Month: March 2019

Former Hurricanes utility back James Marshall is returning to the club for next season, joining Reed Prinsep and Alex Fidow in signing up.

Marshall played the last of his 44 matches for the Hurricanes when the club won its first Super Rugby title in 2016 before he headed to the United Kingdom to link up with London Irish.

The 29-year-old joins loose forward Prinsep and prop Fidow in the Hurricanes 2019 playing squad.

“I’m very excited to be heading back to the Hurricanes, a team that I’ve always loved and supported since I was a kid,” Marshall told the Hurricanes’ website.

“I feel that it’s the best environment for me to play to my potential being surrounded by the quality players and management that they have.”

John Plumtree, who will take over as Hurricanes head coach in 2019, was delighted to have someone with Marshall’s experience return to the squad.

“James has a real ability to play a number of positions to a really high ability while he’s a great thinker and a really good communicator on the field,” Plumtree said.

“The coaching group think he will be a really good asset next season. He will have no trouble fitting back into the squad.”

Prinsep, who has signed on with the Hurricanes until the end of the 2020 season, had no hesitation in recommitting to the club.

“I feel my personal game continues to grow in this environment and I really want to be a big part of the Hurricanes going forward,” he said.

Fidow’s 2018 season might have been heavily impacted by injury but the 20-year-old was even more determined to return next season.

Plumtree said Prinsep and Fidow would also play important roles in the squad next season.

“We have already seen what Reed is capable of and how well he has gone this season and we are sure Alex will get a better crack at it next season after what has been a frustrating time for him because of injuries.”

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Rebels duo Amanaki Mafi and Lopeti Timani have each been given a $15,000 fine by their club following an incident in Dunedin last weekend.

According to Fox Sports, 28-year-old Mafi appeared in Dunedin District Court on Monday charged with injuring with intent to injure over the incident which took place after the Rebels’ loss to the Highlanders.

The Japan international entered no plea and was granted bail.

The terms of his bail mean he cannot associate with Timani and the number eight’s case is scheduled to return to court on Friday, August 3.

“The alleged victim received moderate injuries following the incident,” a NZ Police spokeswoman told Fox Sports.

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Ross Cronje and Aphiwe Dyantyi will start for the Lions against the Jaguares at Ellis Park on Saturday as they look to make a third successive semi-final.

They have replaced Courtnall Skosan and the injured Nic Groom in the starting line-up as boss Swys de Bruin makes two changes to the XV.

De Bruin has also altered the bench slightly following Groom’s enforced absence with Dillon Smit among the replacements, while prop Dylan Smith is selected ahead of Jacobie Adriaanse.

The Lions and Jaguares have one win apiece from their respective clashes in 2018 but the hosts claimed a 47-27 triumph in Johannesburg in Round Two.

Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronjé, 8 Warren Whiteley (c), 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen
Replacements: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Courtnall Skosan, 23 Howard Mnisi

Date: Saturday, July 21
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15:05 local (14:05 BST, 13:05 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant Referees: Marius van der Westhuizen, Egon Seconds
TMO: Marius Jonker

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The Highlanders welcome back All Blacks Ben Smith, Aaron Smith and Luke Whitelock among others for Saturday’s quarter-final against the Waratahs in Sydney.

Rob Thompson and Ash Dixon also return at outside centre and replacement hooker respectively.

This is the fifth consecutive year the Highlanders have made the play-offs, finishing in sixth position at the end of the round robin stage. They are in the familiar position of being on the road having played only two play-off games at home since the inception of Super Rugby (1999 and 2015).

Coach Aaron Mauger is excited by the opportunity they have this weekend.

“These are the opportunities the guys work hard all year for and there are no second chances,” he said.

“It’s simply about putting our best performance on the field on Saturday. The Waratahs are a quality side playing at home which presents an awesome challenge for our guys, but like I said, these are the games we love to play.”

Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith (cc), 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Rob Thompson, 12 Teihorangi Walden, 11 Tevita Li, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 James Lentjes, 6 Liam Squire, 5 Tom Franklin, 4 Jackson Hemopo, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Daniel Lienert-Brown
Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon (cc), 17 Aki Seiuli, 18 Kalolo Tuiloma, 19 Shannon Frizell, 20 Elliot Dixon, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Josh Ioane, 23 Matt Faddes

Date: Saturday, July 21
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick-off: 20:05 local (11:05 BST, 10:05 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Will Houston (Australia)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)

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Sharks head coach Robert du Preez has been able to name a completely unchanged 23 for Saturday’s Super Rugby quarter-final clash with the Crusaders.

