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ROUND TWO

GAME OF THE WEEK

BULLS v BRUMBIES

When: Saturday February 20, 5.05pm (4.05am NZT, Feb. 21)
Where: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Mark Lawrence (RSA)
Head-to-Head: Played 14, Brumbies 9, Bulls 5
In Pretoria: Played 6, Bulls 3, Brumbies 3
Last season: Round 10, April 17, 2009: Brumbies beat Bulls 32-31 at Canberra Stadium, Canberra

There is an extra edge to this game, an intangible quality that might just ignite at Loftus.
Two of the competition favourites, and both two-time champions, clash. The winner will be well on the way for 2010 with a 2-0 record, while the vanquished will need to do some serious head-scratching ahead of another challenging campaign.
The Bulls were on the right side of a 51-34 nine-try thriller in Bloemfontein last week, and did not appear to be hampered by the loss of Bryan Habana from the Pretoria citadel. They may not have Bakkies Botha, but they had a hot-shot five-eighths combination last week of Morné Steyn and Wynand Olivier (the latter will be tasked with keeping Stirling Mortlock quiet), and will fancy their chances of hurting the Brumbies after their journey across the Indian Ocean.
The Brumbies looked as though they could have put 40 on the Force, but never got going in the scrums due to constant resets, and coughed up too much ball on a sweaty night in the west. Christian Lealiifano and Matt Toomua looked a potentially threatening 10-12 duo inside Mortlock but they will demand more accuracy.
On the injury front, centre Jaco Pretorius looks to be out for the Bulls, while Brumbies stars Matt Giteau and Rocky Elsom should be available for selection, which will increase the ACT chances of victory immeasurably.
Last season the Brumbies won a 63 point thriller in the Australian capital.




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HIGHLANDERS v BLUES

When: Friday February 19, 7.35pm
Where: Carisbrook, Dunedin
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (NZL)
Head-to-Head: Played 15, Blues 10, Highlanders 5
In Dunedin: Played 7, Highlanders 4, Blues 3
Last season: Round 10, April 17, 2009: Blues beat Highlanders 26-6 at Eden Park, Auckland

The pressure has gone back on the Blues already.
So promising in the first half against the Hurricanes, they wilted badly to emerge with no points from round one, and now face a real challenge to retain the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy. The Blues copped a stack of penalties for playing the breakdown like it was 2009. They’d better be fast learners or referee Bryce Lawrence will make them pay. The Highlanders were very disappointed with their 32-17 loss to the Crusaders, in which they were right in the contest until two late tries. Michael Hobbs, one of the star performers, faces his 2009 franchise.
Surely there cannot be a repeat of last year’s corresponding clash, which featured constant scrum resets and ran for nearly two hours.


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REDS v CRUSADERS

When: Friday February 19, 7.45pm (10.45pm NZT)
Where: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Craig Joubert (RSA)
Head-to-Head: Played 15, Crusaders 12, Reds 3
In Brisbane: Played 8, Crusaders 6, Reds 2
Last season: Round 13, May 8, 2009: Crusaders beat Reds 32-12 at AMI Stadium, Christchurch

It will get hot and sweaty in Brisbane this weekend, but one would think there will be less niggle than we saw in the Reds-Waratahs grudge match in round one.
Those two states slugged it out in an ugly but brutal, engrossing encounter. It will be some time before Queensland skipper James Horwill gets over the two-point loss, but they will need at least the same attitude they took into the Waratahs clash.
Quade Cooper, so hot and cold against NSW, should have an interesting battle with Dan Carter, who looked to be in his classy cruise control mode against the Highlanders. But watch for Will Genia to keep Andy Ellis on his toes in the halfbacks battle. Dan Braid v George Whitelock is worth watching at the breakdown.


