Weekend predictions

Australia vs the Lions stands tallest, but the two SA derbies and Sharks sans their coach should be fun … All the weekend teams, times and Tank Lanning’s predictions.

Friday morning rugby again … got to love it … certainly one up on trying to look busy while on Facebook reading about your cousin’s kid losing her first tooth!

So it is Chiefs vs Canes on Twitter, Landers upsetting the Saders while on a gym bike getting rid of Friday night’s beers, the Lions with your full attention over a smoothie or Energade (this kind of rugby deserves it), Coach free Sharks with a beer in hand while the fire burns down, Bokked up Bulls vs Luke free Kings with greasy tjoppie or three on a paper plate to avoid washing up on Sunday, and then cooler box emptying of the highest degree while both Kolisi and Fourie try to tame the mighty Brussow …

Enjoy.

FRIDAY, JUNE 28

Chiefs v Hurricanes, Hamilton – 09:35

Nanai-Williams vs Smith, Masaga vs Savea, Cruden vs Barrett, Kerr-Barlow vs Perenara and Afeaki vs Franks … That is all! Who will win it is absolutely anyone’s guess, so I am going with the home side, but my oath, you simply have to get to a telly to take this one in …

My prediction: Chiefs by 6

Chiefs: 15 Robbie Robinson, 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Tim Nanai-Williams, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Matt Vant Leven, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Craig Clarke (captain), 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Pauliasi Manu.

Bench: 16 Mahonri Schwalger, 17 Ben Tameifuna, 18 Michael Fitzgerald, 19 Sam Cane, 20 Augustine Pulu, 21 Andrew Horrell, 22 Charlie Ngatai.

Hurricanes: 15 James Marshall, 14 Matt Proctor, 13 Conrad Smith (captain), 12 Reynold Lee-Lo, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Brad Shields, 5 James Broadhurst, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Ben May, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Ben Franks.

Bench: 16 Ash Dixon, 17 Reggie Goodes, 18 Mark Reddish, 19 Faifili Levave/Blade Thompson, 20 Chris Smylie, 21 Tusi Pisi, 22 Alapati Leiua

SATURDAY, JUNE 29

Highlanders v Crusaders – 09:35

On paper, it seems such an obvious call to get the weekend going. Both teams have played 13 games, 1 has won 8 games and is in contention for the playoffs, while the other has won only 2 and is completely out of the race for silverware. The Crusaders average score is 26-20, while the Highlanders average score sees them going down 22-29. One has Dan Carter, and the other does not. But one of those Highlanders wins came in the last round, against the much improved Blues, and never have I seen Dan Carter play as poorly as he is playing at the moment. Also, the Crusaders, with the inexperienced Nepo Laulala instead of Owen Franks at tighthead, have really struggled come scrum time in recent games. This while the Highlanders top the “Defenders beaten” list, and are second only to the Waratahs in “Metres carried” and “Offloads”. They do not always finish particularly well though, top the yellow card list and miss a lot of tackles. But put some form together like they did against the Blues and we could be in for an upset up front.

My prediction: Highlanders by 4

Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith, 14 Kade Poki, 13 Tamati Ellison, 12 Shaun Treeby, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Colin Slade, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka, 8 Mose Tuiali’i, 7 Elliot Dixon, 6 Jarrad Hoeata, 5 Josh Bekhuis, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Ma’afu Fia, 2 Andrew Hore (captain), 1 Tony Woodcock.

Bench: 16 Liam Coltman, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Jake Paringatai, 19 TJ Ioane, 20 Aaron Smith, 21 Lima Sopoaga, 22 Ma’a Nonu.

Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Tom Marshall, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Tom Taylor, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock (c), 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Tom Donnelly, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Ben Funnell, 1 Joe Moody.

