SUPER RUGBY 2014

The local favourites

Pierre Spies Adriaan Strauss Jean de Villiers

Khanyiso Tshwaku and Dan Retief run the rule over the 2014 Super Rugby combatants

Bismarck du Plessis

Warren Whiteley

Coach: Frans Ludeke Captain: Pierre Spies Last years position: 2nd (overall), 1st (SA conference) Predicted nish: 4th (overall), 2nd (SA conference) Weakness from last year: Did not to travel well, and had a potentially damaging seminal loss at home Plus point: Apart for a trip to their bogey side the Highlanders, their travels will be to teams theyve done well against Gamebreaker: Jan Serfontein will have the whole season to make the number 12 jersey his own New acquisitions: Victor Mateld. Will the wily old dog bear new tricks?

BULLS

Coach: Naka Drotske Captain: Adriaan Strauss Last years position: 6th (overall), 2nd (SA conference) Predicted nish: 9th (overall), 3rd (SA conference) Weakness from last year: Slow starts and player depth Plus point: Favourable draw, no xture against the Chiefs Gamebreaker: Willie le Roux. How will teams counter his imaginative rugby; and the big question: will Johan Goosen remain free of injuries? New acquisitions: Inside centre Howard Mnisi. Will he be able to take his Currie Cup form to a higher level?

CHEETAHS

Coach: Allister Coetzee Captain: Jean de Villiers Last years position: 7th (overall), 3rd (SA conference) Predicted nish: 5th (overall), 2nd (SA conference) Weakness from last year: Inability to get bonus point for tries Biggest hurdle: Overcoming a tough away draw against the top four sides Plus point: Settled and experienced squad competing for match-day spots New acquisitions: Argentinian lock Manuel Carizza to offset the loss of Eben Etzebeth until mid-tournament.

STORMERS

Coach: Jake White Captain: Bismarck du Plessis Last years position: 8th (overall), 4th (SA conference) Predicted nish: 2nd (overall), 1st (SA conference) Weakness from last year: Inconsistency Biggest hurdle: Maintaining momentum after a string of home matches and early byes Plus point: Favourable draw, no xture against the Chiefs Gamebreaker: Pat Lambie being allowed to settle at y half New acquisitions: Coach White and Tim Swiel, an exciting young y half from Western Province

SHARKS

Coach: Johan Ackermann Captain: Warren Whiteley 2012 position: 15th (overall), 5th (SA conference) Predicted nish: 13th (overall), 5th (SA conference) Weakness from 2012: Tactical naivety, lack of quality players and bad coaching Plus point: No promotion/relegation play-off to deal with Gamebreaker: Derick Minnie. He is a nuisance at the breakdown New acquisitions: Stokkies Hanekom impressed during last years Super Rugby hiatus and it will be seen if he can take his form to a higher level

LIONS

The New Zealand contingent

Liam Messam Kieran Read Ben Smith Victor Vito

Luke Braid
BLUES CHIEFS CRUSADERS HIGHLANDERS HURRICANES

Coach: Sir John Kirwan Captain: Luke Braid What to expect: Last season was a salvage mission after their trials and tribulations of 2012. With a bolstered squad, they should be battling for a play-off spot. League convert Benji Marshall and the returning Maa Nonu will be the ones to watch

Coach: Dave Rennie Captains: Liam Messam and Aaron Cruden What to expect: After losing a number of key players, it will be a question of maintaining the form that has seen them win back-to-back Super Rugby titles. Their feeder provinces did well in the ITM Cup, which should stand them in good stead

Coach: Todd Blackadder Captain: Kieran Read What to expect: They will be without Dan Carter. They will nd form in the middle to latter stages of the competition but Blackadder will be under pressure to deliver the trophy. His tenure has seen the Crusaders being a consistent knockout team without being able to bring home the bacon

Coach: Jamie Joseph Captains: Ben Smith and Nasi Manu What to expect: They were the worst-performing Super Rugby team from New Zealand and they will be hardpressed to improve. If they can be disciplined and tighten up their defence, they could create a few surprises

Coach: Mark Hammett Captain: Victor Vito What to expect: They have a whole host of new faces but one hopes that they have stocked sufciently in front row replacements as they struggled at scrum time. Defensive discipline lacked, but their attack more than made up for that. They remain one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament

Meanwhile, down under

Ben Mowen Matt Hodgson Scott Higginbotham Will Genia Dave Dennis

Coach: Stephen Larkham Captain: Ben Mowen What to expect: After last years Jake White-inspired boys-to-men transformation in which the nal against the Chiefs proved to be a bridge too far, the boys from Canberra are cock-a-hoop and looking to again be Australias top side. The return of David Pocock is expected to make up for whatever effect the impending loss of skipper Ben Mowen might have. Two familiar names will be South Africans Lionel Cronje and Conrad Hoffman, not to mention Clyde Rathbone

BRUMBIES

Coach: Michael Foley Captain: Matt Hodgson What to expect: The Force considered it a big feather in their cap to have supplied Australias Players Player of the Year in Nick Cummins last year, and in their continued efforts to give rugby union a toehold in an Aussie Rules and League, they sent their scouts on safari hence the signing of a raft of talented young South Africans in Marcel Brache and Chris Heiberg (both from Western Province), as well as Brynard Stander from KwaZulu-Natal to join up with Sias Ebersohn and Wilhelm Steenkamp

FORCE

Coach: Tony Magahan Captain: Scott Higginbotham What to expect: Inspirationally led by Scott Higginbotham, the Rebels guratively came of age last year by nishing higher than the Force and exceeded the high hopes of even the most ambitious of Australian Rugby Union ofcials with the crowds they drew to the AAMI Stadium. Having severed ties with the disruptive duo of Kurtley Beale and James OConnor, and signing a key forward in double Super Rugby medallist Toby Smith from the Chiefs, the newest Super Rugby franchise is determined to entrench rugby union in the state of Victoria

REBELS

Coach: Richard Graham Captain: Will Genia What to expect: With the rebellious but always dangerous Quade Cooper having rediscovered his mojo on the Wallabies end-of-year tour to the UK, the Queenslanders have a more settled look going into this years competition than they did at the start of last year. James Horwill and Will Genia will again hold the reins; and with depth and talent across the park, the Reds will fancy their chances to reach the play-offs and repeat their winning effort of 2011

REDS

Coach: Michael Cheika Captain: Dave Dennis What to expect: New South Wales coach Michael Cheika has decided to throw the enfant terrible of Australian rugby, Kurtley Beale, a lifeline; and with the incomparable Israel Folau now settled at fullback, it seems Beale will have to battle it out for the Tahs number 10 jersey with Bernard Foley, one of last seasons success stories. Former All Black legend Andrew Mehrtens has joined the Waratahs coaching staff as a kicking coach
RUDI LOUW, Graphics24

WARATAHS