/ 29 April 2004

Super 12: ‘Anything can happen’

Springbok lock Selborne Boome has been handed the task of rallying South Africa’s Stormers, whose Super 12 rugby campaign has been unhinged by the suspension of captain Corne Krige.

Boome will lead the Stormers in Saturday’s 11th-round match against the Canterbury Crusaders, replacing Krige whose Super 12 career ended on Monday with his eight-week suspension for head-butting.

The Stormers hold a tenuous third-place after last weekend’s loss to the Waikato Chiefs and must now face one of the competition’s toughest tasks: taking on the four-time champions on their home ground.

Nine teams have firm or mathematical chances of making the semifinals with two rounds remaining in one of the Super 12’s closest regular seasons. The Stormers’ top-four placing is the vestige of South Africa’s strongest-ever assault on the semifinals.

At midseason, three of South Africa’s four teams — all but the luckless Cats — had semifinals claims but those weakened when all four lost last week.

The Stormers, against the Crusaders; the Bulls, against the Chiefs at Hamilton on Friday; and the Sharks, at home to the champion Auckland Blues, have chances to revive their claims this weekend.

In other matches, the competition-leading Brumbies meet the Wellington Hurricanes at Canberra, the Waratahs — coming off a hard-fought win over the Brumbies — meet the Otago Highlanders and the Cats take on the Reds in a last-place playoff.

The Stormers remain South Africa’s best semifinal chance but their task this weekend is made tougher following the banishment of Krige.

Coach Gert Smal has confidence that Boome, a 20-test veteran, can rally the Cape Town-based team whose two remaining matches will be played on the road.

”I think he’s very composed and leads by example,” Smal said.

”Also, basically because of his experience, he has good leadership skills.

”He’s one of the Springboks that players have a lot of respect for.”

The Bulls’ recent losses to Auckland and Canterbury have dropped them to joint seventh place, six points out of fourth, pending matches against the Chiefs and Cats.

”I think theoretically we’re still in with a chance if we can pick up two five-pointers in the last two games, which would put us on 32 points,” Bulls coach Rudy Joubert said.

”There’s a lot of things that can happen in the last two rounds and any team can beat any side in the Super 12 this season.”

Joubert has made a significant backline change for Friday’s match as he attempts to boost his team’s try-scoring ability.

Former Springbok flyhalf Derick Hougaard has been dropped and Willem de Waal has been moved from fullback into the No. 10 jersey.

The Chiefs will field a settled team with All Blacks lock Keith Robinson likely to return from injury and centre Keith Lowen still sidelined by a hamstring strain.

Coach Ian Foster this week drafted former All Blacks fullback Adrian Cashmore as bench cover for the injured Loki Crichton.

Cashmore, a founding player for the Auckland Blues, has recently played in Japan.

”I’m sticking with a team that we’ve had the last couple of weeks because it’s a tough ask physically with the South African teams,” Foster said.

”We seem to have a formula going that’s working pretty well and so I’m running with it.”

Australia’s World Cup vice-captain, lock David Giffin, is likely to return to the Brumbies’ starting lineup for the match against the Hurricanes. With 18 points and with the Crusaders to play, the Hurricanes are no longer a semifinal chance.

Giffin’s Wallaby locking partner, Nathan Sharpe, is likely to return to the Reds team which will take on the Cats at Bloemfontein on Saturday.

The Waratahs, 39-27 winners over the Brumbies, are likely to name an unchanged team for their match against the Highlanders. – Sapa-AP