Good Morning!

I was feeling quite smug over my tipping for this week with only one wrong pick, until my son pointed out that my tipping is right up there with the Reds' Super 12 performance - it doesn't come good until it's all too late! Kids can be cruel can't they?

Anyway, the Crusaders blew my tipping score this week, bombing out on Friday night to the Hurricanes. Tana Umaga was in fine form, the sort of form that had everybody wondering why he didn't get a look back in during the RWC last year once he got over that cruciate injury. Oh well! Granted, the Crusaders must have missed the home crowd, along with Marshall and Mauger, and you had to feel for Chris Jack when he got flattened by Jerry Collins in the first half. Still, not even Daniel Carter could save the day for the Crusaders, and the Hurricanes went on to win 37-20.

On Saturday, the Brumbies had to get their acts together to ensure a home ground semi-final, which they did in a hard fought game against the Chiefs in Hamilton. The Brumbies winning by three points 15-12. The Chiefs picked up a bonus point, putting them into their first ever Super 12 semi. Good to see Brendon Cannon playing and making it through unscathed as well.

Still over in Enzed the Blues took on the Highlanders in Auckland. To say that the Highlanders copped a flogging is the nicest way I can put it. The final score - Blues 50 Highlanders 22. The Blues scored 7 tries and so picked up a bonus point, and at this stage of the weekend's games they were in fourth spot. Their Super 12 2004 hopes dependant upon the outcomes of remaining games.

Time for the 'big clash'.. Reds taking on the Waratahs. What an enjoyable game :) The Reds thumped the Tahs 23-7 and it was bye bye 2004 for the Tahs. My favourite part was seeing Nathan Sharpe score that try! What's he doing scoring tries? Marvellous what the Reds are capable of when they put their minds to it - if only they'd play with that level of intensity of determination in every round.

And it was over to Durban where the Stormers needed a bonus point, and preferably a win to make sure of their spot in the semis. They managed to do just that winning 31 to 24 over the Sharks. Stormers' flanker Schalk Burger scoring the shut down game try for his team, and Greef bunging one over for the bonus point.

The final Round 12 game was between the Cats and the Bulls, with the scoreline reading more like a basketball game 62-52 with the Bulls victorious.

Where does this all leave us? Easy! This weekend we will see:-

The Brumbies will play the Chiefs in Canberra
The Stormers travel over to Jade stadium to take on the Crusaders.

Will we be seeing a Brumbies/Crusaders final again? Maybe! So much for my pre Super 12 prediction that the Blues would take out the comp and do so quite easily :/