ozbash
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After the euphoria in New Zealand about last weekend's Super 12 results, normal services were unfortunately resumed in round eight with just the Blues flying the flag for the country, as three of the other Kiwi teams lost and the Hurricanes had a bye.
The South African teams march onwards at the top of the points table while the Brumbies continued to set the pace, but there are still nine teams who can say they still have a realistic chance of making the semifinals.
Blues 56-19 Bulls at North Harbour Stadium, Albany on Friday night
Who said the Blues can't make the semifinals?
After showing glimpses of a return to their 2003 form for the past few weeks the Blues finally hit their straps against the Bulls and an, up until now, impressive looking South African side were made to look like chumps by Carlos and Co.
The Bulls tight five may be one of the best in the business, but they were unable to dominate a Blues pack that was missing Keven Mealamu and Brad Mika and it was the home side's forwards who were able to set up space and time for their backs and they used it well.
Carlos Spencer looked slightly rusty in his hit out against the Waratahs the previous week, following his return from a broken jaw, but against the Bulls he was back to his very best, continually creating holes in the Bulls defence with his no-look inside passes and kicks off the side of his foot.
Second-five Sam Tuitupou also had a huge game, not only with his notorious big hits, but also with his line breaks, surely an All Black call up is coming for the New Zealand Colts captain.
Another pleasing aspect for Blues supporters was the way they were able to refocus after the Bulls picked up a couple of tries midway through the second half and were pushing for a bonus point.
But captain Xavier Rush gathered his troops and they were able to take the play down the other end of the field where Joe Rokocoko eventually scored the last try of the game.
Brumbies 50-18 Highlanders at Canberra Stadium, Canberra on Friday night
After the loss to the Crusaders and more off field wrangles than a bad week for the Bulldogs, the former champions were able to put all that behind them and give the Highlanders a real good thrashing.
Coach David Nucifora had been told he's got the sack at the end of the season after the senior players had fallen out with him, and those seasoned campaigners signalled that they won't miss him by scoring plenty themselves.
Stirling Mortlock, Stephen Larkham, Jeremy Paul (twice) and Joe Roff all got on the score sheet as they were able to outclass a Highlanders team that lacked patience on attack and reliability on defence.
The loss for the Highlanders means that they now have no hope of making the semifinals as they lie 10th on the points table and are yet to have had their bye.
Although the southern team got off to an average start in the competition, they were able to pick up plenty of bonus points which had kept them in the hunt, but they have won just two of eight games this year, a statistic that is disappointing by anyone's standards.
Reds 20-21 Stormers at Ballymore, Brisbane on Saturday night
The Reds had more than enough chances to win this game and put the Stormers' trip to Australasia off to a bad start, but they were unable to close out the game and were given a right battering up front.
The Stormers are now an experienced side that know how to win slugfests and even though Wendell Sailor, Chris Latham and Daniel Heenan all had big games they weren't able to contain a Stormers side hell bent on picking up a win.
Clearly the Reds have missed Elton Flatley in recent weeks and they have struggled to find a capable - and fit - replacement for him. Steve Kefu hasn't been up to much this season and the side are making too many turnovers to put oppositions away.
How long will it be before another Australian Super 12 coach bites the dust?
As for the Stormers, they will face a tougher task when they take on the Blues in Auckland next weekend, but they have enough quality players around the park to set up what will be an intriguing clash.
Sharks 29-25 Crusaders at Absa Stadium, Durban on Sunday morning
Up until this game the Sharks had a terrible record against the Crusaders, but that all ended in an error ridden display by the visitors who coughed up too much possession in the first half, had a horrific time with the lineouts and were unable to muster enough on an attack late in the game to overcome the Sharks.
While the Crusaders have looked very good on attack over the past month, their defence is still a major concern with only the Highlanders conceding more points than them, and they have played a game more.
Andrew Mehrtens and Justin Marshall were both below their best and were guilty of poor passing and decision making.
Hooker Tone Kopelani had just about the worst game it's possible for a hooker to have, his throws were so bad that you would have forgiven the Crusaders for not even bothering to contest their own lineout throws, let alone the Sharks'.
There were a few good signs for the Crusaders however with Caleb Ralph and Marika Vunibaka playing well on the wings and Richie McCaw his usual devastating self at the breakdowns.
But the loss puts the Crusaders back to fourth place in the points table and only two points clear of the chasing pack. However, they face the Cats next week and if they can't win that game they should even bother coming back to New Zealand.
Cats 23-21 Chiefs at Ellis Park, Johannesburg on Sunday morning
For any team losing is bad enough, but going down to the woeful Cats is another matter altogether, and this defeat will tarnish what up to now had been a good season for the Hamilton based franchise.
The loss has also put a serious dent in the Chiefs' plan of making the semifinal for the first time ever as every other team had been treating their game against the Cats as a guaranteed four pointer at least.
However, to be fair to Ian Foster's side, the Cats are now playing a lot better under new coach Chester Williams than they did with predecessor Tim Lane and they were able to put up a healthy fight against the impressive Sharks the week before.
The win ends the record breaking streak of 13 successive losses for the Cats and gives them a chance of not finishing with the wooden spoon for the second year in a row.
