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The end of the season is nigh in the Aviva Premiership and Top 14 – and the possibilities and permutations are almost endless. Meanwhile, Super Rugby offers some intriguing New Zealand – South Africa match-ups.
Super Rugby: Highlanders vs Stormers (Friday, April 28, 3:35pm HKT)
After going unbeaten through the first seven rounds, the Stormers have hit the skids. Their tour of New Zealand began with a 57-24 shellacking at the hands of the Crusaders last week, and it won’t get any easier on Friday when they meet the Highlanders in Dunedin. The hosts are through the worst of their early-season injury crisis – welcoming back All Blacks winger Waisake Naholo last week – and now have their sights set firmly on a playoffs berth. With the Hurricanes looming next weekend, it’s looking like a long month on the road for the Stormers.
Premiership: Harlequins vs Wasps (Saturday, April 29, 2:45am HKT)
Despite just two wins from their last five matches, Harlequins remain in the mix for an automatic Champions Cup place next season. They are currently seventh, a single point behind Northampton who occupy the last of the all-important six available slots. Their mission this weekend – and they have no choice but to accept it – to beat the Premiership leaders, who have won every their last five outings, to keep their challenge alive.
Premiership: Exeter Chiefs vs Northampton Saints (Saturday, April 29, 10:00pm HKT)
By the time Northampton take to the pitch at Sandy Park, they will know how the nearest challengers to their Champions Cup slot have fared. Not that that knowledge will not make their job any easier – Rob Baxter’s Exeter don’t really do losing, especially at home. And with home advantage very much at stake in the looming playoff semi-finals, they’re not going to want to start now.
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Super Rugby: Cheetahs vs Crusaders (Saturday, April 29, 11:15pm HKT)
The Crusaders extended their unbeaten season to 8-from-8 with their resounding win over the Stormers in Christchurch last week. They’re unbeatable at home – but can they do it on a sunny afternoon in Bloemfontein? The Cheetahs haven’t been that bad in home games this season, they just haven’t been able to win. If they can play the way they played in the opening 25 minutes against the Chiefs for longer than 25 minutes they could cause the visitors some problems. However the points are shared, the scoreboard operator will be kept busy.
Top 14: La Rochelle vs Montpellier (Sunday, April 30, 6:30pm HKT)
It’s impossible to ignore this clash of the top two sides in the penultimate weekend of the regular season in France. When the season started last August, few expected the hosts to be in the playoff places at the business end of the campaign, let alone nine points clear at the top of the table. But the Rochelais wheels have threatened to come off in recent weeks, with two defeats in their last two outings, including a first loss at home since Brock James was a boy. Montpellier are just the sort of team to bludgeon their way through any perceived weakness – and they need a win to hang on to second place, which comes with a bye-week privilege come playoff time.
Top 14: Stade Francais vs Racing 92 (Sunday, April 30, 11pm HKT)
The match that is often called the Paris derby, even though it technically isn’t, has long been a mouthwatering affair. The failed merger of the two clubs six weeks or so ago has just added a little extra spice to the mix. Since that mad mid-March week, when Stade looked certain to disappear forever, both sides have won three and lost one, with the visitors and defending champions currently sixth – the last of the play-off places. Their hosts are seventh, just three points behind their neighbours. In an eight-way race for the final three play-off places, this match really matters.
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Comments on RugbyPass
I agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to comments