SuperBru Preview Week 1
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The wait is finally over! 32 weeks after the dramatic Super Rugby final in Brisbane, the competition is finally back, and it’s set to be bigger and better than ever on SuperBru. Each week we’ll be sharing our views on the weekend’s matches, which may or may not help with your SuperBru picks!
Rugby is back at Newlands in Round 1, and the 2012 Super Rugby season could not start any better for the Stormers against a Hurricanes side that has seen a list of departures that will have left fans in Wellington reeling. Ma’a Nonu, Aaron Cruden, Piri Weepu and Andrew Hore are just some of the names who have left the club over the summer and they’ve not been adequately replaced, leaving the home side with plenty of areas to attack this weekend.
There are some new faces in the Stormers camp as well though ahead of the first match, with former Bulls winger Gerhard van den Heever making the move south from Pretoria, whilst familiar face Joe Pietersen has returned to the club after time in France with Bayonne. With a strong set-piece based around Andries Bekker and Eben Etzebeth in the second row, along with the leadership of Schalk Burger at flanker, the foundations are in place for a successful season.
Taking on the Hurricanes first up will hopefully go smoothly. With Peter Grant still in Japan, a lot will rest on the shoulder of 21-year-old Gary Van Aswegen in the fly-half jersey to clinch the tight results. But on Saturday, I’ve picked the Stormers to win by 13 points.
Looking elsewhere, there are two South Africa derbies between the Lions and the Cheetahs and the Bulls against the Sharks. The game at Ellis Park should see John Mitchell’s team continue where they left off at the end of a successful Currie Cup campaign with a rousing win at home. Look out for Jaco Taute and the now beardless Joshua Strauss.
Meanwhile over in Pretoria, a Bulls team – full of new faces now the Springbok legends have departed – will look to impress in their first game, but I expect them to lose out to the experience of the Sharks led by Bismarck du Plessis.
As for the rest of the matches in Round 1, champions the Reds face a stern test travelling to Sydney to take on the Waratahs, but should start with a narrow win. The opening match between the Blues and Crusaders will be a high-scoring affair, but last year’s runners-up should have too much firepower for Pat Lam’s team.
The Chiefs host a resurgent Highlanders side in Waikato, which I’m predicting will be their first loss at the hands of Adam Thomson and co, whilst in Canberra, David Pocock’s Western Force take on an unfamiliar looking Brumbies unit led by Jake White, and should win that one comfortably.
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