The Stock Market Rd 10

Blue Chips - Buy Buy Buy

Ryan Crotty (Crusaders) - Returning from injury last week, Crotty is an All Black, a clear starter every week and he is playing second five-eighth in a undefeated crusaders team. What more do you need to know?

Adam Coleman (Force) - The Wallabies and Force hard man probably won’t return this week but rather has been inked in for a likely starting return next week (May 6). One of the top locks overall from 2016, Coleman guarantees two things, a) the man is a starter and b) workrate - he doesn’t know how to take it easy. If you can or even if you can’t, consider dropping the junk lock you’ve got and pick him up now before you miss him next week.

Smokies - Buy Low Sell High

Karmichael Hunt (Reds) - His name has been thrown in the ring for a wallabies jersey this year and the man has pulled off some impressive performances in recent weeks (83 last time he took the field).  He had been building form steadily from the start of the season and has been the shining light in an underachieving Queensland Reds outfit. He could kill it again this week or just as he easily, he could not. You choose.

Patrick Osborne (Highlanders) - mentioned a few weeks ago on the stock market, Osborne was considered a blue chip last year and we are not quite sure what has been going on in 2017. He has had a few injury niggles but seems to be losing out in the competition with Tevita Li for the number 11 jersey on a weekly basis. One big performance could put him back in the starting side and with a some good fixtures coming up for the landers, then the difficult choice will be whether to hold him or capitalize with a clutch trade.

Do you speak Spanish? If so then a) have a good read of whatever Jaguares rugby sites you can get onto and b) drop us a line. After a long South Africa tour, the Jaguares are back in Argentina and with a number of players returning from injury the team this is anyone’s guess. Martin Landajo, Manuel Montero, Tomas Lavanini, Juan Manuel Leguizamon to name a few.

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Rising Stocks

Harold Vorster (Lions) - another centre, Vorster has been gifted the starting spot with Rohan van Rensburg succumbing to injury (for full super rugby injury updates every week - check out the Casualty Ward). Vorster has scored a try in his last 2 starts after hitting some wicked lines at pace and crashing over the tryline. He’s a class player and more importantly in a class outfit. The in form Lions were last years runners up for a reason and they have just taken off on an Australian tour that looks like it will be a points frenzy for the men from Johannesburg.

Sefa Naivalu (Rebels) - The rebels may be in 17th place on the leaderboard but since returning from injury, Super Sefa has improved each week and particularly the last two weeks have seen some blockbusting runs which has shot his name straight back into contention for a wallabies jersey in 2017.

Hold - watch this space

Fred Zeilinga (Cheetahs) - Whilst in recent weeks Fred has been saved a spot on the bench and watched Neil Marais run out with the 10 on his back, surely this is part of the Cheetahs larger rotaton plan as when he has been on the field, Zeilinga has been one of the better 10s in the competition.

The Entire Blues Backline (Blues) - There is a lot of healthy competition for a starting spot in Umaga’s mightily talented backline and none more so than in the centres right now. We basically recommend holding the entire blues backline, if you have someone and they aren’t starting then just hold them if you can and wait and see. Umaga seems to be changing his mind every week and waiting for something to click. We would suggest that they may find that perfect balance of yin and yang with a centre pairing of SBW and Moala and shifting the exciting youngster Reiko out to the wing.

Falling Stocks

Pablo Matera (Jaguares) - Matera seems to have lost his groove, after blitzing the start of the season, his average over the last three rounds is now only 17! They may have games against the Sharks, Sunwolves, Force and Brumbies coming up in Argentina, but with the expected return of Juan Manuel Leguizamón, and the return of Rodrigo Báez there is plenty of competition to cut his game time short. I'd be using his draw as leverage to part ways with him ASAP.

Liam Coltman (Highlanders) - The hugely popular ‘Wolfman’ has been killing it for the men from Otago but his days could be numbered with Ash Dixon returning from injury. Dixon has been a mainstay in the Highlanders over the past couple of years and whilst he used to start ahead of Coltman, that could change given recent form. Either way though, Coltman can expect less game time and will have to fight to hold onto that starting jersey.