The warm-up games for some super team did not go as planned. The Sharks took on Saracens in wet, cold conditions, one should say similar to the Kiwi conditions they would play later in the year, preparing for their 2014 Super Rugby campaign.
Jake White started his new coaching career at the Sharks on a low, losing to Saracens on Saturday. Yes, one can say it is a warm-up game, but the players did not look sharp and on top of their game. Will the Sharks take a mental dip? No I do not think so, as Jake has the ability to lift any average player to world class standards. RWC history is a living testimony of this fact.
The Lions took on Pukke, an easier game, and won their first encounter. Although they won it by 52 – 14, this is not convincing as the Super games are not Varsity Cup standards. One would expect the Jozi team to beat the Pukke by 80 points, but normally those “lower quality teams” normally end up more difficult games to play than against world class teams. These teams play spoiling rugby normally to try and keep the score low and to keep some pride. The Lions will do well, and they will not disappoint their supporters.
The Cheetahs however struggled against the 2013 relegation Super team, the Kings. The Kings was also probably trying to prove to the rugby world they were done an injustice by SA Rugby and their competition rule makers. The bottom line is that the Cheetahs will struggle this year if they do not look themselves in the eyes and make a serious step-up. Excuses must stop, they are supposed to be professional players, and if they take ownership of their tasks, they could fare very well.
The Bulls and Stormers are taking each other on this coming weekend in Polokwane. This is now a proper warm-up game, and they will learn a lot from their weaknesses and shortcomings by playing tough competition. This is why the Sharks game against Saracens was a brilliant idea. The Kiwi and Aussie sides play the toughest possible games as warm-ups, for one reason only, to measure their preparation and highlight their areas of improvement that needs polishing. Why do the SA sides hide from tough competition for warm-ups? Is it because we are afraid of injuries? Well, if you are well-conditioned, this risk is limited to the same degree as what it would be in normal tournament games.
I hope that our SA teams will do well, and bring the Super trophy home!
