Five talking points about the weekend games and news

The following from news24:-

1. ‘Junk status’ Bulls

Following their 21-20 reverse to the lowly Sunwolves in Tokyo, the Bulls are now one from six in 2017 - their worst start since the 2002 season when they lost all 11 of their matches in the-then Super 12.

It has prompted some fans on social media to label the Bulls as having been downgraded to “junk status”.

There have been calls for coach Nollis Marais to step down and while that notion is perhaps coming too soon, the Bulls mentor needs to change the way his team plays.

Marais showed promise with the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup, taking them to last year’s final, but they have seemingly reverted to a more one-dimensional conservative game style in Super Rugby.

The Bulls’ tactics against the Sunwolves had their fans cringing. It was woefully one-dimensional and the sooner the top brass at Loftus realise that a kick-and-chase at all costs method will no longer win you matches at this level, the better.

2. What a difference a year makes!

Last year, the Stormers embarrassed themselves when they got pummelled 60-21 in a home quarter-final by the Chiefs.

Therefore, not many gave them a chance heading into Saturday’s encounter at Newlands, but Robbie Fleck’s men turned the tables in spectacular fashion, beating the Kiwis at their own game.

Fleck’s attacking game style is reaping rewards, but it was other aspects - defence and fitness - that proved just as vital to their cause.

The Capetonians had a few defensive lapses - which is perhaps understandable against the quality of attack they were up against - but overall it was a much improved effort in that department.

Kiwi teams are renowned for playing the full 80 minutes and on Saturday the Stormers matched them until the final whistle.

The fitness levels of the South African teams have copped criticism in recent times, but the Stormers showed they have improved in that regard.

3. Two tries of the season!

The encounter between the Stormers and Chiefs at Newlands was a great advertisement for the tournament, with both teams impressing with their ball-in-hand approach.

More than 30 000 fans also witnessed arguably the two best tries of the season.

Chiefs wing Toni Pulu’s first try was started when the Chiefs - via fullback Damian McKenzie - ran from their own goal-line to score.

Great hands, vision and pace saw the Newlands crowd acknowledge a sublime try.

Then, in the second half, the Stormers matched the Chiefs when SP Marais rounded off.

With the Chiefs hot on the attack, Cheslin Kolbe intercepted a pass, before booting up-field. Dillyn Leyds chased it down and got to it first, before spectacularly throwing a back-flip pass to Marais on his outside, with the fullback rounding off in the corner.

It would take something special to eclipse these two efforts for try of the season.

CLICK HERE to watch replays of the two tries

4. Scrappy encounter in Durban

Saturday’s earlier encounter between the Sharks and Jaguares at Kings Park was a stark contrast to the heroics dished up at Newlands.

But the Sharks will be pleased for grinding out a win against what is essentially Argentina’s national side.

It saw them leapfrog the Jaguares into second place in the Africa 2 conference - and into a qualifier playoff spot.

However, the match wasn’t easy on the eye, with 34 handling errors - 17 apiece - painting a pretty bleak picture.

The excuse that the game was played in the normal humid Durban conditions is getting old.

5. Super Rugby axe wielded

The inevitable was confirmed on Sunday morning when SANZAAR organisers announced that Super Rugby will lose three teams next year and revert back to a 15-team competition.

South Africa will lose two teams, with Australia one.

From a local perspective, it’s pretty hard to see it not being the Cheetahs and Kings, while talks from Australia are that the Force will be dropped.

Personally, I’d like to see the Rebels go but powerful ownership looks likely to save the Melbourne-based tournament also-rans.

SA Rugby may be left with no other option than to bring back to life the Cats franchise where the Cheetahs and Lions join forces, with the Kings re-joining the Sharks."

<a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/8900/24.com/Web/Sport24/Rugby/SuperRugby&sz=300x250&c=768882399&t=artid%3d47361403-443f-478c-8a8d-892c40e2c9c7%26Events%3dsuper+rugby%26People%3dherman+mostert%26Topics%3drugby%26accreditation%3dsport24%26posno%3d2" target="_blank"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/8900/24.com/Web/Sport24/Rugby/SuperRugby&sz=300x250&c=768882399&t=artid%3d47361403-443f-478c-8a8d-892c40e2c9c7%26Events%3dsuper+rugby%26People%3dherman+mostert%26Topics%3drugby%26accreditation%3dsport24%26posno%3d2" border="0" alt="" /></a> How dare the above comments about the Bulls kick and chase game be published - our local experts will have a fit.   They are always supporting the kick and chase game fanatically and cannot see anything wrong with it.  
The Bulls were pathetic and Marais has - like Coetzee - lost the dressing room.  They have some decent players, but they do not function as a team. 
They also have problems amongst the half-backs, but I put that down to poor coaching.  
As to the wielding of the  axe as to Super Rugby is concerned I beklieve it is overdue.   With Ackerman leaving the Lions - I believe serious consideration should be given to appointing Franco Smith as Lions coach.   He will obviously continue with the good work done and that will be a real boost to the Lions as well.    

