Rested Reds, Stormers are hot favorites
Source: Agencies |
June 27, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Queensland Reds and Stormers, having rested their weary bodies for a week while their rivals slugged it out in the playoffs, will have the confidence of favorites looking forward to this week's Super 15 semifinals.
The seven-time champions Canterbury Crusaders rounded out the last four line-up with Saturday's victory over the Sharks and their incredible journey will now take them back to South Africa to face the Stormers this weekend.
The Auckland Blues, three-time champions, earned the shorter trip to Brisbane for their semifinal with Friday's win over the New South Wales Waratahs but will face the top-ranked side in the competition in Ewen McKenzie's Reds.
The Crusaders, denied a single proper home match this season by February's earthquake in Christchurch, have been knocked out at the semifinal stage on South African soil for three of the last four years.
On Saturday, however, it will not be their nemesis the Bulls who stand in the way to the final but the Cape Town-based Stormers, who have built their success this season on tough tackling and stingy defense.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee watched with interest as the Sharks enjoyed some early success against the Crusaders in Saturday's match in Nelson before going down 8-36.
"If you can execute the double hits and maintain the pressure, you can break the Crusaders' momentum," he told South Africa's Sunday Times. "The Sharks' performance gave us things to look at and it just reminded how important it is to be aggressive in the tackle."
The Crusaders will take confidence from their 20-14 victory at Newlands in round 12 and also look likely to be able to recall totemic All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw to the fray after his recovery from a foot injury.
"It's still not quite 100 percent but it's certainly a lot better than it was last time I played. Having those couple of weeks off was the right thing to do," flanker McCaw told Fairfax media yesterday.
The seven-time champions Canterbury Crusaders rounded out the last four line-up with Saturday's victory over the Sharks and their incredible journey will now take them back to South Africa to face the Stormers this weekend.
The Auckland Blues, three-time champions, earned the shorter trip to Brisbane for their semifinal with Friday's win over the New South Wales Waratahs but will face the top-ranked side in the competition in Ewen McKenzie's Reds.
The Crusaders, denied a single proper home match this season by February's earthquake in Christchurch, have been knocked out at the semifinal stage on South African soil for three of the last four years.
On Saturday, however, it will not be their nemesis the Bulls who stand in the way to the final but the Cape Town-based Stormers, who have built their success this season on tough tackling and stingy defense.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee watched with interest as the Sharks enjoyed some early success against the Crusaders in Saturday's match in Nelson before going down 8-36.
"If you can execute the double hits and maintain the pressure, you can break the Crusaders' momentum," he told South Africa's Sunday Times. "The Sharks' performance gave us things to look at and it just reminded how important it is to be aggressive in the tackle."
The Crusaders will take confidence from their 20-14 victory at Newlands in round 12 and also look likely to be able to recall totemic All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw to the fray after his recovery from a foot injury.
"It's still not quite 100 percent but it's certainly a lot better than it was last time I played. Having those couple of weeks off was the right thing to do," flanker McCaw told Fairfax media yesterday.
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