Week Two in Review

Two podcasts into the Super 14 season, and a number of things have come to light:

1. The Crusaders will win the competition.
2. There is no 2.
3. There is still no 2, and 3 is away on vacation.

Well, ok, only one thing has come to light. No, wait, there is a second: injuries will play a role in who finishes in what order behind the Crusaders. (Note that the Crusaders could lose their entire team to injuries and still win the competition. That's just The Way It Is. And no, we're not Crusader fans. We're realists.) Both Brumbies first choice hookers: out. Conrad Smith: out. Luke McAlister: out. Wendell Sailor: out (drunk doesn't really count as an injury, but he gains extra points for stupidity). All those players we mentioned in our second podcast: out.

Also mentioned in our second podcast were our predictions for the games in Round 2. In summary:

- We predicted the Highlanders would beat the Blues by 1-12 points: totally correct. We're not sure that the Blues are playing rugby. We think they are playing golf. In golf, if you score less than your opponent, you win.
- We predicted the Chiefs would beat the Cats by 1-12 points: totally incorrect. From all accounts a game right out of the top drawer. The top drawer of crap, that is. Are you playing this bad, oh Chiefs, just to spite us? And Cats - seven penalties? Come on! You're a Southern Hemisphere team, for goodness sake.
- We predicted the Bulls would beat the Brumbies by 1-12 points: totally incorrect. The Brumbies unleashed their impressive backline to score 3 tries to zero. Again, Bulls, you call yourselves a Southern Hemisphere team?
- We predicted the Hurricanes to beat the Force by 13+: totally correct. Such a mismatch, it's hardly worth claiming the correct prediction. And what a game to lose Conrad Smith in. If it had been the final with Smith drawing six Crusaders before passing to Lome Fa'atau to score the winning try, fair enough, that's probably worth a broken leg. As long as it was a really, really minor broken leg and he was able to play for the All Blacks. But the Force? [Insert appropriate Star Wars joke about the Force and being it not with them, hmmmmmm?]
- We predicted the Crusaders would beat the Reds by 13+ points: totally correct. The Crusaders decided to play the first 50 minutes with both arms tied behind their backs and their eyes replaced with grapes, but the Reds could still only manage to be a couple of points ahead. Then the Crusaders decided they may as well win with a four try bonus point just for kicks.
- our coin predicted the Sharks would beat the Cheetahs by 13+ points: totally incorrect. Obviously we were using an Acme-patented Back-To-Front-Coin. If we'd gone the total opposite of what the coin had told us, we would have got this game totally correct. We know now.
- We predicted the Waratahs would beat the Stormers by 13+ points: correct winner, incorrect margin.

We therefore picked the winner correctly in 4 of the 7 games, for a pick percentage of 57%. Our standards slipped slightly from Round 1, but that was primarily because teams (we're looking at you, Chiefs) didn't play as well as they could. It was no fault of...hang on...look into my eyes, look into my eyes...the results from Round 2 did not match our predictions because of circumstances beyond our control and do not reduce our rugby wisdom any - in fact, although you can't put your finger on exactly why, our rugby wisdom has only increased...three, two, one, and...

So, coming up in podcast number 3:

A review of Week 2 of the Super 14

A review of other sport
Yada yada. Maybe some cricket, although Hadyn doesn't like cricket, but Sideline Mike has a few bones to pick, especially since the Westpac Stadium staff confiscated his water bottle. Bad Westpac Stadium staff. Karma will get you. Yes, we watch "My Name is Earl" too.

A preview of Week 3 of the Super 14
- the Hurricanes return to the Caketin and take on the Cats.
- the Chiefs are still away, but getting closer to home, albeit very slowly. This week they are in Perth to take on the Force.
- the Stormers are at home to the Brumbies.
- the Crusaders set up camp in Timaru and will take on the Sharks on Saturday night (NZDT).
- the Reds are still at home in Brisbane, this time to the Blues. A battle of two of the additive primary colours. Will they add up to make a game worth watching? Oh, we made a funny.
- the Waratahs look to continue their 100% record against the Bulls in Pretoria.
- new boys the Cheetahs host the Highlanders.

Anything else we feel like throwing in
The towel is staying firmly on the towel rack. It is not even remotely looking like being thrown in. That may change tomorrow, of course, but for now...

Virtual Super 14 Update
The Dropkicks dropped 5,213 places to 18,330th thanks to only managing 29 points this last week. Much as the Empire did, we will strike back.