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Blues' bye means Sharks can regain Super 14 lead

The Super 14 rugby table faces a shake-up this weekend with the unbeaten Coastal Sharks within range of regaining the top spot when they host the Wellington Hurricanes in Durban.

But should the Sharks fail, a second South African side in the Northern Bulls, who face defending champions the Canterbury Crusaders, are within striking distance of drawing level with the front-running Auckland Blues.

Going into the seventh round, the Blues have 23 points, while the Sharks have 20, two more than the third-placed Bulls.

However, the Blues' grip on the Super 14 helm has been courtesy of the Sharks having an early bye, and with the Blues having this weekend off their slender three-point lead looks precarious.

Yet, with so much at stake, both the Sharks and Bulls have gambled on resting senior players.

Springbok veterans John Smit and Percy Montgomery are absent from the Sharks' starting lineup against the Hurricanes, last year's beaten finalists, and the inspirational Victor Matfiled is on the bench for the Bulls.

There is still plenty of firepower in the Sharks, particularly among the loose forwards with flanker AJ Venter taking over the reins and former Springbok captain Bobby Skinstad looming on the bench.

The Hurricanes, a side who blow hot and cold, have inflicted the only defeat on the Blues so far this season but have also lost their last two matches which included giving the Western Force their first home win.

To boost morale, the Hurricanes have flown over their six resting All Blacks -- including Jerry Collins, Rodney So'oialo and Piri Weepu -- who will not be released for Super 14 play for another week.

"They've been training with us and straight away the standards have been lifted, just by the presence of those guys," coach Colin Cooper said.

The Bulls enter the Crusaders' paddock full of confidence after away wins over the Brumbies and Waratahs to boost their record to four wins from six rounds, six points clear of the ninth-placed Crusaders.

It is a critical period for the Bulls, who wish to cement their place in the top third of the table while on the road, and it is equally important for the Crusaders to get their season back on track now they are at home.

Despite resting lineout ace Matfield, the Bulls still believe they can control this crucial area of play with Bakkies Botha and Francois van Schouwenburg.

"Our scrumming was very good [against the Waratahs] and we spoiled their lineout possession and we will have to build on this against the Crusaders because they are particularly vulnerable in the lineout," Bulls forwards coach Pote Human said.

The Crusaders are also without their premier jumper, Chris Jack, and the backup of Rueben Thorne, who are among seven All Blacks in their squad held back in the first half of the season as part of World Cup preparations.

The Australian local derby between the Force and the Queensland Reds will be a passionate encounter with the Force in the unaccustomed high position of fourth on the ladder and the once-strong Reds at the bottom.

Reds coach Eddie Jones has stirred the pot by linking his side's fall from power to the emergence of a fourth Australian team in the shape of the Force.

The Waikato Chiefs, who also languish near the bottom of the competition and are the only team yet to record a win so far this season, open the seventh round at home tonight against the Lions.

The New South Wales Waratahs host the Western Stormers in Sydney in a match up of two struggling teams with talent but not form, while the Cheetahs play the ACT Brumbies in Bloemfontein.
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