Bench: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Luke Romano, 19 Kieran Read, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Robbie Fruean, 22 Adam Whitelock

Australia v British and Irish Lions – 12h00

Could it actually have been tighter last week? I had the Aussies by a grasshopper’s hamstring, and if replacement Wallabies fullback Kurtley Beale had not slipped on the damp turf in Brisbane while attempting a penalty goal as time expired (because he was wearing moulded cleats instead of normal studs according to Lions coach Warren Gatland), and thus missing the kick, allowing the Lions to win the first Test 23-21, so it might have been! But we all know what “If” did, don’t we? And I do not see the balance of scales changing much this week, with the game again perhaps being decided via the boot, and were that to be the case, one’s money would have to be on Halfpenny and Farrell. Perhaps because of last week, the ARU has confirmed the roof will be closed for Saturday’s second Test at the Docklands stadium, which is a good thing given how influential the pitch was in Brisbane. In an early scrum, the Lions basically used the Aussie pack to plow the field as they shoved them back metres, only for the home side to bounce back up front later in the game. It was truly wonderful entertainment! The last time the teams played at Docklands in 2001, Australia won 35-14 under a closed roof to level the series 1-1. Australia went on to win that series 2-1. Same again this year? Interesting to see flank Dan Lydiate added to the back row in place of Tom Croft, and Sean O’Brien brought onto the bench, with the breakdown being a clear focus. Also, Ben Youngs replaces Mike Phillips at scrumhalf, and that will up the tempo considerably. With both Berrick Barnes and Pat McCabe injured last week, the Aussies were handed a bit of a lifeline when Christian Lealiifano was cleared to play at inside centre. A game not to be missed!

My prediction: Australia by 4

Australia:  15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Israel Folau, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Christian Leali’ifano, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 James O’Connor, 9 Will Genia, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Ben Mowen, 5 James Horwill (captain), 4 Kane Douglas, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson

Bench: 16 Saia Fainga’a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Sekope Kepu, 19 Rob Simmons, 20 Liam Gill, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Rob Horne, 23 Jesse Mogg

British and Irish Lions: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O’Driscoll, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 George North, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Sam Warburton (captain), 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Alun Wyn Jones, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Tom Youngs, 1 Makovina Vunipola

Bench: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Ryan Grant, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Tom Croft, 20 Sean O’Brien, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Alex Cuthbert

Sharks v Blues, Durban – 15:00

The Sharks last played Super Rugby on May the 25^th, when they went down by 2 points to the Bulls, and I am not sure more could have happened to a union between 2 games! Coach John Plumtree is gone, and they will be coached by assistant coaches Hugh Reece-Edwards and Grant Bashford, both looking unlikely to have a future under new Director of Rugby, Brendon Venter! In these situations, players tend either to dissolve or show enormous resolve. Given the injury list the Sharks are dealing with, they will be chuffed to have Butch James back at inside centre, and Pat Lambie at flyhalf, with the latter having improved his bag holding skills immeasurably over the last 3 weeks. Up front they sport a pack that could do international duty via a Bok front row and back row. The Blues will have been stunned by their loss to the Highlanders 3 weeks back, but they can score tries (they are 5^th on the list with 35), and at 88.5%, they are second on the “Tackle success” list, so it will be all about if and how the Sharks contain the travellers. With a sparse crowd predicted, I think we might see more Disprin than granite from the home side.

My prediction:  Blues by 4

Sharks: 15. Riaan Viljoen, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Louis Ludik, 12. Butch James, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Keegan Daniel (captain), 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Franco van der Merwe, 4. Edwin Hewitt, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Kyle Cooper, 1. Tendai Mtawarira

Bench: 16. Bismarck du Plessis, 17. Daniel Mienie / Wiehahn Herbst, 18. Jandre Marais, 19. Jean Deysel, 20. Jacques Botes, 21. Cobus Reinach, 22. Jaco van Tonder.

