Super 14 Preview #1 of 4 — from 30 000 feet

Here we go — January 2009 and the Super 14 warm up games have started in New Zealand. They are so organised their squads were announced mid November 2008.

As we are four weeks out of the start of the Super 14 tournament on February 13, I thought we could focus on each of the following weeks and zoom closer in on the action on and off the field.

The season has officially begun with the first result of 2009 being a Chiefs 21-17 victory over the Blues in Pukekohe, with plenty of preseason matches scheduled over the next three weeks.

One of the warm up clashes to look forward to, is the Saracens/Stormers game next Sunday and the Saracens/Boland game the following week. There should be so much more of this Northern Hemisphere vs Southern Hemisphere Super teams.

The Sharks and the Cheetahs have had their much-anticipated Dubai game, scheduled for next week, cancelled due to a “sponsorship malfunction” and there is some simmering tension between Plumtree of the Sharks and Drotske of Cheetahs.

Cheetahs have said they are going to rather play a friendly with Griquas, leaving the Sharks looking for a playmate next weekend.

As with all pre-season clashes, it is difficult to read too much into the results, as all teams will be filled with players from the wider training groups and an attempt by the management to limit injuries pre February 13 kick off of the Super 14.

All New Zealand teams are back in training, but minus their front line All Blacks, who will join the squads late January.

Let’s have a 30 000 foot look down on the SANZAR teams:

South Africa

The big news this week is that SA is launching a new franchise in the South Eastern Cape (venture between Eastern Province and Border rugby unions), which will be launched on June 16 with a view to being added to the Super rugby competitions. Lots of questions here as to what the fixture list and tournament structure will look like post June 16 to end 2009, the team composition for June 16 and then the 2010 Super Rugby season; lots of questions with answers to follow in the next few weeks.

This will be a season of deal making of note, on and off the field.

Let’s start with the favourites in SA, to the Lions, who have been the last placed South African team for three years now.

SHARKS:

South African Betting World title odds: 7/1
League great Andrew Johns, recently the sharks coaching consultant, reckon they have the firepower to take the title. John Smit has been confirmed to play tight head and hooker as required. They were to play the Cheetahs in a historic Abu Dhabi match, but this has been cancelled.

BULLS:

South African Betting World title odds: 12/1
John McFarland will likely return as their defensive coach as they look to launch their season (with three home games to start) better than their disastrous title defence last year – according to centre Wayne Julies. They are aiming to clean sweep their home games.

STORMERS:

South African Betting World title odds: 12/1
Luke Watson will be fit after being uninjured in a car crash this month – although some players would probably not care either way. Conrad Jantjes and fly half Willem de Waal will likely not be fit for the season opener, but Springboks’ Percy Montgomery and Peter Grant are likely to cover for both injured players.

CHEETAHS:

South African Betting World title odds: 66/1
Already poor odds for performing in this year’s comp have been compounded by Currie Cup first division winning captain for the Griffons — Sarel Louw, breaking his ankle in the cheetahs first training session. He was slated as CJ van der Linde’s replacement.

LIONS:

South African Betting World title odds: 100/1 (YIKES!)
The long shots of the Super 14 have Andre Pretorius fit and former Springbok Ashwin Willemse back from Biarritz. Coach Eugene Eloff has spoken of a three-year plan. 2009 is year four as they came last in 2006, 2007 & 2008, so hopes are high in Johannesburg.

Australia

BRUMBIES:

Number eight Stephen Hoiles has been named as ACT’s captain – and ex-captain of five years Stirling Mortlock will likely still be Wallaby captain according to Robbie Deans. Hoiles will be no stranger to the demands, having taken Randwick to a 2008 Shute Shield grand final as captain.

REDS:

An injury to Otago recruit Ezra Taylor has him sidelined alongside Captain James Horwill (broken foot), however Berrick Barnes is expected to be fit for the season opener. Officially the Reds’ season is launched this week, with an open training session at Ballymore on Tuesday night.

WARATAHS:

Forwards coach Michael Foley has been working overtime with Dean Mumm and Chris Thomson, likely to be their first choice locks. Matt Dunning (five months) and Sekope Kepu (two months) are still recovering. Most Wallabies returned to the ranks this week

WESTERN FORCE:

Controversy still surrounds the team, but senior members are shrugging off any disruption. Nathan Sharpe (fractured thumb) and Cameron Shepherd (broken leg) are likely to be fit for the season opener.

New Zealand

BLUES:

Keven Mealamu has been confirmed as captain for the franchise, while Josh Blackie will not be available in early rounds as he still has Japanese commitments. Jimmy Gopperth and Tasesa Lavea will – according to coach Pat Lam – battle for the fly half berth.

CHIEFS:

Sione Lauaki continues his fall from grace, being the 11th All Black to appear in court in the last five years on New Year’s Day damage charges. Waikato have more new faces than any other NZ franchise and Ian Foster is wanting to give all players as much game time as possible. Brendan Leonard, Ben May and James Wilson are still injured.

CRUSADERS:

Still the darlings of New Zealand domestic rugby, firming to title favouritism according to most New Zealand media sites. Leon Macdonald (concussion) and Casey Laulau (broken arm) are likely to be starters for the franchise’s first season game.

HIGHLANDERS:

Likely to be the weakest of the New Zealand teams, Coach Glen Moore will be aptly served by assistants Steve Martin and Peter Russell, the latter who took Hawke’s Bay to unlikely ANZC semi-final berths in the last two years.

HURRICANES:

Growing mention for title favouritism could hurt what is arguably the strongest squad on paper of any team. Andrew Hore is still an unlikely starter for the season opener against NSW, but Colin Cooper believes that in his sixth season, he has never had such depth at his disposal.