Super Rugby Unlocked, Round Three - Teams and predictions
FULL METAL JACKET: It was a week of high drama - with the COVID-19 saga at Ellis Park, which had a knock-on effect in the Stormers camp.
However, once the first whistle goes in Nelspruit on Friday, to start the weekend's on-field action, the sideshows will be all but forgotten ... at least for a couple of days.
The Pumas, fresh from their impressive win over Griquas in Kimberley last week, host the star-studded Stormers team in Nelspruit on Friday.
That is followed by the Saturday double-header - the Lions against the Cheetahs (Ellis Park) and Bulls versus Sharks (Loftus Versfeld).
Griquas have a bye this week.
The Pumas' seasoned coach Jimmy Stonehouse, with three decades of experience to his credit, knows what he is talking about when he suggests his team is in for a 'tough day at the office'.
The visitors feature three World Cup-winning Springboks in a star-studded set of forwards - Siyamthanda Kolisi (captain), Frans Malherbe and Bongi Mbonambi.
"It is an enormous privilege for the young players in our team - some who have only played two Currie Cup matches - to play against these stars," Stonehouse told @rugby365com.
"The players are excited about measuring themselves against the Stormers."
He said the set pieces will be key if his team wants to be competitive.
"Nobody expects us to win, which makes this a great opportunity to take some points away."
Stormers coach John Dobson said there is no chance of complacency being a factor for his team - given that they came a cropper in Nelspruit in 2017, under similar circumstances they find themselves in now.
"They would have gotten real energy from their win over Griquas in Kimberley last week," Dobson said, adding that the kicking game of Pumas flyhalf Eddie Fouche is a real threat.
"I also like what [Neil] Maritz brings on the wing and [Wayne] van der Bank at inside centre. [Fullback] Devon Williams we also know very well, as he played for the Stormers."
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He pointed out that the changes to his team were mostly forced upon them - Springboks Steven Kitshoff and Siyabonga Ntubeni (due to COVID-19 protocols) and Sergeal Petersen (injury).
"If we had made four or five changes voluntarily and rested [Springbok skipper] Siya [Kolisi], then maybe you can say we underestimate them.
"However, we are 'Full metal jacket'," Dobson added.
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen tried his best to paint a rosy picture, despite the fact that nine players have been ruled out of their encounter with the Cheetahs as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in the team.
Few would have believed him when he started the media briefing with the statement that: "It has been a good week for us."
"Everyone that is in the team has played for us this year and everyone is in good form," he added.
Without star flyhalf and skipper Elton Jantjies (30), who pulled a calf muscle in training on Tuesday, the Lions will have to rely on the talented, but very green, Gianni Lombard (22) to give direction to the team.
Add the absence of players like Burger Odendaal, Jaco Kriel and Wiehahn Herbst - presumably COVID-19-related - and the Lions team look a little less menacing.
"We said from the outset, this season will require a squad effort," Van Rooyen told a virtual media briefing, adding: "We are looking forward to giving those players a run - as they would have had an opportunity in the next week or two anyway.
"As a squad and a team, we are up for the challenge this weekend."
The Cheetahs, after two homes game, will experience their first away game - which includes a five-hour bus trip from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg on Friday.
Coach Hawies Fourie said playing in empty stadiums - as part of the COVID-19 protocol - means home ground is not such a big advantage anymore.
"Once you get the travel out of your system, the rest is the same - the weather, the surface, etc - between Bloemfontein and Johannesburg," Fourie said, adding: "The absence of spectators means there is no real difference."
The weekend concludes with a humdinger at Loftus Versfeld - the Sharks getting a chance to avenge the hammering they took at the hands of the Bulls in the pre-season SuperFan day.
The Sharks, who edged the Lions in Round One, are coming off a bye.
The Bulls, who edged Griquas in Round One, suffered defeat against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last week.
Both teams have plenty to prove.
"We've got another opportunity this week against the Sharks, but we need to be better than we were in Bloemfontein," Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White said.
"We cannot afford to depend on a late comeback to save our graces, which means dominating all phases of play from the first kick-off."
Sharks coach Sean Everitt admitted the approach from last month to this week is vastly different.
"We took a squad of 30 players up to Loftus to have a look at combinations and look at some of the youngsters, to see where they are," he said of the pre-season outing.
"It is 'back to business' this week and we have a settled squad," Everitt said, adding: "The lessons we learned in the SuperFan day means it is a different ball game on Saturday."
Teams and predictions for Round Three below video ...
Friday, October 23:
Pumas v Stormers
(Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit - Kick-off: 19.00; 17.00)
The Pumas and Stormers are set to face off in Super Rugby Unlocked for the first time.
It will be the first time that the Pumas have faced a team that competed in the 2020 Super Rugby competition.
The Pumas are set to play at home in Super Rugby Unlocked for the first time after picking up one win and one loss from their opening two games on the road in the competition.
