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It’s the last game of Round 4 (if you can believe it) and the Hurricanes start their tour of the republic in scenic Bloemfontein.The Canes are one of only two unbeaten teams left at this stage and will be very keen to keep that record going for another week. The Cheetahs are a tough old team, though, mostly because you simply never know what they’re going to be like on the day. They were sublime against the Sharks in Durban, only to tank badly against the Highlanders a week later.
The Canes are a good enough side to deal with virtually any challenge on any given Saturday and one feels that they will need to be very bad indeed to slip up here – especially given that they have brought a Kiwi ref with them. That said, the Cheetahs are not going to roll over, so it could be a hell of a good game.
Kick-off in Bloemfontein is at 19h10.
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Naas Olivier, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Frans Viljoen, 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Waltie Vermeulen, 4 Nico Breedt, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 David de Villiers, 19 Kabamba Floors, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Riaan Viljoen, 22 Danwel Demas
Hurricanes: 15 Cory Jane, 14 Andre Taylor, 13 Alapati Leiua, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 David Smith, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So’oialo, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Victor Vito, 5 Michael Paterson, 4 Bryn Evans, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore (captain), 1 John Schwalger.
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Anthony Perenise, 18 Jeremy Thrush, 19 Scott Waldrom, 20 Tyson Keats, 21 Willie Ripia, 22 Brett Mather.
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Joey Salmans (South Africa)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
I picked the Canes by 9, might be a too small margin, but I hope the Cheetahs can take this one
LMS Picks for this game.
Hurricanes 3
Vodacom Cheetahs 1
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) : boring
wont be bad either way
CHEEEEEETAAAAAAHS!!!!!
VRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!!!!!
Had a meeting with myself earlier in the week and voted not to watch this match as the Cheetahs, when I want them to win, almost always dissapoint.
But I’m in a good mood after the Stormers 5 pointer. So what the hell.
@Jarson’s (X + V) (Comment 3) :
yeah very dissappointing.
I like blood
Log as it stands at the moment.
Team P W Points
Bulls 3 3 15
Chiefs 4 3 15
Stormers 4 3 14
Hurricanes 3 3 14
Crusaders 4 3 14
Bladen. The Hurricanes will be wanting to stay in the top 4 after this game.
Uhm JA!!!!!!!!!
I have to help kette tidy the cupboards.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 9) : You and your code.
@McLovin (Comment 10) :
hehehehehhe
I don’t ghave to watch, i just hear that whine and i KNOW it is the Bad Lawrence reffing.
Cheetahs lead 3-0
9min
Canes try.
And the flat cheetahs are looking….well….flat
Very vrot defence from the Bloem boys.
3-5
12min
6-5
16min
Canes kickable penalty.
And wide.
Bosman going for a monster kick at goal.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
9-5
25min
I love how the SA place kicking gets the 50m plus kicks without any real problem these days, I think Frans was the inspiration for that, now everyone in SA gets it, even Kockot sports a massive boot nowadays
Cheetahs hanging on.
Another long range kick for Bosman.
12-5
31min
Yellow for Nonu.
this game is a hard one to call, can still go either way
Half Time
Cheetahs lead 12-5
It’s amazing how quiet it gets here at night…..
Floors!
TMO. Floors?
Try!
Yeah baby!
For once a Nokwe chip kick comes off.
Naas converts from the touch line.
19-5 Come on Tahs!
19-5
50min
Cheetahs penalty..
22-5
53min
A penalty/DG from someone…
22-5
Mapoe playing well.
Here we go. Naas going for goal.
25-5
59min
Cheetahs on fire!!!!!!!!!
I picked the Cheetahs by 4. As usual they let me down.
YC Canes. Thrush off.
Canes score? TMO.
Try awarded.
25-12
71min
Cheetahs doing their best to lose now.
Are the Cheetahs imploding again…..
Hang on you bleddie Cheetahs.!
@FireTheLooser (Comment 51) : Looks like it.
6.5min to go.
5min to go.
can they take 5min. on a penalty kick?
Penalty Cheetahs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
28-12
77min
Cheetahs you beauties!!
OH MY WORD!!!!!!!!!!! The Cheetahs are winning this!!!!!!!!!!
I should NOT watch more often!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 60) : Don’t you have cupboards to clean?