The Chiefs now have a fight on their hands not to be among the also-rans once again.
Source: nzoom
The South African teams march onwards at the top of the points table while the Brumbies continued to set the pace, but there are still nine teams who can say they still have a realistic chance of making the semifinals.
Blues 56-19 Bulls at North Harbour Stadium, Albany on Friday night
Who said the Blues can't make the semifinals?
After showing glimpses of a return to their 2003 form for the past few weeks the Blues finally hit their straps against the Bulls and an, up until now, impressive looking South African side were made to look like chumps by Carlos and Co.
The Bulls tight five may be one of the best in the business, but they were unable to dominate a Blues pack that was missing Keven Mealamu and Brad Mika and it was the home side's forwards who were able to set up space and time for their backs and they used it well.
Carlos Spencer looked slightly rusty in his hit out against the Waratahs the previous week, following his return from a broken jaw, but against the Bulls he was back to his very best, continually creating holes in the Bulls defence with his no-look inside passes and kicks off the side of his foot.
Second-five Sam Tuitupou also had a huge game, not only with his notorious big hits, but also with his line breaks, surely an All Black call up is coming for the New Zealand Colts captain.
Another pleasing aspect for Blues supporters was the way they were able to refocus after the Bulls picked up a couple of tries midway through the second half and were pushing for a bonus point.
But captain Xavier Rush gathered his troops and they were able to take the play down the other end of the field where Joe Rokocoko eventually scored the last try of the game.
Brumbies 50-18 Highlanders at Canberra Stadium, Canberra on Friday night
After the loss to the Crusaders and more off field wrangles than a bad week for the Bulldogs, the former champions were able to put all that behind them and give the Highlanders a real good thrashing.
Coach David Nucifora had been told he's got the sack at the end of the season after the senior players had fallen out with him, and those seasoned campaigners signalled that they won't miss him by scoring plenty themselves.
Stirling Mortlock, Stephen Larkham, Jeremy Paul (twice) and Joe Roff all got on the score sheet as they were able to outclass a Highlanders team that lacked patience on attack and reliability on defence.
The loss for the Highlanders means that they now have no hope of making the semifinals as they lie 10th on the points table and are yet to have had their bye.
Although the southern team got off to an average start in the competition, they were able to pick up plenty of bonus points which had kept them in the hunt, but they have won just two of eight games this year, a statistic that is disappointing by anyone's standards.
Reds 20-21 Stormers at Ballymore, Brisbane on Saturday night
The Reds had more than enough chances to win this game and put the Stormers' trip to Australasia off to a bad start, but they were unable to close out the game and were given a right battering up front.
The Stormers are now an experienced side that know how to win slugfests and even though Wendell Sailor, Chris Latham and Daniel Heenan all had big games they weren't able to contain a Stormers side hell bent on picking up a win.
Clearly the Reds have missed Elton Flatley in recent weeks and they have struggled to find a capable - and fit - replacement for him. Steve Kefu hasn't been up to much this season and the side are making too many turnovers to put oppositions away.
How long will it be before another Australian Super 12 coach bites the dust?
As for the Stormers, they will face a tougher task when they take on the Blues in Auckland next weekend, but they have enough quality players around the park to set up what will be an intriguing clash.
Sharks 29-25 Crusaders at Absa Stadium, Durban on Sunday morning
Up until this game the Sharks had a terrible record against the Crusaders, but that all ended in an error ridden display by the visitors who coughed up too much possession in the first half, had a horrific time with the lineouts and were unable to muster enough on an attack late in the game to overcome the Sharks.
While the Crusaders have looked very good on attack over the past month, their defence is still a major concern with only the Highlanders conceding more points than them, and they have played a game more.
Andrew Mehrtens and Justin Marshall were both below their best and were guilty of poor passing and decision making.
Hooker Tone Kopelani had just about the worst game it's possible for a hooker to have, his throws were so bad that you would have forgiven the Crusaders for not even bothering to contest their own lineout throws, let alone the Sharks'.
There were a few good signs for the Crusaders however with Caleb Ralph and Marika Vunibaka playing well on the wings and Richie McCaw his usual devastating self at the breakdowns.
But the loss puts the Crusaders back to fourth place in the points table and only two points clear of the chasing pack. However, they face the Cats next week and if they can't win that game they should even bother coming back to New Zealand.
Cats 23-21 Chiefs at Ellis Park, Johannesburg on Sunday morning
For any team losing is bad enough, but going down to the woeful Cats is another matter altogether, and this defeat will tarnish what up to now had been a good season for the Hamilton based franchise.
The loss has also put a serious dent in the Chiefs' plan of making the semifinal for the first time ever as every other team had been treating their game against the Cats as a guaranteed four pointer at least.
However, to be fair to Ian Foster's side, the Cats are now playing a lot better under new coach Chester Williams than they did with predecessor Tim Lane and they were able to put up a healthy fight against the impressive Sharks the week before.
The win ends the record breaking streak of 13 successive losses for the Cats and gives them a chance of not finishing with the wooden spoon for the second year in a row.
The Chiefs now have a fight on their hands not to be among the also-rans once again.
Source: nzoom
