Week Four in Review

So, Podcast Four has come and gone. And it wasn't without it's technical hitches. Sorry, we're doing things on the cheap here (we won't even tell you how we record our sessions, because it's too embarrassing; suffice to say Thomas Alva Edison called and wants his dictaphone back). Consequently, Podcast Number 4 suffered from some, shall we say, volume issues. You could hear everything (one point to us), but if you got scared when we shouted "Wacky Round the World", be comforted in the fact that we got scared too, and we knew it was coming. Suffice to say, we are refining our techniques (yes, we have techniques) and Podcast Number 5 will be better, bigger, stronger, faster in every way. That's not to say Podcast Number 4 was weak. Oh dear Lord, no. The content was as strong as ever.

That content, of course, included our predictions for Round 4 of the Super 14. And without any more ado, here is what we got right, and what we got almost right:

- We predicted the Chiefs would beat the Reds by 1-12: partially correct (5 Virtual Rugby points). The fourth time in a row we picked the Chiefs to win by 1-12. One of these days they are going to do it too, and we'll be away laughing. With a strike force as potent as the Chiefs have got (Anisi, Sivivatu, Lauaki, Muliaina, etc) they are always going to be dangerous. As the Reds found out.
- We thought the Brumbies would hand the Cats a whomping by more than 13 points: totally correct (8 Virtual Rugby points). Despite going to sleep in the second half and the Cats waking up from their Canberra stupor, the Brumbies had done enough in the first half to ensure the win.
- After the Sharks gave the Crusaders a scare the previous week, we thought they might do the same to the Waratahs in Sydney. We didn't think they'd win, but we thought it might have been closer than it was: we picked the Waratahs by 1-12 (partially correct: 5 more Virtual Rugby points), whereas the Waratahs ended up cruising out past the 13 point margin.
- We picked the Crusaders to pound the Blues by 13+: totally correct (8 Virtual Rugby points). Richie McCaw proved, yet again, that he is a berserker machine who waylays the opposition team much as we waylay the chippie crumbs that fall onto our chests during our rugby watching sessions.
- We picked the Highlanders to sneak past the Stormers in Cape Town by 1-12: partially correct (5 Virtual Rugby points). The Stormers were, by all accounts, pretty dire, so the Highlanders actually won quite handsomely by 15 points.
- We thought the Hurricanes would find a higher gear (he he he, inside joke) against the Cheetahs and win by 1-12: totally wrong. In the end, the Hurricanes managed to ping a throstlesprocket and seize up, leaking 17 points in the last 20 minutes to the Cheetahs, who landed a tense conversion to take the game by 2 points. Hopefully the Hurricanes find the right lubricant for their next game against the Stormers (and no, that lubricant isn't alcohol, Jerry and Lome).
- The Bulls and the Force had a week off, so we didn't predict anything for them, and we were right.

Pick accuracy this week was an improving 5 out of 6 (or 83%). Grade: B+ (marked down slightly because of we picked some wrong margins). Can do better.

Coming up in podcast number 5:

A review of Week 4 of the Super 14

A review of other sport
Rugby, perhaps. Maybe some cycling. Oh, and we can't forget the wrestling.

A preview of Week 5 of the Super 14
- The Chiefs are still at home, although the Crusaders decide to stop by. Will we still pick the Chiefs to win by 1-12?
- The Waratahs host the Cats in Sydney. The Cats looked good against the Hurricanes a couple of weeks back, and won the second half against the Brumbies last week by 7-3 - have they enough to slip past the Waratahs?
- The Brumbies take on the Sharks in Canberra. Will Canberra put the Sharks to sleep before they even hit the field at Bruce Stadium? Or will it just numb their senses?
- The Force travel to Brisbane to play the Reds. Who wants the wooden spoon the most?
- The Bulls take on the Highlanders in Pretoria. Game of the round.
- The Hurricanes (minus Tana and possibly Jerry and Lome, but with Rodney and Tito back) face the underperforming Stormers in Capetown.
- The Blues and Cheetahs sit out this round.

What else?
Athlete of the Week, Dick of the Week, No Pun Intended, some stats perhaps and the ever popular Wacky Round the World (now with extra warning!).

Virtual Super 14 Update
The Dropkicks picked up 9,988 places to be 33,877th because we got 31 points. Slowly, but surely, we are assuming our rightful place.