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S15: Stormers have it tough

Comment: Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer

Cape Town - Virgin territory for everybody … but a draw that does one of this year’s two best teams, the Stormers, no special favours.

That is a hallmark, from a South African perspective, of the new-look, significantly expanded Super 15 competition next year after the announcement of the maiden fixture list.

One thing that is indisputable across the board is that squad depth will be put to the test like never before, because of the notable, not unanimously desired stretch in the fixtures “concertina”.

There are 18 weeks of action in the three-conference system, featuring South African, New Zealand and Australian pools and supplemented by inter-conference games, before the mode switches to an expanded “finals” phase featuring the six standout sides.

Another big change of character, of course, will be that Super rugby henceforth extends into winter-proper, after being characterised in its previous formats, generally speaking, by the balmier and often drier conditions of late summer and autumn in the southern hemisphere – the final is staged on July 9 next year as opposed to its May 29 scheduling in 2010, when the Bulls beat off domestic rivals the Stormers in Soweto.

The Loftus-based champions ought not to have too many major complaints about their draw, which sees all teams enjoy two bye weekends – rather than the former one --during the 16-round conference stage.

Also gone is the phenomenon, during the Super 14 days, of each team having only 13 pre-knockout matches and thus experiencing alternately “easy” and “difficult” years with either six or seven home games.

Now the conference phase sees each team have eight home and eight away fixtures, and South African outfits will only have a maximum of four overseas fixtures on the trot, as opposed to the past trend of sometimes five – that extra game so often tended to be a bridge too far as travel fatigue took a toll.

No longer, either, will South African franchises occasionally be forced into crossing the Tasman twice: they will play a straight two matches each in Australia and New Zealand, without having to return to any one of those countries a second time while on the tour abroad.

Given that the Bulls and Stormers dominated the 2010 competition in the old format, their two meetings in the South African conference are bound to attract special interest – and arguably Victor Matfield’s side will be advantaged on each occasion.

Their first meeting is in Pretoria on March 19, a week after the Bulls have had their first bye, which should aid them from a freshness point of view.

And when they lock horns again at Newlands, on June 11 – in the second-last round of pre-knockout fare – the Stormers will just have returned from their four-match overseas leg with no break going into the derby.

Also not helping the Stormers is that their first bye is on the opening weekend of the competition, which is about as useful as windscreen wipers on a bicycle – it will mean longer spells of uninterrupted rugby than most other Super 15 teams as their only bye “proper” will come after 10 rounds of matches.

The Stormers also go abroad later than most South African counterparts in the competition, and it additionally means that five of their last six pre-knockout matches will be away from home: a good start to the S15 may therefore be imperative for them.

The Sharks, likely to be an improved factor next year, will probably not object to touring particularly early (from week three), which means a run-in of 10 matches on South African soil, even if not all at the Absa Stadium.

If the Lions, so dreadful in the Super 14 this year but showing gradual signs of rebirth in the domestic Currie Cup, have one regret in their draw it may well be that they are the only side of the entire 15 to have a bye on the final weekend of “conference” action.

The competition’s newest side, the Melbourne Rebels, who will play their home matches at the 31,000-capacity AAMI Park, play two matches in South Africa in their debut season – the Bulls on May 14 and Cheetahs a week later.

Stand by, then, from February 18 2011, for a revamped southern hemisphere extravaganza that is going to be far more marathon than it will be sprint …

2011 Super 15 schedule:

Week 1

Feb 18 - Hurricanes v Highlanders
Feb 18 - Rebels v Waratahs
Feb 19 - Blues v Crusaders
Feb 19 - Brumbies v Chiefs
Feb 19 - Sharks v Cheetahs
Feb 19 - Lions v Bulls
Feb 20 - Reds v Force
Stormers Bye

Week 2

Feb 25 - Highlanders v Chiefs
Feb 25 - Rebels v Brumbies
Feb 25 - Cheetahs v Bulls
Feb 26 - Hurricanes v Crusaders
Feb 26 - Waratahs v Reds
Feb 26 - Sharks v Blues
Feb 26 - Stormers v Lions
Force Bye

Week 3

March 4 - Crusaders v Waratahs
March 4 - Lions v Blues
March 5 - Chiefs v Rebels
March 5 - Brumbies v Reds
March 5 - Force v Sharks
March 5 - Stormers v Cheetahs
March 5 - Bulls v Highlanders
Hurricanes Bye

Week 4

March 11 - Crusaders v Brumbies
March 11 - Rebels v Sharks
March 11 - Stormers v Highlanders
March 12 - Hurricanes v Chiefs
March 12 - Force v Blues
March 12 - Cheetahs v Lions
Bulls/Reds/Waratahs Bye

