We get our Super Saturday started with a wonderful New Zealand derby where the Crusaders, back from their South African tour and carrying an abuntant amount of injuries, taking on a resurgent Chiefs team that shocked all rugby supporters in beating the Stormers last weekend.
For the Crusaders, they have Freuan back in the centres after leaving him out in the cold wing last weekend and where he had little impact, but are without Sonny-Bill Williams. Dan Carter will be hitting his straps in his second game back from injury, and so will Richie McCaw, after his lengthy lay off.
The Chiefs have had their backline hitting some form since the return to the team of Mills Muliaina and Richard Kahui. Stephen Donald has been in some pretty good form in the flyhalf position, and they bring into the team Nanai-Williams, who is an amazing goal kicker.
Kick off is at 09h40.
Crusaders – 15 Tom Marshall, 14 Brent Ward, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Willie Heinz, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 George Whitelock, 5 Chris Jack, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Subs: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Brad Thorn, 19 Joe Wheeler, 20 Steve Alfeld, 21 Matt Berquist, 22 Tu Umaga-Marshall.
Chiefs – 15 Mils Muliaina (c), 14 Tim Nanai-Williams, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Dwayne Sweeney, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Fritz Lee, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Romana Graham, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Sona Taumalolo.
Subs: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Culum Retallick, 19 Taiasina Tuifua, 20 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 21 Mike Delany, 22 Jackson Willison.
Im kinda looking forward to this game..
Wonder what happened to Super Saturday on SS1?
What a brilliant way to start the weekend, even if they did focus more on horseracing and football than rugby . . .
@Original Pierre (Comment 2) :
It was still pretty funny!!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 3) : Their fault that I started with spreadbetting!!
Mr Andrews and co owes me!
My plan for the day:
Rugby/Oily McD’s breakfast to cure barby
Rugby
Rugby
Nap
Rugby
Tank
Good sleep!!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 5) : Sounds like fun.
Hopefully the rapture doesn’t spoil your plans.
@McLovin (Comment 6) :
Oh please.. I drank enough last night to cause a rapture and I am still standing (only just)
Kick off time.. here we go!!
Crusaders with a solid attacking spell and then get the penalty..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 7) :
Saders 3 – 0 Chiefs
3 minutes
Chiefs get a penalty of their own from the kick off..
Donald lining it up..
Saders 3 – 3 Chiefs
4 minutes
The kick offs ave been horrendous, with none of them going to hand..
Saders deep in the Chiefs 22m and Carter misses a drop from right in front!
Saders 3 – 3 Chiefs
10 minutes
Chiefs get a penalty after the Saders run the ball from their own 22m..
Donald lining up
Saders 3 – 6 Chiefs
14 minutes
Okay, breakfast time for me..
I should be back in time for the second half..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 19) : Go easy on Ricky`s breakfast!!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 19) :
Good morning from one of the workers of the world!
I will be popping in to catch them…thanks!
Please keep the updates coming, even if you feel alone
Guildford drops the attempted intercept ! He`s in my FL team!
Im glad I went when I did..
Saders 3 – 6 Chiefs
39 minutes
Saders win a penalty on half time to draw level..
Saders 6 – 6 Chiefs
HALF TIME
Crusaders . . . struggling! Not good for my SB!
@Original Pierre (Comment 26) :
Its a tight match..
I was expecting more tries to be honest..
sitting in a training class for the next 2 weeks. Seriously interfereing with my rugby
We want a Chiefs win?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) :
Sorry oom!
We will keep you updated..
@McLovin (Comment 29) :
Yes we do!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 31) : Thought so.
@McLovin (Comment 32) :
But we missing out on a spectacle..
IRB sevens & Heineken Cup final today as well.
Nothing better than a Mega McMuffin to sort you out the morning after.. And a lot of coffee!!
@McLovin (Comment 34) :
And F1 qualifying if Im not mistaken..
Saders try!!
Newby Romaano, the lock, breaks the Chiefs defensive line..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 36) : Cars going round & round & round & round & round & round not really my thing.
Carter converts
Saders 13 – 6 Chiefs
44 minutes
@McLovin (Comment 38) :
I hear you.. you either love it or hate it..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 40) : Like marmite.
Saders penalty at the scrum..
Carter lining up a 45m kick..
Saders 16 – 6 Chiefs
47 minutes
@McLovin (Comment 41) :
Exactly!
Chiefs get a penalty of their own now, Donald with the kick at goal..
Saders 16 – 9 Chiefs
49 minutes
Saders penalty for Chiefs player tugging a jersey..
Carter to stretch the lead to 10 again..
Bit harsh imo.
He hits the poles!!
Saders 16 – 9 Chiefs
53 minutes
@McLovin (Comment 48) :
It was petty.. I agree.. No need to penalise that really!
Saders on the attack with possession after the kick..
Saders scrum 5m out from Chiefs knock now..
Doesn’t look like the Chiefs are going to be doing us any favours today.
Saders get penalty from the scrum..
Carter wants the 3 points..
@McLovin (Comment 52) :
No.. they haven’t been in the game so far in the second half..
Saders 19 – 9 Chiefs
57 minutes
@McLovin (Comment 41) :
Carter lining up another penalty..
But he misses it left..
The influence SBW has on a game amazing, the Crusaders are boring without him.
Is it just me, or does Fruean look ordinary without the Bill inside him?
Chiefs penalty..
Saders 19 – 12 Chiefs
66 minutes
This is a bit boring.
What time is it in NZ? Shouldn’t the rapture have kicked off over there already?
I really miss Super Saturday. Sucks that they took it away. Used to get up early on Saturdays just to watch that show.
@McLovin (Comment 62) :
Hahaha.. maybe its just waiting to see if he can collect his winnings from the Saders game before starting..
Saders 19 – 12 Chiefs
10 minutes to play..
Carter opts for the drop kick instead of chancing the try..
Saders 22 – 12 Chiefs
72 minutes
Saders penalty at scrum time again..
Saders scrum dominating!!
At least it’s not a BP win I suppose.
Carter lining up again.. and slots it..
Saders 25 – 12 Chiefs
75 minutes
@McLovin (Comment 68) :
Good to see the positive side..
Saders look beatable at this stage.. to be honest..
Carter off, Berquist on..
Chiefs threatening the line and then knock it on..
That was quite a hit that Dickenson took..
Hahaha!!
Hooter has gone and the ref is TMO for a Chiefs try..
Chiefs try!
Messam scores..
Donald from the sideline to secure bonus point..
And he slots it!
Some serious congestion around the 50 point mark on the log.
Crusaders 25 – 19 Chiefs
FULL TIME
these referees are asking bullsh*t questions!!!!
‘Is there any reason why i can’t award the try?’
why not ask ‘try or no try?’
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 70) : And I picked another correct result on SB. Might crack the top 100 (in the SW pool) soon.
@McLovin (Comment 76) :
And the Reds are still to get their 4 points? So they are leading with 54, am I correct?
@McLovin (Comment 79) :
Well done.. Go you good thing!!
@Megatron (Comment 78) :
Congrats on the win..
You have a bloddy good defensive unit!!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 82) : the saders were very flat today, the back three – even though tom marshall played his socks off – are not in synch, their support lines are not as precise as dagg & maitland….
Plus fruean for all the hype, just doesn’t step up!
@Megatron (Comment 83) :
Fruean looks like any other centre without Sonny inside him..
@Megatron (Comment 78) : I agree…most likely to go to the attacking team that call…