Johannesburg – The Cheetahs are the talk of the town and so, too, are the Southern Kings. And not far behind are the Sharks. For fans of the Stormers and Bulls, however, these are times of major concern.
And at about a third of the way through this year’s Super Rugby competition it is looking increasingly likely that South Africa will have only two contenders for the overall title come the playoffs later in the competition.
This season is shaping up to be one of the most interesting in years, with any team virtually able to beat another on a given day and no one certain of picking up points from one match to the next.
The coming weeks though, with a number of local derbies on the cards, will in all probability separate the contenders from the pretenders and in South Africa a team like the Cheetahs have gone from the latter to being the former. And how refreshing is that.
Stripped of their three first choice flyhalves, and no longer able to call on the highly experienced Juan Smith, the Cheetahs have finally come good in Super Rugby and now appear to be a side ready to mix it with the big guns.
Burton Francis, who kicked the penalty in the 84th minute in Bloemfontein on Saturday to help his side to a stunning win over the Stormers, has been a revelation.
Not given a genuine look-in at the Bulls, Lions and Stormers and starting this season at the Cheetahs as nothing more than a reliable back-up option, Francis has been sensational for the Free Staters in the past two weeks and will surely now become a key figure for the side going forward. The Cheetahs, though, are not a one-man show and it is the tightness of the whole group which has made them rack up five wins in a row and put them in a deservedly commanding position in the standings.
No longer scared of the more experienced outfits, the men from Bloemfontein are playing with confidence and desire and they are sure to only get better in the weeks ahead. Key for them has been their improved defence, but then also men like Robert Ebersohn, Johan Sadie, Raymond Rhule, Wille le Roux and Hennie Daniller in top form and finally playing to their full potential. And up front, they have a hard-working pack, led brilliantly by the impressive Adriaan Strauss.
As for the Stormers, who’ve now won just two from six matches and are in real danger of flopping completely this season – remember they still have to go overseas – the season is turning into a nightmare.
Just as happened to the Cheetahs in the 2011 and last year, the Stormers have lost some close games by slim margins, but there is not all that much wrong with their output right now.
Little mistakes are costing them and they’re now giving away tries they never conceded in the past two years, while their attacking game is still not quite up to scratch. They’re a team battling to find consistency and as in Super Rugby there is no such thing as an easy week they’re going to have to quickly try and find the spark that is missing. Under huge pressure already, they now have to prepare for a showdown with the Sharks, who are looking mighty impressive again, following their win over the Crusaders on Friday.
Where the Sharks seem a settled bunch and a team on a mission, the Stormers are searching for answers and continually being disrupted by injury, withJaco Taute the latest victim. Saturday’s Newlands clash could well be the make-or-break game for them.
The other big game this weekend is in Pretoria where the battling Bulls come off a bye to host the Cheetahs – a game the Bulls simply have to win to keep in touch with the front-runners. But they, too, are struggling for form and injuries have ruled out several key men so the Cheetahs will almost certainly start as favourites.
The result of the past weekend, though, belonged to the Kings. They were simply brilliant in fighting back like they did to force a stunning draw with the Brumbies in Canberra to keep proving the doubters wrong. They may not have too many big-name players but they play as a team and their work-rate in attack and defence has been phenomenal. With the Rebels up next, the Kings could very well pick up their second win of the competition.
RESULTS
Cheetahs 26 Stormers 24; Force 23 Rebels 30; Hurricanes 41 Waratahs 29; Sharks 21 Crusaders 17; Brumbies 28 Kings 28; Blues 29 Highlanders 18
FIXTURES
Friday: Highlanders v Brumbies
Saturday: Chiefs v Reds, Blues v Hurricanes, Rebels v Kings, Force Crusaders, Stormers v Sharks, Bulls v Cheetahs