A good effort against the Jaguares at Kings Park last weekend saw the Sharks through to the knockout stage courtesy of an eighth place finish.

Assistant coach Dick Muir, speaking from the team’s base in Christchurch ahead of Saturday’s match, said: “There’s a lot of excitement, the team had a long haul getting to Christchurch but everyone is in good spirits. We’re coming off a good win and the team is ready to have a go.”

The big games, particularly against New Zealand sides, have brought out the best in the Sharks this season and Muir expects nothing different on Saturday against the Crusaders.

“Absolutely, they have the players but our expectations are pretty high as we get to the business end of the competition,” he added. “Not too many people are giving us a chance so it’s a great opportunity to prove them wrong.”

Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira will play his 150th Super Rugby game in a Sharks jersey. He holds the record for being the most capped Super Rugby player for a single province and is just behind Adriaan Strauss, who is the most capped South African Super Rugby player with 156.

Sharks: 15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Philip van der Walt, 5 Ruan Botha (c), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Makazole Mapimpi

Date: Saturday, July 21
Venue: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19:35 local (08:35 BST, 07:35 GMT)
Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Shane McDermott (New Zealand)

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Check out the team line-ups ahead of the Super Rugby quarter-finals with the action kicking off in Wellington.

Friday

Hurricanes v Chiefs
@ Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Hurricanes: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 14 Julian Savea, 13 Jordie Barrett, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Blade Thomson, 7 Gareth Evans, 6 Brad Shields (c)/Reed Prinsep, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Michael Fatialofa, 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Toby Smith
Replacements: 16 James O’Reilly, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Ben May, 19 Vaea Fifita, 20 Reed Prinsep/Sam Henwood, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Ihaia West, 23 Wes Goosen/Jonah Lowe

Chiefs: 15 Solomon Alaimalo, 14 Sean Wainui, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Charlie Ngatai, 11 Shaun Stevenson, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Brad Weber, 8 Liam Messam, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Lachlan Boshier, 5 Michael Allardice, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Nathan Harris, 1 Karl Tu’inukuafe
Replacements: 16 Liam Polwart, 17 Sam Prattley, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Jesse Parete, 20 Mitch Karpik, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Marty McKenzie, 23 Alex Nankivell

Saturday

Crusaders v Sharks
@ AMI Stadium, Christchurch

Crusaders: 15 David Havili, 14 Seta Tamanivalu, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Bryn Hall, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Matt Todd, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Samuel Whitelock (c), 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tim Perry
Replacements: 16 Andrew Makalio, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Michael Alaalatoa, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 Mitchell Hunt, 23 Manasa Mataele

Sharks: 15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Philip van der Walt, 5 Ruan Botha (c), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Makazole Mapimpi

Waratahs v Highlanders
@ Allianz Stadium, Sydney

Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Alex Newsome, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley (c), 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Will Miller, 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Brad Wilkin, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Cameron Clark, 23 Bryce Hegarty

Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith (cc), 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Rob Thompson, 12 Teihorangi Walden, 11 Tevita Li, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 James Lentjes, 6 Liam Squire, 5 Tom Franklin, 4 Jackson Hemopo, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Daniel Lienert-Brown
Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon (cc), 17 Aki Seiuli, 18 Kalolo Tuiloma, 19 Shannon Frizell, 20 Elliot Dixon, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Josh Ioane, 23 Matt Faddes

Lions v Jaguares
@ Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg

Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronjé, 8 Warren Whiteley (c), 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen
Replacements: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Courtnall Skosan, 23 Howard Mnisi

Jaguares: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de le Fuente, 11 Matias Moroni, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Tomas Lezana, 6 Pablo Matera (c), 5 Marcos Kremer, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Santiago Garcia Botta
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Tomas Lavanini, 21 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 22 Martin Landajo, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere

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Jaguares head coach Mario Ledesma has made several changes to his squad to face the Lions in the Super Rugby quarter-final at Ellis Park.

With qualification already secured last weekend, the Argentinian outfit decided to rest a number of key first team players.

All those duly return with Emiliano Boffelli, Matias Orlando, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Matias Moroni, Nicolas Sanchez and Gonzalo Bertranou named in the backline.

Among the forwards, out go six of the eight which started against the Sharks and in come Javier Ortega Desio, Tomas Lezana, Guido Petti, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Agustin Creevy and Santiago Garcia Botta, while Marcos Kremer is shifted to lock.

On the bench, Ledesma has decided to go with a six-two split with Matias Alemanno, Tomas Lavanini and Juan Manuel Leguizamon providing lock and back-row cover.