The Cheetahs are ahead of the Bulle at this stage. Just saying!

 Its ridiculous that the kiwis keep 5 teams whilst SA foots the bill! What po or negotiation skills by Jurie!

 ...Bean Brain, the ARU tried to turn SR into an Australasian competition so just be thankful NZ stuck up for South Africa otherwise you'd be playing with yrselves...cutting the Force for them was like cutting their foot off- they could now lose Western Arstralia to AFL......the Force captain was crying on national TV saying how worried he was his boy was gunna have to play AFL.. so a very bad day for Australian rugby...NRL is not interested in expanding in Western Australia before 2022 either... so AFL is taking over Australian sport, a dire situation  and even worse than NZ being overrun by the yarpy boat people...

The Bulls biggest problem is their attack. They just seem so flat and out of ideas every time they have the ball. Over the past few years I have not expected much from the Bulls, and that is pretty much what they delivered. But this year, given the caliber of players in their squad, I expected a massively improved team. However, the Coaching is simply awful and they are just going from bad to worse. Nolis needs to go. 
The Stormers really have been a revelation this year. I really like te brand of rugby they are playing. This is my least favourite SA franchise, so me supporting them says something. 
 

Beeno, we can't even produce 5 let alone 6 teams. Our bottom performers are useless and deserve the chop. It is simple, the 5 NZ franchises all deserve to be in the competition based purely on performance. Our 6 do not . 

 Thank you bluebok for stating the obvious to him but you are wasting your breath his hatred of NZ consistantly beating him has warped him permanently I think.

 Beeno is a nutcase - but he is correct in one way - the money keeping NZ rugby alive actually comes from the Super Rugby series and the chief contributor is in fact from SA.  Brycy is wrong - without SA the NZ rugby would suffer and the player losses will become a serious stream of player departees for NH Clubs.   It is already bad and will become much worse.
I am in favour of the revised format and have stated that in the past - so I do not have serious problems with the revised format.   

 It's unfortunate for the 2 teams that's gonna get the boot, but 4 teams will suit us better....however, I really don't think Ozz still deserves 4, they should probably give that spot to a Polynesian team.

The bottom line is that with six SA teams in Super rugby you dilute the strength and quality of the SA teams and we all know from past seasons that we crumble against the NZ and OZ teams mostly.
Sure we have great Currie Cup games but then u are playing against other weaker SA sides.....
I think it is a great idea to cut SA rugby to four teams and let us build up some strength and quality squads to do battle with the likes of NZ and OZ.
Plus it can only strengthen the Springboks in the long run by having top-flight talent both tested and selected at that level, also they will win more games and the motivation to win will be instilled in them once again.
Win, Win is how I read it.
I also agree that the Cheetahs and Queens should be the teams cut.Queens can be combined with the Stormers and I think the Cheetahs should join up with the Sharks.
Lions and Bulls have enough depth in their unions to field strong teams but the coaching does need to be upgraded.
High time to change and kick butt I think.

 ...not so clever mike there's a much greater potential viewing audience in Asia than in South Africa, (20 million Japanese watched SA lose to Japan at the RWC for instance), and it's ever increasing so dont flatter yrself about South Africa being needed for revenue much longer...it was more the historic rivalry reasons between us that we rejected Australians Super idea of cutting you dopey yarpies loose..