Cant see the cheaters losing from here…..now the Nulle has to thank them for doing their part….maybe the Nulle can do the rest of SA a favor and stop giving bonus points away
Cheetahs win. Hurricanes not a bad scalp at all. Well done Tahs.
All over red rover.
@McLovin (Comment 61) :
Hehehehehhehe
Final Score
28-12
lekker cheaters, pulling one over the Canes, hope to see a lot more upsets from the Bloemfonteiners, and not just in their home games
Cheetahs 28 – 12 Hurricanes
FULL TIME
Log Updated.
Bulls are top of the Log with a game in hand. The season is theirs to lose.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 69) : We can only hope
@KSA Shark © (Comment 69) : And Highlanders to come next week.
Just remember guys. Whoever finishes last doesn’t play next year. We may be supporting the Cheetahs to our cost.
LMS At the Start of the weekend.
40 still alive with a lifeline.
71 still alive with no lifeline.
29 out of the game
LMS at the end of the weekend
30 still alive with a lifeline.
57 still alive with no lifeline.
53 out of the game.
24 Deaths and 10 Lifelines lost in the round
@McLovin (Comment 71) : I’m tipping the Highlanders to pull one over the Nulle, over confidence mingled with the bye’s rustyness might just do me a favor…..cut them down to size
@klempie (Comment 72) :
Nothing to remember. That is ALL speculation. There is no official word that the kings will even play next year.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 70) :
@FireTheLooser (Comment 74) : No chance. Bulls just too good. They going to score at least another 50 points.
The Kings should merge with the Lions, at least we’ll only have to worry about one wooden spooner then
@FireTheLooser (Comment 74) : That’s the attitude….they will lose when they leave their treehouse
@klempie (Comment 72) : Sharks won’t finish last. Lions will. You can take that to the bank.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 78) :
IF the Kings take someone’s place it will be the Lions and Cheetahs who Merge again.
MY LMS pick for next week has been made.
@McLovin (Comment 77) : and the Highlanders to get their first six tries in super rugby ever…….what a team the Nulle are, beat the Tahs with a 10 point margin and still believes they’re the best the world has ever seen
…..I’m going for the upset. A bye is as bad as traveling over seas, all those teams are always rusty.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 82) : Tell me you backed the Tahs
@KSA Shark © (Comment 81) : Whoever ends up bottom, their players should be farmed out to the other 5 teams.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 81) : Is it the top three or top two that moves on to the play-offs in the S15?
If kings are in and the cats are back, the Sharks/Nulle and Streamers could rest their top players during the round robin stages….
@FireTheLooser (Comment 83) : Fair enough. I’m certainly not going to fight the Bulls’ corner.
I already feel dirty for backing them. 
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 79) : All the minor teams gets to score an upset each season….I think next week is the Landers turn.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 83) : You won’t believe it but the folks on ‘The Super 14 Show’ (Sky UK) reckon the Bulls are like Brazil’s soccer team. No matter how many the oppo team score they will score more.
Highlanders’ upset to come when they are at home.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 84) :
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
@FireTheLooser (Comment 86) :
Haven’t got a clue, it’s been a loooooooong time since that was discussed but I don’t think it was finalised.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 91) : What have you done ! I need to have a serious chat with you !
@McLovin (Comment 89) : How the mighty shall fall. The Sharks would have been the Schumacher of the ’07, ’08 and ’09 seasons at this stage according to them….S14 is not won in March, and the Nulle are yet to travel and face foreign refs.
@McLovin (Comment 90) : I like your faith !
@FireTheLooser (Comment 86) :
Here you go.
Teams will be divided into three national conferences of five teams each. The sides play the other four teams in their conference twice (home and away). However, they play only four of the five teams in the other conferences, once each. Four of those matches will be at home and four away. In total, each team will play 16 matches a season, excluding playoffs.
The playoffs will consist of the three conference winners and three “wild card teams” with the highest number of points.
This new format, however, is set to have a greater effect on SA than its Australasian counterparts, as the structure of the Currie Cup will have to be amended. The series will stretch from the last weekend in February to the first week in August, with the final stages being expanded to six teams — which includes two sudden-death qualifiers followed by the semifinals.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 93) :
@KSA Shark © (Comment 96) :
which includes two sudden-death qualifiers followed by the semifinals.
6 plays 3
5 plays 4
3 and 4 at Home
Winners play 1 and 2 in the Semis.
