You may delay, but time will not - Benjamin Franklin.

You may wonder how this applies to this post. It's pretty simple really: I began drafting this piece on the 5th of January. I'm now rushing through to publish it, before the Hurricanes v Blues match kicks off tonight. Over a month, and I've still not got it done. And the annoying thing is is that I had predicted the injuries to Ali Williams and Sione Lauaki. Yes, you caught me, I'm Robbie Deans.

Oh hush in the corner with your protestations that it's cricket season. NZ Cricket have done all they can to disprove that myth - First by making sure the BLACKCAPS played an international match in every month of 2009 except July, and then by not playing a single game over the summer holiday period.

The Super 14's a month away and the players and I are getting excited for it. While it's hard to predict what'll happen in a season [The Chiefs in the semis and final? How did that happen?] I'm giving it a shot.

Blues:
Having signed Alby Mathewson and Stephen Brett they'll struggle to get a crowd along to their 7.35pm games on Friday, until the Auckland City Council makes it illegal for cafes to be open. The signing of Brett can go two ways:
In the first scenario, Brett will be an astute kicker, as he has been over the past three seasons and Grant Fox will consider himself qualified to speak up about a player who is playing a different style of game to the rugby union he grew up with.. In the second, Brett will struggle to adjust to the more open, flowing style of Blues rugby and Grant Fox will consider himself qualified to speak up about a player who is playing a different style of game to the rugby union he grew up with.
Isaia Toeava, Josevata Rokcoko and Rene Ranger will have every single mistake they make jumped upon, while players who actually don't do much in their positions, like Paul Williams, escape the evil eye.

Excited about:
The prospective backline of Mathewson, Brett, McAlister, Toeava and Stanley.

Not looking forward to:
The performance of the Blues being used to gauge the 'health' of New Zealand rugby. Ali Williams getting injured and releasing another book, detailing how he's gonna quit the game and become a coach instead.

Brumbies: ['Cause they're the only Aussie team worth giving a damn about]
The return of prodigal son Matt Giteau to the capital territory will give the Brumbies an anchor in the backline. He'll also bring back something from the West Coast that the Brumbies have been lacking in the past few seasons - style. No, not the hair gel kind, though him and Adam A-s-h-l-e-y-C-o-o-p-e-r will go through their share, and Stirling Mortlock's, but an ability to use the ball that the Brumbies' rumbling forward pack consistently dishes up.

Excited about:
Seeing what the best Australian side [on paper] can dish up in the new season.

Not looking forward to:
Stirling Mortlock suffering another serious injury, only this time deciding to retire.

Chiefs:
All through the off-season I've pondered something. Were the Chiefs of '09 really that good? Sure, the Bulls would have beaten any S4 team that day [and probably a few tier-1 national teams, let's be honest] but looking back on the Chiefs' season, I can't really remember anything standout. Beating the 'Canes twice was a good effort, but take away that try-fest against the Blues and what was there? Injuries. Injuries, injuries, injuries. The Chiefs have been plauged with them over the past few years, and always to key players. How Richard Kahui bounces back from his shoulder injury will be a key focus for the Chiefs - but I suspect he'll be fine, so all you girls can lower your heart rate now - and which do they use at first-five, Donald or Delany? And if you do the 'just chuck one at 2nd-five' option favoured by many pundits, what do you do with Sweeney, Willison and Callum Bruce? Not to mention that they have Sivivatu, Masaga, Muliaina and one of my favourite underdogs, Tim Nanai-Williams to choose from in the back three. TN-W can play at FB while Mils has his rest period at the start, but after that? It almost seems like the Chiefs administration is banking on some injuries...

Excited about:
To be honest, not much on field. I'm excited about this though, and hoping it leads to some good stats I can use. Also, seeing Sione Lauaki get injured is always a positive for NZ rugby. The quality of the Chiefs play seems to improve when he's out.

Not looking forward to:
The fact the Chiefs have six loose fowards... There'll be some frustration while lineups are sorted out no doubt.

Crusaders:
There's something different about rugby in the flatlands. You can have an off year, with the media and public jumping down your throat and writing you off because you've got a 'rookie' coach and your best player's injured, but still 4th. Is that really a bad year? There wasn't too much impressive about the Crusaders last season, they just trucked along and bored the opposition to death with their stiff defence. This year though they've got some top attacking talent - Robbie Fruean is in for Casey Laulalalalala, and along with Zac Guildford he's flying down from Wellington to play with Colin Slade in his sandpit - and Dan Carter is back on top of his game. And then you look at the forward pack - that same forward pack that gets you in shit for making mistakes, and causes you to lose the game, even though you've held the ball for twice as long as them. And have done this for about three years. Same shit, different year really.

Excited about:
Diva Dan doin' his thang. Nobody makes line breaks look so beautiful. Oh, and seeing them without that shitty sword thing on their jersey.

Not looking forward to:
Getting my hopes up for the 'Canes, only to have the Crusaders beat us in the semis or final again.

Highlanders:
Oh, the whipping boys of the naysayers, the Highlanders manage to operate without too much scrutiny. They've actually got a decent team, similar to the Blues really. But who's getting more exposure? Yeah, that's right, the fucking Aucklanders. How do you piss off a bunch of guys from the South? Show them that a bunch of Aucklanders think they're better than them. Yeah, Peter Russell, GTFO, I just took your job.
I actually think the Highlanders will have a great season if they can stay injury free. They should beat the Aussie teams - with the exception of the Brumbies maybe - and South Africans. They've had dominance over the Crusaders, and Hurricanes [bar the score at the final whistle] for the past two seasons. They just need to stop running out of steam in the final quarter really.

Excited about:
The dark-horse chances of this Motley Crue from Southland, Otago, Hawke's Bay and Manawatu making the post-season.

Not looking forward to:
The naysayers saying the Highlanders are shit and should be scrapped from the competition.

Hurricanes:
Alphabetical order [and myself] have saved the best for last. We made the finals once, you know. But my memory of that match is kinda foggy. The stories are all set in place to make 2010 the Hurricanes' year. 'Win one for Coop!' the headlines will scream. Aaron Cruden is central to our title hopes this year. Not to put too much pressure on the boy, but it's been fucking yonks since we've had a 1st-5 who can run the ball and kick it. Combine him with the All Black studded backline [Former AB Piri Weepu, and last year's team members Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Tamati Ellison, Hosea Gear and Cory Jane] and he should have a decent season. If he comes right, he'll have a championship winning season. For now, he's just gotta focus on taking the top spot on the team from Willie Ripia.

Excited about:
Seeing Cory Jane tweet from the field in the game against the Cheetahs.

Not looking forward to:
Failure to live up to my expectations. They're not unrealistic, are they?

This week sees two rather big games, one is a small surprise while the other was always gonna be fun.

Vs

First up, in Sydney on Friday night (9.40pm  NZ time) the top ranked Australian teams meet in what can only be called a dust-up. The Brumbies high on their improbable success are trying to go into New South Wales and defeat the Waratahs. If they do will it be considered an upset? Possibly, but I'm not too sure.

But the excitement doesn't stop there.

Vs

On Sunday (6.10am NZ time, probably Saturday SA time) the resurgent Sharks take on the big blue juggernaut, erm, the Blues. This will be the third and final stop in the republic and while they did alright in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein after a while living out of a suitcase, mini-bar gin and only having the company of hookers can wear you down. The Sharks will exploit this and their wee Frenchman to their advantage, so expect a lot of kicking.

The Dropkicks (I believe) have picked the 'Tahs and the Blues.

Images (again) supplied by the awesome Fraser Davidson from the Alternate Rugby Commentary