Stormers win comes at a price

The Stormers brilliant Kiwi-esque play saw them set the early pace in the Africa 1 conference. Their pack was hugely instrumental in giving the backs quick, clean ball which saw them score 24 unanswered points midway through the encounter. Despite the Bulls’ best efforts, the margin was too big and the Stormers won comfortably 37-24.

However, Springbok centre Damien de Allende was injured halfway into the second half, and will be ruled out for approximately 12 weeks. Although the diagnosis is shorter than originally anticipated, the Stormers cannot afford de Allende on the sidelines. With Juan de Jongh out for the bulk of the season and Huw Jones still on duty for Scotland, they will be starved when it comes to an experienced midfield.

Canes hit the ground running

The Hurricanes wasted no time in getting their title defence underway, pulverizing the Sunwolves 87-13 at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The one sided affair saw the Canes run in thirteen tries to a measly three. Ardie Savea and Michael Fatialofa both scored a brace while there were tries for Ricky Riccitelli, TJ Perenara, Julian Savea, Ngani Laumape, Blade Thomson, Brad Shields, Vince Also and Wes Goosen.

The Hurricanes looked to notch up a century when they took a 45-5 lead into halftime, but they stumbled towards the end before Willie Britz and Shokei Kin restored some pride for the home side. The Hurricanes turn their attention to the Rebels this Saturday and look to make it back-to-back wins.

Kings not to be taken lightly

Although the Kings suffered a home defeat 39-26 to the Jaguares, there are some positives the Port Elizabeth based side can take out of the game. The Southern Kings started the game at a high tempo and enjoyed the lead for the first fifteen minutes through the boot of Lionel Cronje. They were in the game for much of the first half but too many errors from the Kings meant the Jaguares finally pulled away away thanks to a try apiece from Leonardo Senatore and Joaquin Tumult.

The Kings can draw a lot of positives from the game as they scored twice in 13 minutes in an attempt to claw their way back into the fight, but it was a case of too little too late as time was not on their side. They never lacked commitment from start to finish but just battled to find any rhythm and intensity in the encounter. They will look to turn possession into points when they face the Sunwolves on Saturday.

Lions lucky to win

It took a 76th minute moment of brilliance from Ross Cronjé to put Rohan Janse van Rensberg away in the corner for his second try of the game, and ensure the Lions left Bloemfontein with all four points on Saturday. The Lions were made to pay for ill discipline and the Cheetahs were up 16-6 five minutes after halftime. They were chasing the game for the majority of the encounter but finally grabbed the lead through van Rensberg, and one they would hold onto until the final whistle.

There is no doubt that the Cheetahs of new look highly impressive, and look to have picked up where they left off from their Currie Cup victory. They were competitive for the full 80 minutes of the game and gave the 2016 finalists a shock that no doubt reverberated through the entire competition.

Chiefs are not to be forgotten

The Chiefs won their first game in seven attempts against their southern rivals on Saturday 24-15. The Chiefs were rightfully labeled underdogs going into the encounter but a James Lowe brace meant the Highlanders were always playing catchup and ultimately proved too much to ask for the 2015 champions.

The Chiefs were clinical under the roof and despite the Highlanders enjoying more possession and territory, they could not penetrate the Waikato side. Take nothing away from the Landers who may have been the better team on the night, but too many errors meant the Chiefs took their opportunities and outscored the Highlanders three tries to none. This impressive first round win will put them on the front foot heading into the clash against the Blues this weekend, and send a reminder that the Chiefs are no pushovers in this competition.

By Tristan Renaud

Super Rugby predictions for Round 2 will be published Wednesday morning