1 and 2 play at home.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 95) : Thought I’d throw you a bone. I’m a nice guy deep down.
Picked the Bulls by 50 next week though.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 96) : Looks easy opposition for us then NOT !
@McLovin (Comment 80) : With Dick at the hell, that’s a big call you’re making.
well done cheetahs (you were supposed to that last week
cheetahs winning on penalties – that’s so much unlike cheetahs.
@McLovin (Comment 99) : Appreciate that….i’ll make a call now Mc….we won’t get totally smashed…just smashed ! Sharks fans will be licking their lips as we return home wrecked !
@KSA Shark © (Comment 75) : You think government are not going to get involved in finding a tenant for their brand spanking new stadium? Bay United? Yeh right.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 96) : Thanks for the info.
Can’t see why that format is so much better than the existing format, thought the idea was to play less rugby. At least the tours won’t just favoring any team above others.
I reckon the results from the local S15 games will also be calculated towards the CC…..but then players from surrounding areas can’t be used….that poses a problem for the Cheaters.
The playoffs will consist of the three conference winners and three “wild card teams” with the highest number of points
So the three winners are automatic entrants and then the next three teams with the most log points NO MATTER WHICH CONFERENCE THEY ARE IN will make up the six teams in the playoffs.
I am just not sure if there is still aplayoff stage between these six to determine positions 1-6 or if it is just taken from the pervious rounds’ log point achieved.
@klempie (Comment 101) : * helm
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 103) : Come on now, you can’t just roll over like that, the Nulle will be expecting to win, the Landers will come with the element of surprise and actualy play rugby
@FireTheLooser (Comment 105) :
thought the idea was to play less rugby.
NOT AT ALL. The idea was to give the Aussies a domestic comp. We have the CC and the Kiwis have the NPC. Now the Aussies have the S15 confrence as a domestic comp and our CC and the Kiwis’ NPC is screwed.
SARU got screwed.
The CC as we know it is all but history after this season IMO.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 103) : Bad news. The upset won’t be against the Sharks.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 106) : What a retarded system.
@klempie (Comment 107) : Hell sounded about right
@KSA Shark © (Comment 109) : Well put !@FireTheLooser (Comment 108) : True … i’m still just realing from today !
@klempie (Comment 101) : It’s what I do. Make big calls & promise to eat various items of clothing or footwear if I’m wrong.
@klempie (Comment 111) :
it is the same as the Heineken Cup Comp.
Six pools
Each Pool winner goes to the Quarters
The Two teams with the next highes log points from any pool make up the 7th and 8th team to play the Quarters.
@McLovin (Comment 114) :
Is that why you look so haggard?
Living on a diet of clothes and old shoes 
@KSA Shark © (Comment 109) : Stupid SARU, and with the poor refereeing that we (the Sharks) have received I’m just about ready to write off Super rugby and only care about the CC, now they taking that away too…..bleeding ozzies, who cares about they’re domestic comp…..time for us to search greener pastures….but where?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 117) :
You actually raise a good point. We will have the best referees of the various conferences.
Watch Aus and NZ insist that the referees referee in each others conferences. That we we get Brown, Bryce, Marks etc. and they get Lawrence, kaplan, Joubert, jonker.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 115) : I’m saying it should be top two from each conference. This wildcard entry stuff is stupid. I understand why they’ve done it because they don’t want a situation where the second placed team in a particular group has scored only a few points compared to the other second-placed teams but this is HIGHLY unlikely. It would require the top team to win all their games and the other teams getting mostly ties against each other.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 118) : LOL Good point!
How they gonna sort out the CC and Voda-cup and first division….how was NZ pulled into this…oh yeah, I forgot…the NPC isn’t really that big. Bring me the CC, drop Super rugby and develop the rest of the SA unions.
I reckon a ref should serve some sort of ‘internship’ in the Currie Cup or NZ whatever it’s called cup before being allowed to ref a S14 game.
A minimum amount of matches.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 118) : I bet they will, hopefully SARU wont be duped into that also……if that happens, Piet van Zyl will be the new player 23
@klempie (Comment 119) :
The thing is the conference is not ONLY against your fellow countrymen you also play 8 foreign teams (4 from each other country)
So you COULD well get into a situation where the 2nd placed team is WAY below a 3rd placed team in another conference.
