With a week and a half to go to kickoff, teams have playing warm up fixtures to hit the ground running.

Some have played up to 3-4 games before kickoff, whilst others opted for 1-2.

As per usual I don’t really care what the Kiwis and Aussies are doing. They have been playing each other. I did note that the Crusaders only just beat the Farce. I think that was in Perth.

In South Africa there have been some interesting results so far.

The Bulls lost to an almost full strength Lions outfit, but I wouldn’t read too much into that. The Bulls then put most of their big guns out against the Pumas (that is the Mpumalunga pumas…not Argentina!). The loss to the Cheaters will be one for them to savour because the Bulls are gonna smash them in the actual super 14! Fourie Du Preez’s hand injury was initially a concern but he should be fit for the opener against the Reds. He’ll need to be at his best alongside Matfield, Botha, Rossouw and Habana if the Bulls are to seriously challenge for the title. One guy who may just get the chance to shine this year is Jaco Pretorius in midfield. I believe the centres have been a glaring weakness over the past 2 seasons, but he could just be the answer. I’d also like to see Julies get some game time as Olivier is solid but doesn’t offer much else. My ideal combination would be Julies and Habana but conservative Frans Ludeke is never going to go for that.

The Lions are talking up their chances, but once again I think they’ll disappoint big time. Conservatism, consistency and lack of class will be their biggest downfalls. It’s a shame for a union that 13 years ago was the world powerhouse. Bring back Louis Luyt!

The Cheaters have got some classy players but They will still struggle week in and week out. It’s good to see Meyer Bosman at flyhalf. Why did we wait 3 years to give him a go there??

The Sharks have started out fairly low key but are very quietly confident of having a big year. Warm up games against the Pumas and second string Bulls should see this team remain fresh in the business end of the competition. They have class all around, great experience and no real weaknesses. With John Plumtree they won’t have the conservative mindset of last year and if they back their ability they’ll be there at finals time, possibly in Durban.

The Stormers have had an interesting buildup. Injuries to key players are not serious but they haven’t built as much momentum as they would’ve liked. Still I back players of the class of Schalk Burger and Conrad Jantjies to slot in easily with little match practice. Wins over Saracens and Boland have highlighted the path forward for the Stormers, with the only real concerns being the lack of cover in the front row and quality jumpers in the second row.

Thanks also to comments from my good friend Deon Wessels. His concern is that I don’t give the Cheaters enough respect, and he thinks they will do well. All I can say is that the Cheaters may have done well in the Currie Cup, but they have disappointed massively in super rugby against better quality opposition.

I also take on board comments that Rassie Erasmus, coach of the Stormers, is a Free State man. Well he saw the light, and moved to a bigger union with more resources and because he genuinely wants to win the competition….And I think he may just achieve it this year…