Rugby
Three hot Super 14 warm-ups
2009-01-09 15:35
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Johannesburg - Three interesting fixtures - two because of venue, one because of the opponents - will highlight the South African franchises' warm-up fixtures for the 2009 Super 14 competition.
On the neutral ground that is Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the Sharks will play the Cheetahs on January 24 in what could be a literally warm friendly, with a long term prediction of 27 degrees despite the fact that it is winter in those parts.
Another unlikely venue is Polokwane, headquarters of the Limpopo sub-union of the Blue Bulls, where the Bulls will do battle with the Cheetahs on January 30. It is a fixture that is already creating great excitement in the area.
The Stormers kick off their preparations against Saracens from England where former Stormers and Springbok scrumhalf Neil de Kock will no doubt play against his old team and could even captain the visitors, depending on their tour group. Saracens newcomers Wikus van Heerden and Brad Barritt and stalwart Cobus Visagie are other South Africans in the Saracens squad.
The Bulls will play three warm-up fixtures, of which one is a double-header when two teams will play the Lions at Wits University as part of the club's centenary celebrations. The Lions will have no other fixtures than this outing.
The Bulls also play the Sharks in Durban.
The Lions are the only franchise to play only the one warm-up match, while the Blues from New Zealand will play four pre-season games, the most warm-up matches of all the Super 14 franchises, with others opting for two or three outings.
The Waratahs from Australia will meet the Fiji Warriors in the other non-Super 14 "international" match.
The warm-up fixtures are:
SOUTH AFRICAN SIDES:
BULLS: Saturday, January 24: v Lions (double header) - Johannesburg, TBC Friday, January 30: v Cheetahs - Polokwane, 19.00 Wednesday, February 4: v Sharks - Durban, 17.00
CHEETAHS: Saturday, January 24: v Sharks - Abu Dhabi, 17.00 Friday, January 30: v Bulls - Polokwane, 19.00
LIONS: Saturday, January 24: v Bulls (double header) - Johannesburg, TBC
SHARKS: Saturday, January 24: v Cheetahs - Abu Dhabi, 17.00 Wednesday, February 4: v Bulls - Durban, 17.00
STORMERS: Sunday, January 25: v Saracens - Cape Town, TBC Saturday, January 31: v Boland - Wellington, TBC
AUSTRALIAN SIDES:
BRUMBIES: Friday, January 30: v Hurricanes - Canberra Stadium, 19.40 Thursday, February 5: v Waratahs - Sydney, 19.40
REDS: Saturday, January 24: v Waratahs - Toowoomba, 19.15 Friday, January 30: v Blues - Waitakere Stadium, Auckland, 18.00 Thursday, February 5: v Western Force - Ballymore, 19.00
WARATAHS: Saturday, January 24: v Reds - Toowoomba, 19.15 Friday, January 30: v Fiji Warriors - Newcastle, 19.40 Thursday, February 5: v Brumbies - Sydney, 19.40
WESTERN FORCE: Friday, January 23: v Crusaders - Perth, 20.00 Thursday, February 5: v Reds - Ballymore, 19.00
NEW ZEALAND SIDES:
BLUES: Saturday, January 17: v Chiefs - Growers Stadium, Pukekohe, 15.00 Friday, January 23: v Hurricanes - North Harbour Stadium, Albany, 14.30 Friday, January 30: v Reds - Waitakere Stadium, Auckland, 18.00 Thursday, February 5: v Highlanders - North Harbour Stadium, Albany, 14.00
CHIEFS: Saturday, January 17: v Blues - Growers Stadium, Pukekohe, 15.00 Friday, January 23: v Highlanders - Rotorua, TBC Saturday, February 7: v Hurricanes - Gisborne, 15.00
CRUSADERS: Friday, January 23: v Western Force - Perth, 20.00
HIGHLANDERS: Friday, January 23: v Chiefs - Rotorua, TBC Thursday, February 5: v Blues - North Harbour Stadium, Albany, 14.00
HURRICANES: Friday, January 23: v Blues - North Harbour Stadium, Albany, 14.30 Friday, January 30: v Brumbies - Canberra Stadium, 19.40 Saturday, February 7: v Chiefs - Gisborne, 15.00