What is stupid about this system is that you will not play ALL the opposition sides each season. Each team will miss out on one team from each of the other countries each year on a rotational basis.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 117) : I always thought that you guys would join the magners league…same time zone …more money … and you would win every game !
@McLovin (Comment 122) : Seems serving in ncp doesn’t help either….Keith Brown-nose springs to mind…..
Blood the ozzie and kiwi refs in the Varsity cup and Voda cup and cc first division….then upgrade them to CC and then only allow them to ref super rugby.
@McLovin (Comment 122) :
THAT is precisely why the Aussies have such KAK refs they have no national domestic comp so the highest level their plonkers ref at before S14 is Club Rugby. And don’t be duped into compairing their club rugby with English premiership clubs, rather compare it to our Clubs.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 126) : Well Pro Legoete also slipped through the net.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 125) : Seems they were bluffing….
@KSA Shark © (Comment 127) : I agrees wiff you 100%.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 121) : The NPC isn’t that big….grow up !
@McLovin (Comment 128) : I think they forgot to give him a run at varsity cup level
@FireTheLooser (Comment 126) : Keith Brown was excellent today … if you watched !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 125) : If we had a competent negotiator instead of this Marinos clown, we wouldn’t have to put up with all this nonsense from Aussie O’Neill.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 131) :
Was waiting for that.
FireTheLooser, the NPC is as good as the CC on any given day.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 124) : You’ll have to explain that better to me. If you are playing four from each other country that means a conference that looks like
1xSA team
2xAUS team
2xNZ team
I think I am misinterpreting you cos this makes no sense.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 131) : Sell out crowds for the finals then?…..NOPE…..CC the closer it gets to the play-offs the less tickets are available, semi’s and finals are sell out crowds, 50 000, CC MUCH bigger than NPC
@FireTheLooser (Comment 126) : I’m getting sick of you already …make some educated calls !
I’m out.
Work in the am.
Cheers guys.
Glad my team is on the up.
NPC is as big as the Currie Cup. As far as local comps go, providing int’l players are included, those two are the biggest no doubt.
Not talking about attendance, only quality of rugby.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 125) : Yeh but we would get hammered by the Aussies and Kiwis every world cup.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 133) : No I didn’t. Which game was his?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 135) : Thank You …it has to be unless nz rugger is inferior to sa rugger
@KSA Shark © (Comment 135) : I’d like to see CC v NPC champs Superbowl at the end of each season.
@klempie (Comment 136) :
yes you are misunderstanding me.
Teams will be divided into three national conferences of five teams each. The sides play the other four teams in their conference twice (home and away). However, they play only four of the five teams in the other conferences, once each. Four of those matches will be at home and four away. In total, each team will play 16 matches a season, excluding playoffs.
So we will play eight games in SA 4 Home f away against fellow SA teams.
Then we will play 4 Aus and 4 NZ teams probabaly 2 in Aus and 2 in NZ with the other 4 being at Home in SA.
16 games in total.
As there are 5 teams in each country it will mean we miss playing one from each of Aus and NZ each year. I presume the teams we miss playing will rotate.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 137) : You may want to look at the populations as well. Eg the Highlanders will be lucky to pull 10,000 for their home match against the Sharks.
Doesn’t make it any less of a match
30,000 people boooooing and throwing things at the players isn’t really what you want to judge big matches on !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 143) : Not what I said, nor what I meant…I’m simply referring to the spectator pull and what is known here as provincialism….ie. we hate each others guts during the CC season.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 145) :
Then after those 16 games you still have the playoffs.
Here is the clincher that is the nail in the coffin of the CC.
This new format, however, is set to have a greater effect on SA than its Australasian counterparts, as the structure of the Currie Cup will have to be amended. The series will stretch from the last weekend in February to the first week in August,
Feb to August Whn will we play CC Aug-Nov?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 142) : Crusaders v Blues
@FireTheLooser (Comment 147) : When Canterbury play Auckland that’s like WP v Bulls of old.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 143) :
But your rugger IS inferior to ours!!!!!!!!
You guys haven’t even won a RWC. You won that invitational even in 1987 but that wasn’t really a RWC as there were no qualifiers it was by invitation and we weren’t invited.
