SUPER 14 - ROUND 8

Team Pl Pts
Waratahs 8 32
Crusaders 7 31
Hurricanes 8 28
Brumbies 7 23
Bulls 7 19
Highlanders 8 18
Cheetahs 7 18
Sharks 8 17
Chiefs 7 16
Stormers 7 14
Blues 7 12
Reds 7 8
Cats 7 5
Force 7 1

RESULTS:

31 Mar Blues v Bulls 30-17
31 Mar Waratahs v Cheetahs 26-3
31 Mar Force v Stormers 25-26
1 Apr Hurricanes v Crusaders 11-20
1 Apr Chiefs v Highlanders 16-13
1 Apr Sharks v Reds 36-28

Byes - Brumbies, Cats

ROUND UP:

The Blues got back into winning ways and showed alot more promise than they have all year, can they back it up in the next round though? The Blues pack more than contained the big Bulls pack and after losing the battle upfront, the Bulls had no plan B. The Blues backline looked sharper, lead by the impressive Rua Tipoki.

The top of the table clash between Hurricanes and Crusaders turned out to be an evenly matched contest, the Crusaders just edging it, scoring 2 tries to 1. But all 3 tries were just awesome, full of skill and class. The Crusaders just had the edge it set pieces which laid the foundations for their victory.

In Hamilton the Chiefs held off the Highlanders 16-13. With Mils Muliaina moving to the No.13 jumper, the Chiefs had a real game breaker. But the Chiefs held off a late charge from the Highlanders and in the end deserved to hold on for victory. These two side will have a huge say on who makes the playoffs.

MY TEAM OF THE WEEK:

15. Cameron Shepherd(Western Force)
14. Rico Gear(Crusaders)
13. Mils Muliaina(Chiefs)
12. Rua Tipoki(Blues)
11. Lote Tuqiri(Waratahs)
10. Dan Carter(Crusaders)
9. Ruan Pienaar(Sharks)
8. Sione Lauaki(Chiefs)
7. Richie Mccaw(Crusaders)
6. Luke Watson(Sharks)
5. Jason Eaton(Hurricanes)
4. James Ryan(Highlanders)
3. Carl Hayman(Highlanders)
2. Cory Flynn(Crusaders)
1. Tony Woodcock(Blues)