Will Cheetahs be able to better their record against the Blues in New Zealand?
Blues will be looking forward to enhance their mid league rankings as they will be taking on the minnows of the tournament cheetahs during the week 7 of the Super XV at the Eden Park.
However, the minnows of the tournament have the potential to deliver an unexpected result on their show. They have scared the likes of Waratahs 23 – 3 during the week 5 of Super XV.
Cheetahs so far has played six games and lost five of them. Cheetahs on field performance are not as bad as their standing on the table. They are currently placed at the bottom of the table however they have managed to secure three bonus points. Cheetahs
are coming from their heaviest defeat in the season which they have suffered by the hands of Reds. Cheetahs lost that game 41 – 8. They have already announced the five changes in their team that will take the field against the Blues.
Blues on the other hand will be riding high in confidence particularly their close fought victory over the chiefs. Teams overcoming a stiff challenge and performing in tough conditions always come hard in their next matches.
Furthermore, in front of the home crowd beating the Auckland Blues would be next to impossible task for the Cheetahs. Blues will be counting on their attack to earn a bonus point through ties. Blues so far has scored 15 tries in the tournament as compare
to Cheetahs 7 tries. For Blues Payne and Ranger has scored three tries each and just behind Crusaders Israel Dagg’s 4 tries in the season so far.
Blues and Cheetahs so far has faced each other five times with Cheetahs winning only on one occasion. Out of the five contests between both teams three have been played in South Africa and the remaining two being played in New Zealand.
Blues have won both home games and two away games and lost only during their last outing against Cheetahs at Bloemfontein 32 – 36, last year. Records suggest that the Cheetahs have struggled to score against the Blues particularly playing in New Zealand.
In their previous encounters against blues in New Zealand, Cheetahs have scored 8 and 12 points in their 2007 and 2009 games respectively.
Blues currently are placed at fourth place with 20 points in the combined standing have made two changes forced by the injuries. Lowrey and King are been called in place of Kaino and Filo Paulo.
Considering the advantage of playing at home it is expected that Blues will easy overcome the Cheetahs challenge and be able to win by 25 points. A game that might allow the Payne and Ranger to better their tries record and challenge the tournament leader
Maitland leading the most tries in Super XV with 7 tries to his name.
Tags: