Pro 12? Get the hell outta here - Guinness Pro 14: R.1

[Leonormous Boozer]

Wow - The South Africans are already massively improving things. Last season I'd look on here and every week it'd just be Alpha in full conversation with himself. Now we already have 13 posts and not a ball kicked in anger.

Welcome Lads

Talking to myself, that was so two seasons ago, Bruce was always here for me last year.

Anyway, I've come full circle in 24 hours and am now against South African inclusion after the realisation that we have a mod amidst our ranks who took the swear word out of my ***le. This used to be an ungoverned paradise!

 

[munstermuffin]

Talking to myself, that was so two seasons ago, Bruce was always here for me last year.

Anyway, I've come full circle in 24 hours and am now against South African inclusion after the realisation that we have a mod amidst our ranks who took the swear word out of my ***le. This used to be an ungoverned paradise!

They in the wrong town if they want Political Correctness. We are wild scavenging Motha F*******'s in this league.

 

[Amiga500]

The team news from Belfast and Bloemfontein is as:

Ulster
15. Charles Piutau
14. Andrew Trimble
13. Tommy Bowe
12. Stuart McCloskey
11. Louis Ludik
10. Christian Lealiifano
9. John Cooney

1. Kyle McCall
2. Rob Herring
3. Wiehahn Herbst
4. Robbie Diack
5. Alan O'Connor
6. Jean Deysel
7. Chris Henry (captain)
8. Marcell Coetzee

Replacements:

16. John Andrew
17. Callum Black
18. Rodney Ah You
19. Matthew Rea
20. Sean Reidy
21. David Shanahan
22. Peter Nelson
23. Darren Cave


Toyota Cheetahs
15. Sergeal Petersen
14. Rosko Specman
13. William Small-Smith
12. Ali Mgijima
11. Makazole Mapimpi
10. Clayton Blommetjies
9. Shaun Venter

1. Charles Marais
2. Jacques du Toit
3. Johan Coetzee
4. Justin Basson
5. Reniel Hugo
6. Paul Schoeman
7. Henco Venter
8. Niell Jordaan (captain)

Replacements:

16. Torsten van Jaarsveld
17. Ox Nche
18. Tom Botha
19. Rynier Bernardo
20. Gerhard Olivier
21. Tian Meyer
22. Cecil Afrika
23. Ryno Benjamin


---------------------------------------------
I've no idea about the Cheetahs... except they have spots on them and can run fast, so will focus on the Ravenhill lot.

On paper, that pack looks okish in the tight 5, with a pretty physical backrow. Question marks being: Herring had a bad season last year, needs to turn it around, Herbst had injury problems for a lot of it, hoping for a run of form and we're still waiting on Robbie Diack to grow a set - but this game could include his obligatory 40 mins of the season where he looks like Brodie Retallick crossed with erm... Brodie Retallick. We've also no 2nd row cover - so that likely means Diack will be his usual sh!te and we have no one to replace him with - if Diack is a passenger I'd hook him and play wee Dave Shanahan rather than an empty jersey.

Out the back, erm. In a word - cohesive*. Having McCloskey at 12 is a good break-glass option for generating a bit of momentum without having any kind of attacking structure - i.e. give him the ball, point at their 10 and make noises like a bulldozer. Maybe running with red Deysel (and Coetzee) will allow McCloskey to demolish more defensive lines, but we'll see.
Tommy at 13? Why not Cave at 13? Unfortunately Tommy is too-long-new, and they are trying to shoehorn him in to the side. Against a team that I gather is quite handy in open field, a defensive partnership of McCloskey-Bowe is not one to inspire confidence. They've also got Ludik and Piutau in the wrong jerseys.

All in all, augurs well for a debut Cheetahs win.

*warning: may not be true.

 

[Amiga500]

They in the wrong town if they want Political Correctness.

Exactly. We all know only too well that all politicians are a bunch of c**ts. Nothing correct about them.

 

[WaterboySA]

I see the Cheetahs play the Sharks team of 15 years ago? Any case, hope they can defend....this Cheetah back line can run.....

 

[Amiga500]

I see the Cheetahs play the Sharks team of 15 years ago? Any case, hope they can defend....this Cheetah back line can run.....

Nope. Expect there to be big avenues to run either inside* or outside** our 13.