Blues: 15. Charles Piutau, 14. Frank Halai, 13. Jackson Willison, 12. Francis Saili, 11. George Moala, 10. Chris Noakes, 9. Piri Weepu, 8. Peter Saili, 7. Luke Braid, 6. Steven Luatua, 5. Ali Williams (captain), 4. Anthony Boric, 3. Angus Ta’avao, 2. James Parsons, 1. Tim Perry

Bench: 16. Keven Mealamu, 17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18. Kane Barrett / Culum Retallick, 19. Brendon O’Connor, 20. Jamison Gibson-Park, 21.Baden Kerr, 22. Rene Ranger

Bulls v Kings, Pretoria – 17:05

The Bulls have won 10 out of their 13 games this year, and are at home to the Super Rugby virgins who have won just 3 of their 13 games thus far. The Bulls welcome back all their Boks, affording 3 of them time on the bench just in case things go awry, while the Kings say cheers to their most expensive player, Luke Watson, who is out for the season with an ankle injury. It is a classic David vs Goliath clash, with the Bulls expected to take this easily. But with all “Foregone conclusions” comes the old banana peel, and with the Kings leading the “Tackle success” list on 89.4%, and should the Boks return to their franchise over confident, and not willing to work for their tries, they may well find themselves in a very physical battle they were not anticipating. And the PE boys will arrive fuelled on passion, guts, determination and team work … But with their eye on potential silverware, sense should prevail in Pretoria.

My prediction: Bulls by 16

Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Jan Serfontein, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Louis Fouché, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Dewald Potgieter (captain), 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Dean Greyling.

Bench: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Juandré Kruger, 19 Jono Ross, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Morné Steyn, 22 JJ Engelbrecht.

Kings: 15 SP Marais, 14 Michael Killian, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Andries Strauss (captain), 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Wimpie van der Walt, 6 Cornell du Preez, 5 David Bulbring, 4 Darron Nell, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Schalk Ferreira.

Bench: 16 Grant Kemp, 17 Hannes Franklin, 18. Rynier Bernardo, 19 Devin Oosthuizen, 20 Nicolas Vergallo, 21 George Whitehead, 22 Shane Gates

Stormers v Cheetahs – 19:10

A brutal game to call! The Cheetahs are on fire having won 9 out of their 14 games thus far, and deservedly find themselves second on the SA conference log. Long having been a side known for their attack, now brilliantly orchestrated by the likes of Rob Ebersohn, Johan Sadie and Willie le Roux, coach Naka Drotdsky has added structure to their defence. And with Lourens Adriaanse having matured amazingly this year at tighthead (securing them a second in the tournament 94% scrum success rate), and Heinrich Brussow, even though Bok coach Heyneke Meyer cannot see it, able to secure quick ball at the breakdown, while slowing down the opposition, the men in orange will arrive in Cape Town confident in their ability to topple the Cape side, who in turn, have had a season to forget. But Newlands remains a fair old fortress for the Stormers, and while only able to score 20.3 points per game, they have also only let in the same amount of points, which is 2.3 points less than the Cheetahs have allowed in. Having lost both Pat Cilliers and Frans Malherbe to injury, the home side are now scratching around with journeyman Ross Geldenhuys on the bench and Brok Harris trying to steady the Coenie Oosthuizen missile. Sans Jean de Villiers, they are also without their leader and manager of defence.

My prediction: Cheetahs by 4

Stormers: 15. Joe Pietersen, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Elton Jantjies, 9. Louis Schreuder, 8. Nizaam Carr, 7. Deon Fourie (captain), 6. Siya Kolisi, 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg, 1. Steven Kitshoff.

Bench: 16. Scarra Ntubeni, 17. Ross Geldenhuys, 18. Gerbrandt Grobler, 19. Don Armand, 20. Dewaldt Duvenage, 21. Gary van Aswegen, 22. Gerhard van den Heever

Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Riaan Smit, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Rynhardt Landman, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.

Bench: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Petrus Vermeulen, 19 Johannes Prinsloo, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Elgar Watts, 22 Howard Mnisi.