 Roux said something today that is reasonable and very pertinent.  If have four squads it means that you have to have circa 245 teams on contract.   Like NZ the idea should be to identify those 45 players and then divide them up amongst the franchises.   The way top do it is to divide the players between the four franchises according to need.   If the one franchise has for instance not the best loosies in their squad then allocate them some loosies.
There is a problem though - especially since some promising youngsters may fall by the wayside in such a case.   Think about for instance Du Preez and Du Plessis at flyhalf and Dan du Plessis and EW Viljoen at center.   These four players - the key to the Stormers backline performances this year may have not been in the 245 players identified.  
So OK lets take an example of two full backs per team:-
Full backs
Available as frontline players :  Marais, Coetzee, Bosch  Now you need 5 other full backs - in the middle range is Jaer, Blommetjies, plus 3 others.  
Centers
 Available as frontline players :  Janse van Rensburg, Vorster, De Allende, Jones, Viljoen, Serfontein, Odendaal, Esterhuizen, Venter
Now you need  7 more players - these could include
Am, Mapoe, Lee, Dan du Plessis and three others. 
The above are just examples of what can be the result of such a dispensation.
However, there are also some wasted talents 0 eg Marx and Akker van der Merwe in the lions squad as an example, while some fanchises have serious problems in that position.  
A DIFFICULT EXERCISE - BUT IT CAN BE DONE. MERIT SELECTIONS SHOULD BE THE CRITERIA THOUGH.         

I know of no country that is interested in the SA Rand other than Zimbabwe.

 ...also reading how the Force aren't going out without a fight...RugbyWA is to launch legal action to stop the Australian Rugby Union from axing the Force from Super Rugby ahead of next season..
...they're worried the game will never recover in Western Australia so looks like they'll go out kicking and screaming...

Legal action has also been threatened by the REbels should they be cut..

 Aag, Brycie, you dopey mut, cut it out. The boks had a terrible year in 2016, but 100 odd years of history won't be discarded after one bad season. SA is important partner in Southern Hemisphere rugby and if the Boks should fall further into the doldrums, it would leave all rugby the poorer. Expanding into Asia is a pipe dream illustrated by the lowly Kings beating the Wolves at home. Yes, the Wolves are only starting out, but I don't see them raking in trophies any time soon and having a bottom dweller being the flagship that's supposed to be breaking into the Asian market is simply not going to work. South Africa has a role to play still, regardless of our poor spell.

 ...Draad not sure what your babbling on about...i'm talking about what the Aussies wanted and it's not you mate...nobody watches South African rugby in Australia... not even when Australian teams are playing you because even if they were interested which they're not it's in the middle of the night and they're all fast asleep...so there is zero interest...they are the ones that want to cut you loose..but NZ opposed the idea GOT IT

 Well then the Ozzies can fark just right off.

 PS, if that's the case, I can understand why NZ vetoed it. Imagine you lot only playing Ozz and Asian teams for a few years?

Brycy
Sure - but who benefits from that?   The answer  is that Japan has a huge population - nearly equal to the rest of the Sanzaar countries combined.  
Fact is that the biggest ruby broadcaster is in fact Supersport - who are keeping NZ rugby in clover.   If NZ loose that revenue stream - there Rugby will go bust and the players will all go north to earn their keep.  
So the tournament needs SA more than SA needs them.   But excluding SA teams would as Rennie put it be a disaster for the tournament and would send NZ rugby directly into bankruptsy.          

 ...not so clever mike what Rennie actually said was "The only ones saying there should be an Australasian competition are the Australians ...
...what the Aussies are saying is it should be more than just about the money - it's also about their national game..  so they were looking at all options because as stated above they are trying to avoid losing Western Australia to another code -a potential disaster for rugby in Australia ...so i'm guessing their logic was, do we cut off Western Australia or do we cut off South Africa ?...at that point i think they saw losing WA the worst of the two evils..
Axing the Rebels was also an option but for one it's privately owned and the Rebels are alao acting as an important bulwark in Melbourne against more successful codes - it's like a battle royale between the codes and rugby union is seemingly fighting a losing battle and losing the WA is only exacerbating a dire situation..

 ....that said the ARU still has'nt even said which team is getting the chop ...they have delayed their decision giving teams time to state their case... although the Force has already started legal proceedings regardless...Rebels also threatening to sue..

 Too much time is wasted on this SR downsizing.

Here is a simple solution that fits the SA appetite for simple solutions.

Keep the AU sides in, AU has a better record than SA in SR
Axe three SA sides instead of two.
SA having a record of channeling wealth outside borders to support welfare elsewhere first, get SA to support the AU side.
Axe the SA sides in relation to the number of non whites they have in, axe those with the more non whites in. This way, SA sides will get at last the titles fitting SA claim of having the best players in the world.

Everyone is happy.

 

The Bulls’ tactics against the Sunwolves had their fans cringing. It was woefully one-dimensional and the sooner the top brass at Loftus realise that a kick-and-chase at all costs method will no longer win you matches at this level, the better.

As if Sunwolves belong to this level... All that bit reads is that a level below SW exists. That is all.

Maybe time to consider by the way terminating professional teams that play under the SW level.