*Due to McCloskey being bad positionally.
**Due to Tommy not playing outside centre in years.

 

[WaterboySA]

In other news, a person that will not be named called for a Kings win on Superbru, locking the choice after choosing, before seeing the Kings team for the first time. Who would think a team named after "very bad ladies" would be the defending champs??Pffft....

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

The team news from Belfast and Bloemfontein is as:
Toyota Cheetahs
15. Sergeal Petersen
14. Rosko Specman
13. William Small-Smith
12. Ali Mgijima
11. Makazole Mapimpi
10. Clayton Blommetjies
9. Shaun Venter

1. Charles Marais
2. Jacques du Toit
3. Johan Coetzee
4. Justin Basson
5. Reniel Hugo
6. Paul Schoeman
7. Henco Venter
8. Niell Jordaan (captain)

Replacements:

16. Torsten van Jaarsveld
17. Ox Nche
18. Tom Botha
19. Rynier Bernardo
20. Gerhard Olivier
21. Tian Meyer
22. Cecil Afrika
23. Ryno Benjamin

Solid enough looking Ulster side on paper though. A lot better than I feel we've been led to believe LOL.

Thanks for the breakdown.

On the Cheetahs... well. Lets just say before team announcements I had it as level with my heart saying Cheetahs and my head saying Ulster. Ulster looking fat ITO proven talent vs a Cheetahs side with even less substance than I was hoping for. With Francois Venter released from the Bokke I naively expected him to travel. The Ulster backline might look frail to an informered observer but the Cheetahs back line looks like a raver crop top from the early 90s. Basically a 7s side stuck onto a we-can't-afford-anyone-else pack.

What i do pick up on is it looks like the Cheetahs will be targeting the last 20 minutes as their bench looks more quality than the run on side. Nche and Van Jaarsveld are quality front rowers for any bench and look out for SA 7s star Cecil Africa off the bench.

Ulster should just keep it in tight and play a safe game. This Cheetahs side is a glass cannon. Capable of scoring tries from anywhere but will fold if run at and if the game is played tight. Look out for Mapimpi in the loose. Electric like Habana wishes he was in 2005.

So my final assesment; Ulster's to lose if they get suckered into playing too loosely or if they take the foot of the pedal thinking a 13 point margin is enough. That's the only chance I give the Free State ATM.

 

[WaterboySA]

Stormer did you see the last Cheetahs/Lions Curriecup game?Go watch it again, check that same back line run.....the team is full of blitsbokke, if they get a chance to run they will not need the last 20 minutes. You read it here first.....

 

[TRF_heineken]

Solid enough looking Ulster side on paper though. A lot better than I feel we've been led to believe LOL.

Thanks for the breakdown.

On the Cheetahs... well. Lets just say before team announcements I had it as level with my heart saying Cheetahs and my head saying Ulster. Ulster looking fat ITO proven talent vs a Cheetahs side with even less substance than I was hoping for. With Francois Venter released from the Bokke I naively expected him to travel. The Ulster backline might look frail to an informered observer but the Cheetahs back line looks like a raver crop top from the early 90s. Basically a 7s side stuck onto a we-can't-afford-anyone-else pack.

What i do pick up on is it looks like the Cheetahs will be targeting the last 20 minutes as their bench looks more quality than the run on side. Nche and Van Jaarsveld are quality front rowers for any bench and look out for SA 7s star Cecil Africa off the bench.

Ulster should just keep it in tight and play a safe game. This Cheetahs side is a glass cannon. Capable of scoring tries from anywhere but will fold if run at and if the game is played tight. Look out for Mapimpi in the loose. Electric like Habana wishes he was in 2005.

So my final assesment; Ulster's to lose if they get suckered into playing too loosely or if they take the foot of the pedal thinking a 13 point margin is enough. That's the only chance I give the Free State ATM.

I don't know if I can agree with you. That Cheetahs team looks better than I thought they would. And that backline looks damn potent. I just hope that the weather plays along and that it will be more running being done.

My only worry is who is going to kick at goal for the Cheetahs? Shaun Venter? Blommetjies??

 

[Amiga500]

I just hope that the weather plays along and that it will be more running being done.

