Good morning!

Well we've finally made it to Super 12 2005 kick off day! If you haven't got yourself organised with tipping comps yet you might want to get bit of a move on :) Click the link up top or here to join the one being run here (weekly prize and winner take all 2 x 2 night getaway breaks as listed top right of this page) . If you look a couple of posts down this page you'll find further details about the comp.

There's also tipping comps with great prizes that you can enter at optusnet and yahoo sports. If you have a yahoo account, don't enter your yahoo details to try and login because it won't work. You have to actually register specifically for the sports tipping.

Today's Perth Super 14 team coach selection soap episode can be read over at The Australian. In essence it says that John Mitchell and Andy Friend are neck and neck to get the appointment. And to think... just yesterday JM was the hot on favourite!?

Super 12 news though - that's what we're here for.

Tonight:

The Highlanders are planning on taking it to the Blues up front tonight in Dunedin. No doubt the Highlanders are hard to beat at home, but I suspect they're going to miss Tony Brown being on the field more than anyone wants to even consider.

The Waratahs are preparing for a hard game with the Chiefs tonight. I wonder what mastermind figured out that the Chiefs will probably play a very hard physical game. Rocket science!!

Over in Cape Town the Sharks and Stormers have been readying themselves for their first clash of the comp. According to a column in the Gold Coast bulletin there's been mind games going on all week, with Shark's coach Kevin Putt naming one side but likely to put a different side on the paddock. According to Luke Watson, ex-Shark now turned flanker for the Stormers, "He's (Putt) always full of games and little plans and ploys." It's all fun I'm sure :)) One very good thing for the Sharks' prospects this season is the return of Bok #10 Butch James.

Tomorrow:

Wish I could be in Canberra tomorrow night for the Brumbies Crusaders clash - it should be a cracker of a game! The Canterbury lads will no doubt be out to avenge being walloped by the ACT boys in last year's finale. Both side feature a cast of 'big names' in rugby, and it'll be hard to beat the Brumbies at home. Lots of rugby fans will be interested to see what the ACT crew look like now they have Fisher as their coach.

The Reds vs Hurricanes game at Ballymore should, on paper at least, be a good game as well. The Reds will be anxious to get a win under their belt first up; particularly after the drubbing they got from the Crusaders last week.

The last game of Super 12 2005 round 1 is between the Cats and Bulls over in Jo'burg. The Bulls have shown coach Rudy Joubert the door for Super 12 opting to go with Heyneke Meyer who steered them to Currie Cup success. The Cats have had a nightmare pre-season lead up with injuries galore, so they're going to struggle for quite a while this Super 12 season no doubt.

Back shortly with TV viewing times and *gulp* my errrr. tips for Round 1