Super Rugby
Super Rugby 2015 form guide: pre-season results
ESPN Staff
February 9, 2015

January 23

Blues internal trial, Unitec Sport Centre, Auckland

Western Force 31-21 Brumbies, McGillivray Oval, Mt Claremont, Perth.

David Pocock made a strong for the Brumbies coming out of the game unscathed and scoring a try © Getty Images
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January 24

Bulls 30-13 Cheetahs, Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane

The Bulls produced an impressive second-half performance in Polokwane, a team without Springboks and featuring mostly fringe players scoring three tries to one in defeating a disappointing Cheetahs side.

Replacement scrum-half Piet van Zyl was the star of the show, the half-back recruited from the Cheetahs for this season sparking the Bulls with his energy and scoring two tries after Rudy Paige had started the game.

For all that the Bulls were too good for their opponents, they will be a touch disappointed not to have created more scoring opportunities, with two of their tries breakaways. Van Zyl scored his first from a driving maul before crossing again after the Bulls had hacked clear a butchered Cheetahs attack. Duncan Matthews sealed the win with an intercept before Francois Venter scored a late consolation try for the Cheetahs.

The Cheetahs received a disappointing postscript to the game with news that South Africa Under-20 winger Sergeal Pietersen broke his jaw during the match. "It looks like we've lost him for between six and eight weeks," Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske said.

Crusaders 26-29 Highlanders, Alpine Energy Stadium, Timaru

The Highlanders looked sharp in defeating the Crusaders after trailing 12-10 at half-time, but the fixture was marred by a horrific season-ending leg injury to the Crusaders' Will Heinz. Winger Jone Macilai is also set to miss much of the campaign with a broken arm, but the Crusaders enjoyed better news about Luke Romano and Robbie Fruean; All Blacks lock Romano enjoyed his first action after his season-ending ankle injury last May, while Fruean featured strongly in his first game in the red-and-black since returning from the Chiefs.

The Highlanders scored five tries to four, with winger Ryan Tongia bagging a brace. John Hardie, Scott Eade and Elliot Dixon also scored tries for the Highlanders, while Mitchell Drummond, Johnny McNicholl, Reed Prinsep and Jordan Taufua crossed for the Crusaders.

Dan Carter is expected to play for the Crusaders against the Hurricanes next weekend, but Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said he wouldn't rush his All Blacks back for the match against the Brumbies in Wagga Wagga on Saturday.

Hurricanes internal trial, Rugby Park, Gisborne

SWD Eagles 3-34 Stormers, Outeniqua Park, George

The Stormers scored five tries in defeating the Eagles in George, which coach Allister Coetzee taking the opportunity to test new combinations under the new leadership of Duane Vermeulen.

Cheslin Kolbe, EW Viljoen, Huw Jones and Manuel Carizza scored tries for the Stormers, who were also awarded a penalty try in the second half. Fly-half Kurt Coleman kicked two conversions and one penalty goal, while replacement Robert du Preez converted the penalty try.

Vermeulen said: "The humidity made it tough for us … plus I thought the SWD Eagles made it hard for us too. But it's a start for us … and we certainly look forward to getting better from here."

January 29

Blues 20-41 Chiefs, Toll Stadium, Whangarei

The Chiefs scored six tries to two to beat the Blues 41-20 in a Super Rugby pre-season game in Whangarei.

In an open but at-times messy affair, the Chiefs led 24-6 at halftime and looked the more cohesive side throughout most of the four-quarter fixture. First five-eighth Ihaia West kicked two penalties for the Blues to lead 6-5 after the first quarter but tries to Chiefs prop Ben Tameifuna, halfback Brad Weber and wing James Lowe swung the game before halftime.

The game lost shape when both teams made mass changes for the second half.

January 30

Stormers 39-31 Cheetahs, Newlands, Cape Town

The Stormers put points on the board, with outside centre Juan de Jongh opening the account with a try within the opening five minutes, and the hosts just too good thereon. Hooker Scarra Ntubeni, inside centre Huw Jones and scrum-half Nic Groom also crossed before half-time to lead 29-10 at the break.

The Stormers continued to impress throughout the second half, but they managed only one more try while fly-half Kurt Coleman kicked two penalties. The Cheetahs produced a late surge with three converted tries to reduce the margin to something more respectable.

January 31

Brumbies 19-24 Highlanders, McDonald's Park, Wagga Wagga

The Highlanders made it two wins from two in their Super Rugby pre-season campaign, dominating the second half in Wagga Wagga after trailing 19-0 at half-time. They scored tries to Ryan Tongia, Teihorangi Walden and Dan Pryor, and played the final quarter without Tongia after the winger was sent off for a dangerous tackle.

