Super Rugby Unlocked: Round 4 [30 - 31 October 2020]

[TRF_heineken]

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Friday, 30 October 2020

Venue: Emirates Airlines Park
Time: 19:00 CAT (SA, GMT+2)
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Saturday, 31 October 2020

Venue: Mbombela Stadium
Time: 16:30 CAT (SA, GMT+2)

Venue: Loftus Verfeld
Time: 19:00 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

 

[The Seeker]

Griquas
Sharks
Bulls

 

[unrated]

My prediction confidence took a dent after last week. We'll all you aspiring pundits ons this forum were wrong with me. Nothing like a huge shock loss to get that arrogance out of your system and realise this is rugby and this can be unpredictable.

I'm gonna be conservative and say Sharks to scrape a win against Pumas. If our coach can please drop Manie Libbok and send him back to wherever he came from that would be appreciated. Not at the level required at the Sharks. Send him on loan to the Pumas or Griquas.

 

[The Seeker]

My prediction confidence took a dent after last week. We'll all you aspiring pundits ons this forum were wrong with me. Nothing like a huge shock loss to get that arrogance out of your system and realise this is rugby and this can be unpredictable.

I'm gonna be conservative and say Sharks to scrape a win against Pumas. If our coach can please drop Manie Libbok and send him back to wherever he came from that would be appreciated. Not at the level required at the Sharks. Send him on loan to the Pumas or Griquas.

Come on man, what are your predictions for the other two games? Don't leave us hanging in suspense.

 

[unrated]

Lol, Lions to make a second half comeback against a mecurial Griquas team with the experienced Griqua flyhalve George Whitehead to prevail as a cooler head amongst some headless chickens coming back from a bye.

The Bulls I still don't know, maybe if they beat the Stormers then I make them favourites to win the competition. But I'm wondering do they just have the Sharks number for now? Will see if They fall off against the Stormers. For now Stormers to win.

 

[The Seeker]

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Lions by 6
Sharks by 2
Stormers by 2

I can't say I am very confident in my predictions and I am happy to have the competition so, well, competitive. Especially I am not confident in the Stormers. If it were at Newlands I'd feel a tad more confident but something tells me we are in with a shout and the Bulls won't dominate our scrums and line-outs as easily. Also, they'll have stiffer competition at the ruck. I also don't want to read too much into our poor start vs the Pumas. It was only our 2nd game of the season and I think the players must've come into the match expecting to win and not working for it until they had too. They won't take that mindset vs the old enemy.. And Kolisi out is probably a plus for us. We have some hungry young backrowers chomping at the bit.

 

[The Seeker]

I've been watching the highlights on Super Rugby's website (because they're not broadcasting the games here in America). And I've enjoyed watching the Pumas and Griquas, two teams I'd never seen before this Unlocked tournament began.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well it's a tough week to make predictions, we don't even know if the Lions vs. Griquas game will even happen. If the Lions players still have a bunch of COVID-cases as well as their coaching staff, then the possibility is there that they might postpone this match too. Which would be very bad for the Lions...

As for the Sharks vs. Pumas, I'm going to pick the Sharks to win by 15.

Bulls vs. Stormers, got to back my team at home, so Bulls by 6

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Well. Sport24 reports the Griquas/Lions match is on. Very good for the integrity of what has been an entertaining and competitive series so far. I still doubt there will be scope for the Lions/Cheetahs match to be caught up but I suppose everything considered there is not else to do but wait and see. Until the time that there is clarity I will assume each of those sides have 2 extra log points.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well. Sport24 reports the Griquas/Lions match is on. Very good for the integrity of what has been an entertaining and competitive series so far. I still doubt there will be scope for the Lions/Cheetahs match to be caught up but I suppose everything considered there is not else to do but wait and see. Until the time that there is clarity I will assume each of those sides have 2 extra log points.

Yeah, the other media sources are also reporting the Lions getting the green light.

I see that there is no playoffs for the SR tournament and after the regular matches are played, the team at the top of the log will be crowned champions, and all the teams' points are transferred over to the Currie Cup.

Which makes me think that if the Lions vs. Cheetahs game can't be played at a later date, they'd both get some type of compensation of points like they did in the past in SR...

 

[rugby rulz]

My predictions as follows:

Lions vs Griquas = Lions by atleast 10 or more. I think they'll be up for this match to get their campaign going. Griquas will put up a good fight but I think the Lions will be running wild in the last 15 minutes as they have shown in their matches that they finish very strong.

Pumas vs Sharks = I'm calling an upset in this one. Pumas by 10 or less. The Sharks starting team for this match somehow doesn't come across as intimidating and I think the Pumas will want to put in another big effort as they wil be confident after their showing last week. The Sharks will definitely play better, but I just sense that the Pumas might pull this through.

Bulls vs Stormers = Bulls to scrape it by 5 or less. The chosen Stormers team also doesn't have an intimidating look about them, especially their bench and this is where the Bulls wil be stronger I think. Unfortunately I don't like the ref for this game (AJ Jacobs) and therefore I think the Bulls won't run away with it. I think the Bulls have the better forward pack, barring any drastic changes by White for this match and if we can shut down Gelant and Willemse, I don't see the Stormers backline giving us too many headaches. But it as is the nature of the north-south derby, anything can still happen.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Reading through here I can't say I disagree. It seems the only real upset here would be a Griquas victory.

My heart is going to have to carry my this time as my head gives it to the Bulls at home mostly because of home advantage but lets say Gelant will want the Bulls to pay for letting him go and Coetzee will shut up the pretenders in the Bulls backrow. Stormers by a landslide!!

 

[Twistie]

Lions,sharks and stormers.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I Laughed a bit yesterday on facebook when I saw the Stormers posted the team to play on the weekend with 26 players in the lineup, with the 3 extra players in case of an injury as cover.

Then a bunch of guys asked are those extra 3 players a "gimme" to assist them because Damian Willemse is playing at flyhalf?

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I think Willemse just needs a couple of games at 10. He really has been messed about and injury and Covid hasn't helped. He just needs to settle and not try and step off every ball he gets. He actually has a good pass and big boot on him. I think the guy's nerves are getting to him still and he feels pressure to play into a highlights reel on every ball he touches and it invariably backfires.

 

[rugby rulz]

It would seem my first prediction for the Lions-Griquas was wrong in the sense that the Griquas actually fought hard in the final 20 minutes. The Lions were agressive from the start and the Griquas forwards had no answer at scrum time or the mauls. I may be corrected, but I think the first 3 or 4 scrums in the game all resulted in penalties for the Lions ? Although, some were questionable as I thought the Lions were scrumming in and up (especially Carlu Sadie) and not square.

Nonetheless, the Lions played the Griquas off the park with standout performances from Simelane and Pienaar the wing, who broke tackles at will. Jantjies also had a solid game and Lombard linked well with the backline.

The Lions will get some confidence out of this match for sure, which is good because if more teams play confidently the more competitive the competition will be.

 

[The Seeker]

Does anyone know why this competition is called Unlocked? It's a strange name and I'm curious of it's origins.

 

[The Seeker]

 

[TRF_heineken]

Does anyone know why this competition is called Unlocked? It's a strange name and I'm curious of it's origins.

It has to do with the Lockdown we had because of COVID-19. So they went with unlocked, as in breaking the shackles from being under lockdown which prevented the guys from playing.

for a one-off tournament, it's a pretty good name.