WE have won TWO RWCs.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 149) : Snap.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 146) : You referring to the game where the ref was wearing his biased eye patch? What was his name again…oh yes, Keith Brown.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 147) : And we don’t
For the record NSW v Queensland also huge. It’s the game the locals (Aussies) look forward to.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 145) : So they’re not really conferences then are they? To me a conference is you play everyone in your conference and the top teams (top two in this case) go through to play the other winners of the other teams. All this is doing is saying you will definitely play all your fellow countrymen and then selected teams from the other countries. It shouldn’t be called a conference.
@McLovin (Comment 150) : @KSA Shark © (Comment 151) : @FireTheLooser (Comment 153) : I’m getting ganged up on here….. is it easier just to agree. You are all welcome to my place to watch the final !
@McLovin (Comment 150) : That wasn’t evident today….they have a go at each other, but here problem/nulle actualy hated each other, I know, my dad was a wp man, and we lived in pta…it got rough
@klempie (Comment 156) :
There are three stages.
The conference (Play all your country’s teams home and away)
Then the cross conference stage (8 teams from other countries)
play-offs
@McLovin (Comment 155) : have you got a FL Team….what are you going by !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 157) :
A Stormers fan
2 Sharks Fans
1 Highlanders fan
We would have no interest in watching the final. None of our teams would be playing.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 157) : I’m on your side. In the old days WP v Bulls (Northern Transvaal) was like test rugby to us.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 160) : No FL team. Too lazy.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 161) : True…but i was talking RWC Final Downunder !
@McLovin (Comment 163) : Disappointing …you sound like someone who may know what they were doing !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 157) : What final?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 159) : Still think it’s stupid. Should be proper conference where you play your countrymen home and away. Top three teams go to next round and play all other teams from the other countries. Top 4 go to semis.
That would be 8 games against your countrymen, 6 against the others then semi and final. 16 week comp.
I’m gone….love the banter …until Round 5 see you then !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 164) : I see. Boks will be there. Not sure who we will be playing.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 165) : Many people make that mistake about me.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 161) :
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 157) : KSA is just winding you up china. Overall very few Saffers would dispute that the ABs have been gods over the last two decades.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 168) : Next week I’m on your side….as long as you behave that is
@klempie (Comment 172) : I think KSA got those lines from Voldy’s site
@KSA Shark © (Comment 161) : Speak for yourself.
Cheetahs messed my superbru AGAIN
@lostfish (Comment 176) : Unlucky!
cheetahs actualy saved mine
when will we have a local ref blowing our game again?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 178) : I had a feeling I should pick them but then thought they were so kak against the highlanders there was no way they could beat the canes. The canes really didn’t turn up today.
@lostfish (Comment 180) : I keep losing with my Sharks picks, but I just can’t get myself to pick another team…..yeah cheaters was my first upset that paid off. Reds manages to dodge my picks every week though
@FireTheLooser (Comment 179) : local means taking a chance of getting Pro Legeote. Incidentally his first game reffing in Super rugby was the game where he replaced Kaplan and we all know what a stuff up that was.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 181) : likewise, I pick the Sharks with my heart, even though my head tells me otherwise. Perhaps I should pick against the Sharks and they might start winning
@lostfish (Comment 182) : Yeah, lucky us, getting all the novice refs….wasn’t our game Keith Brown-nose’s first S14 game also?
‘especially given that they have brought a Kiwi ref with them’….yeah Rob, say it like it is, we all know who sports the worst refs in this comp….ozzies and kiwis!
Don’t come talk to me about Brown-nose having a good game in a all nz local derby. That’s not the problem.
Allrighty boys, time for me to be off….
Cheers
@FireTheLooser (Comment 184) : No he has reffed a few but interestingly enough we are getting the same useless TMO (Goddard) next week and the ref Garratt Williamson will be reffing his – wait for it – second Super rugby game.
VRYSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!
@lostfish (Comment 187) : That’s just hogwash, bring on the CC, at least we’ll have decent refs….camel kotch
i know the game is over just want to say well done cheetahs had my 2nd team jersy on for hubby better than a bull one but gee they won and that felt very good
and just wish we could play and win some not play and loose some, come on sharks comp is not over by a long shot won’t make the top 4 but will try by getting there and just maybe we will 
@FireTheLooser (Comment 189) : oh firethelooser so right just maybe to late for the sharks in the last s14 but c cup for crabs