Jaguares: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de le Fuente, 11 Matias Moroni, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Tomas Lezana, 6 Pablo Matera (c), 5 Marcos Kremer, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Santiago Garcia Botta
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Tomas Lavanini, 21 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 22 Martin Landajo, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere

Date: Saturday, July 21
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15:05 local (14:05 BST, 13:05 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant Referees: Marius van der Westhuizen, Egon Seconds
TMO: Marius Jonker

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16 women’s and 24 men’s teams are all set to fight it out for Rugby World Cup Sevens silverware at AT&T Park in San Francisco this weekend.

Over 95,000 fans are expected to attend across three days of pulsating action at the venue, which has been transformed from its traditional baseball diamond format into a spectacular home for rugby sevens.

Ahead of a mouth-watering weekend, USA men’s captain Madison Hughes admits they’ll be aiming to inspire the crowd with their performances.

“Having the opportunity to play in the marquee sevens event here in the US is just so exciting. Hopefully we can do well, put in a good performance so those new to rugby can get really excited about it,” he said.

Meanwhile, reigning Rugby World Cup Sevens champions in both the men’s and women’s events, New Zealand, will be looking to retain their crowns in San Francisco.

“Winning the last Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow 2013 was a pretty special moment – we were all extremely inexperienced. It was incredible to take a Rugby World Cup home and a title that we’d never won before. It’s definitely going to give us extra motivation to do the same again here in San Francisco,” said Sarah Goss, New Zealand women’s captain.

“It’s going to be extremely tough with the knock-out format and the high quality of teams, but I have full confidence in the girls and the way we’ve been performing over the last few months. We’re just really excited to start playing on Friday and we’re extremely hungry to defend our title and take another Rugby World Cup Sevens home to New Zealand.”

New Zealand men’s captain Scott Curry added: “It’s awesome to be here in San Francisco. To be playing at AT&T Park in a baseball stadium is pretty unique and I’m sure the atmosphere is going to be electric. We’ve had a good week building up to the competition, we’ve trained really well and we’re looking forward to the weekend. It’s going to be a tough task to defend our title and as it’s a knock-out format we’ll be focusing on one game at a time.”

South Africa and Australia will enter the men’s and women’s competitions respectively in good form after claiming the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series titles last month, with Blitzboks captain Philip Snyman looking forward to the challenge.

“Everybody is focusing on the Rugby World Cup Sevens, it’s an interesting new format with knock-out stages from the start meaning you have to be at your best from the get go and get out of the blocks as quickly as possible. Where the World Series was a marathon, this is more like a one hundred metre sprint,” he said.

“We can take a lot of confidence from our performance in Paris and we’ve had a boost with a couple of players returning from injury so we’re really happy with where the squad is at the moment. Playing in San Francisco is a dream come true and playing in a baseball stadium is really interesting. Rugby is growing fast in America and we’re looking forward to a wonderful weekend of sevens.”

A new and innovative ‘knock out’ style format will see every match count meaning both men’s and women’s teams will have to win every match to be crowned World Cup winners.

With thanks to World Rugby

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The tournament’s in-form team the Crusaders continue the defence of their Super Rugby title against the Sharks in Christchurch on Saturday.

Scott Robertson’s men are on a purple patch after winning their last 12 matches and are overwhelming favourites to progress into the semi-final stage at the expense of the Sharks, who are 10/1 with some bookmakers to win. History and the formbook makes a shock highly unlikely.

Looking at the Opta stats doesn’t make for pretty reading for the Sharks coming into the match which kicks off Saturday’s action. No South African franchise has ever won a finals game in New Zealand, with this being the 13th such fixture in Super Rugby history. Furthermore the Crusaders have won 17 of their last 21 games against the Durban outfit including each of their three previous meetings in the post-season.

Adding further weight to the Crusaders’ case for victory and a spot in the last four is the fact they have won their last 16 games on the bounce when hosting teams from outside New Zealand; the last time they lost such a fixture was in the opening round of the 2015 campaign.

What is positive for the Sharks however is the fact they’ve fared well against New Zealand sides so far in 2018. They’ve beaten the Blues, Highlanders and Chiefs this campaign, losing their only other clash with a Kiwi outfit 38-37 at the Hurricanes, which will give them hope.

But it’s extremely difficult to envisage the Crusaders not winning on Saturday as they are playing such formidable rugby at present, with the likes of Codie Taylor, Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock, Jordan Taufua, Richie Mo’unga, Jack Goodhue and George Bridge all in great form.

Victory would see them face the winner of Friday’s opening qualifier between the Hurricanes and Chiefs, which already whets the appetite.