The Brumbies raced clear of the Highlanders with tries in the first half to their Wallabies centre Tevita Kuridrani and winger Henry Speight, but they were disjointed after both sides made multiple changes at half-time. Tongia and Walden both crossed early in the third quarter, and flanker Pryor put the Highlanders in front with 12 minutes remaining before Lee Allan, who converted all three tries, slotted a late penalty.

The result was soured by an injury to Highlanders centre Shaun Treeby, who was taken to hospital after suffering a bad concussion.

Former Wallabies skipper David Pocock continued his return from injury, playing the entire first half.

Hurricanes 41-31 Crusaders, Eketahuna Rugby Grounds, Eketahuna

The Hurricanes dominated the first half and held on to win a free-wheeling fixtures. The hosts scored six tries to five in humid conditions as both teams fielded a mixture of first- and second-choice players, with most of their All Blacks rested.

Tries to flanker Brad Shields, wing Jason Woodward and prop Ben Franks in the first quarter set up the Hurricanes win. The Crusaders responded in the second quarter through flanker Matt Todd and wing Johnny McNicholl, but the Hurricanes led 31-12 at half-time courtesy of tries to lock Geoff Cridge and prop Reggie Goodes.

The lead blew out to 26 points courtesy of a long-range try to centre Matt Proctor, but the Crusaders responded through a double to Robbie Fruean. The first of Fruean's tries was set up by Dan Carter after the All Blacks first five-eighth great was introduced at half-time for his first game of the season.

The Hurricanes made sure of victory with a late penalty to first five-eighth Otere Black.

Western Force 38-19 Asia Pacific Dragons, McGillivray Oval, Perth

The Force completed their pre-season campaign with a dominant win over the Asia Pacific Dragons, leading at every stage and claiming a 26-7 advantage at half-time through tries from Luke Morahan, Chris Alcock, Marcel Brache and Pek Cowan.

The visitors clawed their way back in the second term, before the home side closed out the match with two tries in the final 20 minutes.

"I thought we played some really good rugby up front," Force coach Michael Foley said. "Again a lot of the systems we've been working on were evident. There was a real break in momentum in the middle of the game, the opposition got a little momentum and they did quite well in the breakdown. I thought we were a little bit untidy in that area but it was good to see the guys come on and finish off strongly."

February 5

Toulon 10-12 Sharks, Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon

The Sharks defeated reigning Top 14 and Heineken Cup champions Toulon in a physical pre-season encounter at Stade Felix Mayol in Toulon, but only after Nicolas Sanchez had missed a penalty for the hosts after the full-time siren.

Pat Lambie kicked three goals and Fred Zellinga landed a fourth penalty for the South African heavyweights, while former Blues, Force and Highlanders winger David Smith scored a brace of tries, one in each half in the left corner, for the hosts.

Rebels 25-24 Highlanders, Harlequin Rugby Ground, Melbourne

February 6

Blues 32-29 Hurricanes, QBE Stadium, Albany

In a close match-up, the Blues proved too good for the Hurricanes as they pulled away in the final 10-minutes to produce a tight three-point win. Despite the Hurricanes scoring four tries to three, with Ardie Savea finding the line after the fulltime bell, their poor discipline lead to the Blues holding the lead for most of the match.

Putting points on the board early, the Blues found the line after just three minutes, but the Hurricanes were quick to hit back, scoring a converted try only five minutes later to gain the lead.

A tight see-sawing match saw the Blues take the lead again through two more penalties before Brad Shields and Ardie Savea found the line for the Hurricanes. Fighting their way back into the match a Ben Lam runaway try and a third penalty put the scores locked at 19-19.

An early penalty to the Blues and a try only minutes later gave the Blues the lead yet again which they managed to secure throughout the rest of the match with a final penalty putting the match out of doubt, despite a late try to Savea.

Reds v Crusaders, Ballymore, Brisbane

Stormers 45-7 Boland Cavaliers, Cape Town Stadium

With just nine full-time Stormers squad members in the side, the young side proved too powerful for the Boland Cavaliers, scoring seven tries to one in a clear show of dominance.

Opening the scoring early, scrum-half Golden Masimia crossed the stripe in the fifth minute and was over the line again only minutes later. Despite taking another 20-minutes to score any more points, the Stormers were clearly the dominant side and Michael Willemse was over for a third try, the Stormers soon added a fourth just before half-time to go into the break 26-0 up.

Although Boland were first to score in the second half, the game was clearly in the Stormers hands, with the young side crashing over through EW Vijoen and Sikhumbuzo Notsche. With several substitutions from both sides in the final 10-minutes, point scoring stalled until Tshotsho Mbovane slipped through the defence to score the final points.

Waratahs 38-36 Chiefs, Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney

Rob Horne bagged a hat-trick to end the Waratahs' pre-season trials © Getty Images
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