The Bookies and Bru’s agree on all four quarter final results, but Tank is swimming upstream on one of the games, risking a tarring and feathering next time he is in Jozi.
Tank Lanning
The line-up:
Friday, July 22
10h00 – Brumbies v Highlanders (GIO Stadium)
Saturday, July 23
09h35 – Hurricanes v Sharks (Westpac Stadium)
16h30 – Lions v Crusaders (Emirates Airlines Park)
19h00 – Stormers v Chiefs (DHL Newlands)
CLICK HERE to see the weekend’s teams.
It’s probably worth a tongue lashing from the boss in order to catch what will probably be the last Friday morning game of the tournament, but no need for tears if you can’t manage it. Sharks post gym with a little fizz in your brunch OJ – it is quarter final weekend after all. Perhaps a potjie given the time you have on your hands, but nothing too serious in the right hand – it’s a long day. Lions post massive bowl of biltong and cheese potjie (recipe via Toks van der Linde in the Springbok cookbook – factually) with a glass of red, before putting your arse on the couch and those feet on the coolerbox for the Stormers game at that ungodly hour. PVR it just in case, manne!
My picks:
HIGHLANDERS to beat Brumbies by 16
HURRICANES to beat Sharks by 21
CRUSADERS to beat Lions by 11
CHIEFS to beat Stormers by 14
What the Bookies say:
HIGHLANDERS (11/18) to beat Brumbies (2/1)
HURRICANES (2/11) to beat Sharks (11/2)
LIONS (10/11) to beat Crusaders (8/7)
CHIEFS (8/11) to beat Stormers (20/13)
The SuperBru Community picks:
HIGHLANDERS to beat Brumbies by 6
HURRICANES to beat Sharks by 12
LIONS to beat Crusaders by 3
CHIEFS to beat Stormers by 3
Not very patriotic am I? Predictions with the brain, support with the heart, I say …
The Sharks travel to Wellington without tighthead prop Lourens Adriaanse, who stays behind for the birth of his first child. This in effect, sees the Sharks travelling with four loosehead props in their squad, which will see Coenie at tighthead. Look, they will be clever, kick well, and tackle the hell out of the Canes, but you can’t win a game without a scrum.
The Stormers have flyhalf issues given the injury to Jean-Luc du Plessis. Original first choice Rob du Preez is back from injury, but has only played a few games for the WP Currie Cup side. Brandon Thomson will the general on the bench. Exciting prospect, but pretty green. Like the Sharks, they will also be smart, though, and could well sneak a cheeky upset, but this is their first outing against a Kiwi side, and it’s a definite notch up.
The Lions are a seriously classy side, and could well not only win this, but actually hammer the Nadalo free Saders. I have underestimated them for far too long. The Saders were not that special last weekend, and certainly not the black and red mean machine of old, but they have some old hands steering a side that can beat any other on the day. Redelinghuys vs Crockett is going to be epic. If ref Joubert spots Crockett going in, it will be the Lions’s to lose!!
So will we see sides that stick to their more ball in hand approach bringing home the bacon, or will a more defensive, ball on the foot approach prevail at the business end of the tournament? Please make it the former.
Enjoy!
