It’s important to keep your head
1. Can the players avoid the oval shaped appendage at the top of the human body?
High tackles, and yellow cards that followed, created a cacophony of chatter following last weekend’s round. Sanzaar referees boss Lyndon Bray issued a warning over the off-season that players must tackle south of the neck, and his referees didn’t let him down in terms of dealing out the harsh medicine. The question, now, is whether match officials will continue to take a tough line and keep issuing yellow cards.
2. It’s the match of the round: Blues v Chiefs
It would be no surprise if there is the scent of gunsmoke in the air during the early exchanges of the pending battle at Eden Park tonight. We watched and winced as these two teams threw themselves about in their opening losses to the Highlanders and Crusaders last weekend. This could be another pearler.
New Zealand teams cannot afford to lose any traction in their conference, and the hackles will already be rising.
3. Brad Thorn wheels out his Reds in Brisbane
Former All Blacks lock and rugby league heavyweight Thorn possessed an iron will to succeed as a player, and little will have changed since he moved into the head coach’s office at the Reds in Brisbane.
Thorn is of the belief that everyone should pitch in, and he doesn’t want a droplet of fuel left in his players’ gas tanks after games. The early red card issued to skipper Scott Higginbotham ruined any hope of beating the Rebels last weekend, and now here come the Brumbies.
The Reds players won’t need to hear Thorn bellowing out some home truths when they step out onto the soil at Suncorp Stadium. Go hard or go home has always been his mentality.
4. A response from the Hurricanes in BA
Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd wasn’t too chuffed with his team’s efforts during the 21-19 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria last weekend, describing it as the most deflating result since he took over as boss in 2015. A loss to the Jaguares in Buenos Aires would add to the angst, especially when the next game is against the Crusaders in Wellington.
At least Jordie Barrett, who has joined the team in Buenos Aires as a replacement for Wes Goosen, is back to full fitness.
5. Bulls and Lions go to work in Pretoria
This match between the two traditional rivals might give us an early indicator about who will dominate the South African conference.
Given they won the minor premiership last year the Lions are again favoured to come out top, and are tipped to beat the Bulls on Sunday morning (NZT).