According to BBC (who have been pretty crap lately when it comes to accuracy) couple of showers tonight and a dry day tomorrow. Game time is 16degC with some cloud.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

According to BBC (who have been pretty crap lately when it comes to accuracy) couple of showers tonight and a dry day tomorrow. Game time is 16degC with some cloud.

Bliksem. And its supposed to be late summer / early autumn up there. Sjeim.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Have Ulster strengthened up front at all during the off season?

Treviso have eclipsed the strangeness of Bowe at 13. Gori on the wing!? My magnificent Scots/Italian avatar is at 12 which I'm really interested to see (he is mobile enough, but I fear too lightweight). Marty Banks starting at 10, with McKinley at fullback. Loads of quality, just in weird positions.

Benvenuti has to step up this year for Italy with Campagnaro having a long term injury that threatens to keep him out of the 6N.

I'll spend so much time talking about Treviso in week one, while I can still pretend an Italian side will do something.

Glasgow have signed back Matawalu at scrum half to accompany the two of the top three Scots scrum halves and the top 4 choice Scottish fly halves. They can all keep eachother warm on the bench I guess.

Meanwhile the less said about the Edinburgh backs the better, with Fruen joining Bennett as out injured. My pre-game optimism has evaporated before kick-off. Looking at the lineups it should be fairly comfortable for the Blues (even without Anscombe).

 

[Welshdragon2000]

Specman on wing for Cheetahs? Is he the one from the SA sevens team? If so, he's got some wheels on him that guy. Speaking of wheels, I hear Mapimpi is pretty sharp too, BBC have him down as their 'player to watch'.

 

[Amiga500]

Have Ulster strengthened up front at all during the off season?

Loose head prop Hond Van Der Merwe in from the kings.
Big 6/8 flanker Vin Deysel if you'd ever admit to being a fan of fast and furious, red Deysel if your a Culchie, white Deysel if your a peeler, or Jean Deysel if your his mum, from Sharks via Munster.

 

[big ginger 8]

I mean, its still summer over there right. How bad can it be?

Oh sweet child of Summer.

 

[SomeOke]

Interesting Cheetah's team, for what it's worth Blommetjies usually plays 15 and I haven't sen Petersen play 15 much (he's a pretty small guy) I was under the impression the incumbent fly-half Fred Zeilinga was still playing for the Cheetahs - I don't know if he's injured I don't follow Currie Cup as much as I should.

That side looks dangerous in all positions at the back, but should leak tries quite easily and suffer agaisnt aerial bombardment. The pack is nuggety but nothing special.

I expect the Cheetahs will score a few good tries but let in even more, Ulster by 15+.

I don't even know most of the Ulster players but those I do (Bowe/Trimble/Piatua/Leliafano/Coetzee) are of a fairly high quality.

edit: It does occur to me that the Cheetahs have played far to much rugby. They just finished Super Rugby, continued playing Currie Cup (and indeed their junior side is still playing in South Africa), and now jump into the the Pro 12. That can't be good (probably), I suppose they will get a break during the Autumn internationals?

edit edit: Super excited to watch a NH rugby for the first time ever, I suppose that's already made this worth it. I'll try not to be too hammered, 8:30 is late.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Specman on wing for Cheetahs? Is he the one from the SA sevens team? If so, he's got some wheels on him that guy. Speaking of wheels, I hear Mapimpi is pretty sharp too, BBC have him down as their 'player to watch'.

Yes Specman and Afrika (on the bench) are 7's players.

But every player in the Cheetahs backline has wheels. Mapimpi, Petersen, and Blommetjies are all very quick and agile.

 

[SomeOke]

Southern Kings: 15 Masixole Banda, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Berton Klaasen, 12 Luzuko Vulindlu, 11 Sibusiso Sithole, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Rudi van Rooyen, 8 Andisa Ntsila, 7 Victor Sekekete, 6 Khaya Majola, 5 Dries van Schalkwyk, 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Michael Willemse (captain), 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Luvuyo Pupuma, 18 Etienne Swanepoel, 19 Bobby de Wee, 20 Siyabulela Mdaka, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Ntabeni Dukisa, 23 Jacques Nel.

Kings side actually looks decent despite them being thoroughly gutted. Missing a few key personal in the loose trio and a new-look half back pairing. Hard to know what to expect.