The last time the teams met: It’s been well over two years since the Crusaders and Sharks last faced off, with that match taking place in Durban. The Crusaders won 19-14 as David Havili, Nemani Nadolo and Kieran Read crossed, with Lwazi Mvovo scoring a brace for the Sharks.

Players to watch:

For Crusaders: It’s been a superb campaign from young centre Jack Goodhue as his stock continues to rise in New Zealand. More game time in an All Black jersey is surely not too far in coming as his powerful and intelligent lines, skill-set and strong defence make him a talent. Also keep an eye on Scott Barrett, who is back in the side this week. His form for New Zealand and the Crusaders in 2018 has been excellent.

For Sharks: Winning the battle up front has to be the first port of call for the Sharks so the likes of tighthead prop Thomas du Toit need to gain the upper hand at the set-piece and in the tight exchanges. There will also be a lot of pressure on Daniel du Preez‘s shoulders as his carrying and dynamism must come to the fore against the likes of Jordan Taufua and Kieran Read. Du Preez will of course empty the tank.

Team news: Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson has made five changes to the line-up that defeated the Blues for Saturday’s quarter-final.

All Black duo Codie Taylor and Owen Franks return at hooker and tighthead, meaning Andrew Makalio and Michael Alaalatoa move to the bench.

Scott Barrett also returns from a rest week to resume his role at lock, and Luke Romano will once again provide cover on the bench. The loose forward trio of Jordan Taufua, Matt Todd and Kieran Read remains unchanged, with Read having recovered from the wrist/thumb injury.

Bryn Hall and Mitchell Drummond will again switch for this game, so that Hall takes the starting spot at scrum-half and Drummond moves to the replacements bench. The only other change to the starting XV sees David Havili rejoin the squad at full-back in place of Israel Dagg.

Meanwhile, Sharks head coach Robert du Preez has been able to name a completely unchanged 23 for this Super Rugby quarter-final showdown.

A good effort against the Jaguares at Kings Park last week saw the Sharks through to the knockout stage courtesy of an eighth place finish.

Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira will play his 150th Super Rugby game in a Sharks shirt. He holds the record for being the most capped Super Rugby player for a single province and is just behind hooker Adriaan Strauss, who is the most capped South African Super Rugby player with 156.

Form: What more can be said about the Crusaders? 12 wins on the spin puts them in the best possible form coming into this game. Their only two defeats this season came in March, against the Hurricanes and Highlanders but since then they have been unstoppable in the competition.

The Sharks, meanwhile, have been inconsistent this season and haven’t strung back-to-back wins together since April 21 and May 5. Since then their record is lost, won, lost, won, lost, won, but that latter victory proved enough to see them make this knockout trip to Christchurch.

Prediction: Home win here as the reigning champions march on. Crusaders by 15.

Previous results:

2016: Crusaders won 19-14 in Durban
2015: Crusaders won 52-10 in Durban
2014: Crusaders won 38-6 in Christchurch
2014: Sharks won 30-25 in Christchurch
2013: Sharks won 21-17 in Durban
2011: Crusaders won 36-8 in Nelson
2011: Crusaders won 44-28 in London
2010: Crusaders won 35-6 in Christchurch

The teams:

Crusaders: 15 David Havili, 14 Seta Tamanivalu, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Bryn Hall, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Matt Todd, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Samuel Whitelock (c), 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tim Perry
Replacements: 16 Andrew Makalio, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Michael Alaalatoa, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 Mitchell Hunt, 23 Manasa Mataele

Sharks: 15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Philip van der Walt, 5 Ruan Botha (c), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Makazole Mapimpi

Date: Saturday, July 21
Venue: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19:35 local (08:35 BST, 07:35 GMT)
Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Shane McDermott (New Zealand)

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The Waratahs host the Highlanders at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Saturday in what should be a thrilling trans-Tasman Super Rugby quarter-final.

This is the fifth consecutive year the Highlanders have made the play-offs, finishing in sixth position at the end of the round robin stage. They are also in the familiar position of being on the road having played only two knockout games at home since the inception of Super Rugby (1999 and 2015).

For the Waratahs, it has been some turnaround after last year’s record-low finish of 16th. The Sydneysiders are top of the charts for points, metres made and clean breaks, and third overall for tries.

However, their success has come mainly against weaker Australian opposition as they have only managed the one win against New Zealand teams – a 41-12 victory over the Highlanders earlier in the season. That scoreline may look emphatic, but it is important to remember that the Waratahs were playing with a man extra for three quarters of the game after Tevita Nabura was red-carded in the 19th minute.

