South Africa get a last chance to finish first in the Super 12 southern hemisphere rugby union championship this year.
The Coastal Sharks have come closest to winning a competition that will be expanded to 14 franchises next year, reaching the 1996 and 2001 finals only to come unstuck against the Auckland Blues and the ACT Brumbies.
The Golden Cats and Western Stormers (twice each) and Northern Bulls have reached the semifinals in an event dominated by the Blues, Brumbies and Canterbury Crusaders since its inception nine years ago.
A Stormers squad containing reigning IRB Rugby Player of the Year Schalk Burger is considered to be the strongest South African contender this year, although local optimism is not matched by international bookmakers.
One firm makes them joint sixth favorites with the Bulls at 20-1 and the Sharks and Cats are given even less chance of winning the Super 12 one year after the Springboks captured the Tri-Nations title.
Allister Coetzee, assistant to Bok coach Jake White, believes one of the four South African challengers can emulate the national team and go all the way.
"I believe two of our teams can reach the semifinals this year. Our players are good enough to be right up there with the best from Australia and New Zealand. We must believe in ovrselves," Coetzee said.
The Stormers and Bulls fit the bill of potential semifinalists while the Sharks will do well to finish in the top half of the table and the Cats' ambitions are even more limited under coach and former Springbok wing Chester Williams.
Burger, fellow Springbok Joe van Niekerk and newcomer Luke Watson form a potentially powerhouse loose trio for the Stormers while centers De Wet Barry and Marius Joubert are streetwise international campaigners.
The biggest worries concern goal kicking, with utility back Gaffie du Toit prone to erratic form, and finding an adequate hooker to replace David Britz, who failed a pre-season drug test.
Much is expected of new Bok center Bryan Habana in the blue strip of the Bulls, although coach Heyneke Meyer sprang a surprise by selecting him on the wing for the season-opening fixture at the Cats today.
Meyer has guided the Bulls to three consecutive Currie Cup titles only to flop on the international stage, claiming just one victory in 22 Super 12 outings. It is a record he will surely improve on this year.
World class locks Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha and workaholic hooker Gary Botha form the backbone of a powerful pack, Habana and center Ettienne Botha are outstanding backs, and fly-half Derick Hougaard a deadly goal kicker.
Fly-half Butch James is back for the Sharks after missing most of the 2004 campaign through injury and Brent Russell is a potential matchwinner with his jinking runs..
Williams won just once last year after inheriting a team struggling under Australian coach Tim Lane and the Cats do have the advantage of five home fixtures before flying to Australasia.
Six nations
England face the unusual scenario of being underdogs in Dublin this weekend but coach Andy Robinson says his ailing world champions have no intention of helping Ireland towards Six Nations triumph.
Ireland have won both their opening games while England have lost theirs, making Sunday's clash at Lansdowne Road something of an about-turn for the two countries.
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