Week 5

March 18 - Chiefs v Sharks
March 18 - Reds v Rebels
March 19 - Highlanders v Crusaders
March 19 - Blues v Hurricanes
March 19 - Waratahs v Cheetahs
March 19 - Lions v Force
March 19 - Bulls v Stormers
Brumbies Bye

Week 6

March 25 - Crusaders v Sharks
March 25 - Rebels v Hurricanes
March 26 - Reds v Cheetahs
March 26 - Chiefs v Blues
March 26 - Brumbies v Waratahs
March 26 - Stormers v Force
March 26 - Bulls v Lions
Highlanders Bye

Week 7

April 1 - Highlanders v Brumbies
April 1 - Waratahs v Chiefs
April 2 - Blues v Cheetahs
April 2 - Hurricanes v Bulls
April 2 - Force v Rebels
April 2 - Lions v Reds
April 2 - Sharks v Stormers
Crusaders Bye

Week 8

April 8 - Highlanders v Cheetahs
April 9 - Crusaders v Bulls
April 9 - Brumbies v Hurricanes
April 9 - Force v Waratahs
April 9 - Stormers v Reds
April 9 - Sharks v Lions
Blues/Chiefs/Rebels Bye

Week 9

April 15 - Chiefs v Crusaders
April 15 - Rebels v Highlanders
April 16 - Blues v Waratahs
April 16 - Reds v Bulls
April 16 - Lions v Stormers
April 16 - Cheetahs v Hurricanes
April 17 - Brumbies v Force
Sharks Bye

Week 10

April 22 - Blues v Rebels
April 23 - Crusaders v Highlanders
April 23 - Reds v Waratahs
April 23 - Force v Bulls
April 23 - Sharks v Hurricanes
April 23 - Lions v Chiefs
Brumbies/Cheetahs/Stormers Bye

Week 11


April 29 - Highlanders v Blues
April 30 - Hurricanes v Reds
April 30 - Waratahs v Rebels
April 30 - Force v Crusaders
April 30 - Cheetahs v Brumbies
April 30 - Bulls v Chiefs
April 30 - Stormers v Sharks
Lions Bye

Week 12

May 6 - Hurricanes v Blues
May 6 - Rebels v Reds
May 6 - Lions v Cheetahs
May 7 - Chiefs v Highlanders
May 7 - Waratahs v Force
May 7 - Stormers v Crusaders
May 7 - Sharks v Brumbies
Bulls Bye

Week 13

May 13 - Highlanders v Hurricanes
May 13 - Reds v Blues
May 14 - Chiefs v Stormers
May 14 - Brumbies v Lions
May 14 - Bulls v Rebels
May 14 - Cheetahs v Crusaders
Force/Sharks/Waratahs Bye

Week 14

May 20 - Blues v Stormers
May 21 - Crusaders v Chiefs
May 21 - Waratahs v Lions
May 21 - Force v Brumbies
May 21 - Cheetahs v Rebels
May 21 - Sharks v Bulls
Hurricanes/Highlanders/Reds Bye

Week 15

May 27 - Hurricanes v Force
May 28 - Highlanders v Lions
May 28 - Brumbies v Stormers
May 28 - Sharks v Waratahs
May 28 - Bulls v Cheetahs
May 29 - Reds v Crusaders
Blues/Chiefs/Rebels Bye

Week 16

June 3 - Highlanders v Force
June 3 - Rebels v Stormers
June 3 - Bulls v Waratahs
June 4 - Hurricanes v Lions
June 4 - Blues v Chiefs
June 4 - Reds v Brumbies
June 4 - Cheetahs v Sharks
Crusaders bye

Week 17

June 10 - Chiefs v Hurricanes
June 10 - Brumbies v Rebels
June 11 - Crusaders v Blues
June 11 - Waratahs v Highlanders
June 11 - Force v Reds
June 11 - Lions v Sharks
June 11 - Stormers v Bulls
Cheetahs bye

Week 18

June 17 - Blues v Highlanders
June 17 - Rebels v Force
June 18 - Chiefs v Reds
June 18 - Crusaders v Hurricanes
June 18 - Waratahs v Brumbies
June 18 - Bulls v Sharks
June 18 - Cheetahs v Stormers
Lions bye

Week 19


Qualifiers
June 24 - TBD v TBD
June 25 - TBD v TBD

Week 20

Semi-finals
July 1 - TBD v TBD
July 2 - TBD v TBD

Week 21

Final
July 9 - TBD v TBD
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