The Highlanders have a pack equipped to stifle quick ball for the opposition, and if they do that successfully, it should prevent a potentially dangerous Waratahs backline stretching their legs. 125kg Taqele Naiyaravoro and three-times John Eales medal record-holder Israel Folau have scored 27 tries between them this season and that’s not counting how many they have created.

The Waratahs will take confidence from the fact that they average 35 points per game this season and in the Highlanders they are coming up against a side that has conceded 127 points in their last three fixtures since returning from the international break.

Much has been made in the build-up to the game, however, of the Highlanders’ decision to rest the majority of their key players last weekend, with the mind games being ramped up in midweek as the Waratahs said this could backfire on the visitors come Saturday. This was in response to Aaron Smith’s initial barb that the Waratahs may feel the ‘pressure’ of defending their ‘fortress’.

Whoever wins between these two sides will set up a semi-final meeting with either the Lions or Jaguares, who meet later on Saturday.

The last time the teams met: The Waratahs ended Australian sides’ 40-match losing streak against New Zealand opposition with a 41-12 win. They were helped somewhat considerably by Highlanders wing Tevita Nabura’s early red card, as they scored through Lalakai Foketi, Curtis Rona, Taqele Naiyaravoro (2) and Israel Folau (2).

Players to watch:

For Waratahs: While many of the plaudits have gone to Naiyaravoro and Folau this season, there is one man who has quietly gone about his business under the radar and that is Kurtley Beale. Since returning from his one-year-stint with Wasps, he has brought a calmness and assuredness that was sorely missing in the ‘Tahs backline last season. Certainly, Bernard Foley’s game has benefited from having Beale on his outside, who takes on the responsibility of doing plenty of the tactical kicking.

For Highlanders: Aaron Smith returns to the starting line-up in a huge boost for the men from Otago and will be a wanted man after his mind-game comments earlier in the week. Smith will thrive on the attention and harass and badger the opposition as usual, looking to prey on any mistakes or gaps left by the ‘Tahs defence. He is a big-match player and his high-intensity quick-tempo game sets the tone for the Highlanders at the beginning of matches. He’ll be looking to get his side off to a fast start as usual.

Team news: Waratahs head coach Daryl Gibson has made just one change to his starting line-up.

Alex Newsome will start on the right wing in place of Cam Clark, who moves to the bench.

Waratahs hooker Damien Fitzpatrick will play his 50th match for New South Wales and is three caps away from a half century of Super Rugby games.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders welcome back several players such as All Blacks Ben Smith, Aaron Smith and Luke Whitelock, with Rob Thompson also in the side.

Coach Aaron Mauger is excited by the opportunity they have this weekend.

“These are the opportunities the guys work hard all year for and there are no second chances,” he said.

“It’s simply about putting our best performance on the field on Saturday. The Waratahs are a quality side playing at home which presents an awesome challenge for our guys, but like I said, these are the games we love to play.”

Form: The Waratahs have won four of their last six fixtures and two of their last three since returning from the international break. Last weekend’s loss to the Brumbies brought them back down to earth somewhat but they are still in decent form.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders, by contrast, are having a bit of a hard time of things of late. As mentioned above, they have conceded 127 points in their three fixtures since the international break. They lost to the Crusaders and Chiefs by the same scoreline (45-22) before beating the Rebels 43-37 last weekend.

Previous results:

2018: Waratahs won 41-12 in Sydney
2017: Highlanders won 44-28 in Dunedin
2016: Highlanders won 30-26 in Sydney
2015: Highlanders won 35-17 in Sydney
2015: Highlanders won 26-19 in Dunedin
2014: Waratahs won 44-16 in Sydney
2012: Highlanders won 18-17 in Dunedin
2011: Waratahs won 33-7 in Sydney

Prediction: The hosts to show they can beat Kiwi teams with 15 men. ‘Tahs by 5.

The teams:

Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Alex Newsome, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley (c), 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Will Miller, 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Brad Wilkin, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Cameron Clark, 23 Bryce Hegarty

Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith (cc), 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Rob Thompson, 12 Teihorangi Walden, 11 Tevita Li, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 James Lentjes, 6 Liam Squire, 5 Tom Franklin, 4 Jackson Hemopo, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Daniel Lienert-Brown
Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon (cc), 17 Aki Seiuli, 18 Kalolo Tuiloma, 19 Shannon Frizell, 20 Elliot Dixon, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Josh Ioane, 23 Matt Faddes

Date: Saturday, July 21
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick-off: 20:05 local (11:05 BST, 10:05 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Will Houston (Australia)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)

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