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SHARKS v CHEETAHS

When: Friday February 19, 6.00pm (5.00am NZT, Feb. 20)
Where: Absa Stadium, Durban
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (RSA)
Head-to-Head: Played 5, Cheetahs 3, Sharks 2
In Durban: Played 2, Sharks 1, Cheetahs 1
Last season: Round 9, April 11, 2009: Cheetahs beat Sharks 31-6 at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein

There is sure to be plenty of feeling in this one. For a start, the Sharks lost at the death against the Chiefs in Durban, and that should ensure no shortage of teeth in their approach to this match against a union from which it has poached its share of talent over the professional age.
John Plumtree’s men could do little about the rain last weekend, but they could have adapted better to the referee’s rulings. Maybe Jonathan Kaplan will meet with their approval. Juan Smith returned in good nick at the helm of the Cheetahs and he will fancy getting stuck into the Sharks’ vaunted loosies.
Last season saw one of the great upsets, with Naka Drotske’s charges winning a crushing victory which put a permanent dent in the Sharks.


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LIONS v CHIEFS

When: Friday February 19, 8.00pm (7.00am NZT, Feb. 20)
Where: Coca-Cola, Johannesburg
Referee: Marius Jonker (RSA)
Head-to-Head: Played 14, Chiefs 9, Lions 5
In Johannesburg: Played 4, Lions 4, Chiefs 0
Last season: Round 8, April 4, 2009: Chiefs beat Lions 36-29 at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

The Chiefs have shrugged a rather hefty ape off their backs.
A rare opening weekend win in Durban would have given them a massive shot of confidence in a land where they suffered a devastating defeat in the 2009 final. Not that their work was flawless against the Sharks, but for a unit missing Sione Lauaki, Mils Muliaina, Callum Bruce and Dwayne Sweeney, this was resilient stuff. But they will need to be more clinical in Johannesburg, where they have never won in four attempts.
This already shapes as being a long year for Dick Muir, a man with three jobs and not enough hours in the day, nor quality of cattle, to turn these Lions into tigers.


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HURRICANES v FORCE

When: Saturday February 20, 7.35pm
Where: Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Referee: Vinny Munro (NZL)
Head-to-Head: Played 4, Hurricanes 3, Force 1
In Wellington: Played 1, Hurricanes 1, Force 0
Last season: Round 9, April 10, 2009: Hurricanes beat Force 28-27 at Subiaco Oval, Perth

The Hurricanes should be overwhelming favourites for the encounter, and rightly so.
The Force cannot expect to compete with a prop at hooker and a greenhorn No 10, though in fairness they showed plenty of grit in their 24-15 loss to the Brumbies in Perth last weekend. The Hurricanes are clearly not the finished article, and more will be expected of the likes of Aaron Cruden and Victor Vito, but we know Piri Weepu will take the right options, Andrew Hore will give nothing except the odd wonky lineout throw, and Hosea Gear will burn you given ample space.
We do not yet know exactly what the Force will bring in offence, as they did not score a try in the loss to the Brumbies.


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STORMERS v WARATAHS

When: Saturday February 20, 7.10pm (6.10am, NZT, Feb. 21)
Where: Newlands, Cape Town
Referee: Keith Brown (NZL)
Head-to-Head: Played 13, Stormers 6, Waratahs 6, Drawn 1
In Cape Town: Played 6, Waratahs 3, Stormers 2, Drawn 1
Last season: Round 8, April 4, 2009: Waratahs beat Stormers 12-6 at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

This is where we see if the Stormers are all they are cracked up to be, against a side that similarly likes to talk itself up.
But the Waratahs almost came a cropper last weekend against the Reds, outgunned and out-enthused for about 75 minutes by their northern neighbours. Their pack was solid in the scrum but listless around the track, and if they switch on with just four minutes to play in Cape Town, it will be too late. The Stormers midfield duo of Jaque Fourie and Juan de Jongh looked the goods, especially in a dominant first half against the Lions.
This 2009 encounter was as turgid a game as we saw all season. Let us pray for no more of the same.