SA teams to fade out of Top 4 if....

Here's my calls...

* The Stormers may fade out of the Top 4
* If the Blue Bulls lose too many on the Road they will at best make 3 or 4, and from memory no SA team has won the competition from that position, because unless they play on home soil, the travel over here AGAIN to play in the finals is their undoing
* If the SA teams fade as above, that leaves more spaces for AUS and NZ teams.
* If the playoffs occur in AUS or NZ, it raises the chances of the ANZ teams winning compared to if they were being played in SA
* Unlike last year Aust will have 1 if not 2 teams in the Top 4

The next question is - will this translate into a better performance by Aust in the Tri-Nations?

Private investors

Druing the last week the Queensland newspaper ran an article about how the Queensland Reds were investigating the possibility in future of private equity partners.  My understanding is that the 2011 new entrant into Super rugby, the Melbourne Rebels, is the first privatized rugby franchise in Australian rugby.

The Brisbane Broncos showed just how well run and finanically successful a private franchise could be in a competition with the other teams that are not privately run.

I had to laugh at the comment by the Reds administrators. Fifteen years ago I said to a Red player 'The only chance of creating something create in Australian rugby at state level is to have a privately owned team'.

Of course at that time, it was considered inconceiveable by everyone that this could happen. In fact I suspect that the killing of the RWC in 1995 may have had something to do with the fear of the rise of private money in a game run for so long by a board of socially connected and control-oriented people.

Rebels to represent Victoria in 2011 Super 15

When I learnt who was going to coach the Rebels in their inaugural season in the Super 15 I made these predictions, based on history at this level - it won't go past 2 years in the job, and they won't win the competition in that time.  Could be off-track, but simply looking at the past to predict the future.

Brumbies get a lesson from the Bulls

In Round 2 the Brumbies lost to the Bulls, which at the moment is not a complete embarrassment with the way the Bulls are playing.

However with a star-studded team the Brumbies are under presesure of expectation to perform well this year. Nothing they have done so far meets that expectations but it is early days.

At this stage my prediction is they will be just in or just out of the top 4.

I feel sorry for the Western Force

It must be tough coming out week in week out knowing you are doing it tough. Year after year. I give these guys credit for coming out of the sheds.

I would be suprised if their coach lasted the season. He certainly has outlasted the team performance.

Rebels to represent Victoria in 2011 Super 15

When I learnt who was going to coach the Rebels in their inaugural season in the Super 15 I made these predictions, based on history at this level - it won't go past 2 years in the job, and they won't win the competition in that time.  Could be off-track, but simply looking at the past to predict the future.

And that's not all the Bulls are happy to do

After 2 rounds something else is apparent about the Bulls.

The Bulls also stand apart from all teams, even those who traditionally espouse they define running rugby - the Bulls are happy to forgo the 3 points from gift penalties to drive to the line for a try and 5-7 points. I have never seen a team so consistantly and confidently do this. A great sign for their self-belief.

On this alone they look like they will be in the play-offs, provided the wheels don't fall off on their road trip or they suffer injury to key personal.

Cantebury Crusaders not likely to support the punters

Apparently Cantebury Crusaders are tipped by the punters or similar to be a dominant force in the Top 4 or something like that.

I don't think so. They can make the Top 4, but I believe their incredible period of dominance is coming to end.  They have been playing complacent catch up rugby, winning in the final quarter, for a long time now. Nice if you can do it. But not sustainable.

Now they are going to be spending more time wondering where it's gone wrong. And of course, the absence of McGraw at the start of the season doesn't help.

Their main concern now however is spending too much time looking over their shoulder and all around trying to work out where their mojo has gone.