.
How will the Boks go after a tough three weeks of Test rugby? Who has picked up serious injuries, jeopardising their team’s chances of finishing in a good position? Which teams will soar and which will implode? We’ll know in three weeks time just what impact the international break has had on Super Rugby.
REMAINING FIXTURES
ROUND 16
Friday:
Highlanders v Chiefs, Rebels v Reds
Saturday:
Crusaders v Hurricanes, Force v Brumbies, Stormers v Lions, Bulls v Cheetahs
ROUND 17
July 6:
Chiefs v Crusaders, Reds v Highlanders, Sharks v Bulls
July 7:
Blues v Force, Waratahs v Brumbies, Cheetahs v Stormers, Lions v Rebels
ROUND 18
July 13
Hurricanes v Chiefs
July 14
Brumbies v Blues, Crusaders v Force, Reds v Waratahs, Stormers v Rebels, Sharks v Cheetahs, Bulls v Lions
PLAY-OFFS
July 21
Quarter-finals
July 28
Semi-finals
August 4
Final
STANDINGS
P W D L PD BP Pts
Chiefs 13 11 0 2 90 6 58
Stormers 13 11 0 2 74 2 54
Brumbies 13 8 0 5 72 9 49
---------------------------------------------------
Crusaders 13 9 0 4 122 7 51
Bulls 13 8 0 5 92 9 49
‘Canes 14 8 0 6 56 9 45
---------------------------------------------------
Sharks 14 8 0 6 47 9 45
H’landers 14 9 0 5 -14 4 44
Reds 13 8 0 5 -25 4 44
Cheetahs 13 5 0 8 -25 8 36
Waratahs 14 4 0 10 -41 10 30
Rebels 13 4 0 9 -133 5 29
Force 13 3 0 10 -86 7 27
Lions 13 2 0 11 -121 4 20
Blues 14 2 0 12 -108 7 19