The Stormers picked up a 23-17 win in their only previous Super Rugby Unlocked fixture; indeed, they are the only team after the opening two rounds to have won a game in which they were trailing at half-time on the day.
The Pumas have stolen eight line-outs on their opponents' throw in Super Rugby Unlocked - twice as many as any other team in the competition.
Herschel Jantjies (Stormers) has been directly involved in nine tries in his last nine games across Super Rugby Unlocked and Super Rugby (five tries, four try assists).
Head-to-head
Prediction
@rugby365com: Stormers by 20 points
Teams
Pumas: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Neil Maritz, 13 Erich Cronje, 12 Wayne van der Bank, 11 Etienne Taljaard, 10 Eddie Fouche, 9 Ginter Smuts, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 Willie Engelbrecht, 6 Francois Kleinhans, 5 Pieter Jansen van Vuren (captain), 4 Darrien Landsberg, 3 Ruan Kramer, 2 Abraham le Roux, 1 Morgan Naude.
Replacements: 16 Simon Westraadt, 17 Liam Hendriks, 18 Heath Backhouse, 19 Phumzile Maqondwana, 20 Dian Badenhorst, 21 Niel Marais. 22 Ali Mgijima, 23 Ignatius Prinsloo.
Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Chris van Zyl, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Leon Lyons.
Replacements - from: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 John Schickerling, 20 Nama Xaba, 21 Jaco Coetzee, 22 Godlen Masimla, 23 Michal Haznar, 24 Tim Swiel, 25 Tristan Leyds.
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron, Griffin Colby
TMO: AJ Jacobs
Saturday, October 24:
Lions v Cheetahs
(Ellis Park, Johannesburg - Kick-off: 16.30; 14.30 GMT)
The Lions have won their last six games on the bounce against the Cheetahs in Super Rugby; although, this will be their first encounter in Super Rugby Unlocked.
The Lions continue the hunt for the maiden win in Super Rugby Unlocked - after snatching bonus points in defeats in each of their two games in the competition thus far.
The Cheetahs have won both of their games in Super Rugby Unlocked.
They have conceded just three first-half points in each of those games.
The Cheetahs have gained 486 metres per game in Super Rugby Unlocked, more than 100 metres per game more than any other team in the competition.
Elton Jantjies (Lions) is one of only four players to have both scored a try and assisted a try in a single game of Super Rugby Unlocked after he logged one of each against the Stormers in Round Two.
Head-to-head
Prediction
@rugby365com: Cheetahs by 12 points
Teams
Lions: 15 EW Viljoen, 14 Jamba Ulengo, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan Kriel (captain), 11 Rabz Maxwane, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Len Massyn, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 MJ Pelser, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Sti Sithole.
Replacements: 16 PJ Botha, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Jannie du Plessis, 19 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Ross Cronje, 22 Stean Pienaar, 23 Tiaan Swanepoel.
Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Malcolm Jaer, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Junior Pokomela (captain), 6 Andisa Ntsila, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Luan de Bruin, 2 Reinach Venter, 1 Charles Marais
Replacements: 16 Jacques du Toit, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Erich de Jager, 19 JP du Preez, 20 Aidon Davis, 21 Chris Massyn, 22 Ruben de Haas, 23 William Small-Smith
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron and Colby Griffon
TMO: Willie Vos
Bulls v Sharks
(Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria - Kick-off: 19.00; 17.00 GMT)
The Sharks picked up a 23-15 win in their last Super Rugby game against the Bulls, snapping a nine-game winless streak against them.
However, this will be the first-ever meeting between the franchises in Super Rugby Unlocked.
Each of the Bulls' two games so far in Super Rugby Unlocked has been won by the home team on the day. The Bulls picked up a Round One win over the Griquas, before an unsuccessful trip to face the Cheetahs in Round Two.
The Sharks earned a 19-16 win over the Lions in their opening game of Super Rugby Unlocked, holding on after having led 13-3 at the interval.
The Bulls have beaten a total of 48 defenders after the opening two rounds of Super Rugby Unlocked, the most of any team in the competition and 11 more than next-best Cheetahs (37).
All three of the Bulls' tries in Super Rugby Unlocked have been scored via forwards. Indeed, no other team in the competition has had more than two of their tries scored by forwards this campaign.
Head-to-head
Prediction
@rugby365com: Sharks by seven points
Teams
Bulls: 15 David Kriel, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jacques van Rooyen.
Replacements: 16 Joe van Zyl, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Sintu Manjezi, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Marco Jansen van Vuren.
Sharks: 15 Manie Libbok, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Marius Louw, 11 Werner Kok, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Phepsi Buthelezi, 6 James Venter, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Dylan Richardson, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nché.
Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 JJ van der Mescht, 20 Henco Venter, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Jeremy Ward, 23 Yaw Penxe.
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen, Paul Mente
TMO: AJ Jacobs
Bye: Griquas
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