The smoke has cleared, the dead have been cleared from the field, and the last four are left standing, Sharks, Bulls, Crusaders and Bulls.  Lets see how our 'experts' went with their season previews of these teams, starting with the first to die, and it was a mercy killing, the Queensland Reds.

Reds - previewed by Lee Grant
original preview
Not too far off the mark was Mr LG, worried about injuries, and about the tight five being a little inexperienced.  However, he didn't think of mixing those two factors together - injuries to the tight five, and front row in particular.  That is where their season turned to shite, or continued to head towards the sewer.  LG also seemed happy that E Jones was coaching, looked at that as a positive.  Perhaps if they had been winning it would have been, but once those losses started mounting, so did Steady Eddies whinging. 
Predicted that the Reds would finish 10th, so not too far off, although the Reds, in athletics terms, were almost lapped by the race leaders - and that in a 100m race is even more astounding...

Waratahs - previewed by Lee Grant
original preview
A bit wider of the mark this time was Mr LG, thanks to injuries and piss poor form.  Interesting to note though, that players to watch included Kurtly Beale and Lachlan Turner.  WE all knew that LG would mention Kurtly, as, to LG, a paragarph without his name in it is like a pencil with a broken lead, pointless.  Beale was found wanting at this level, as you would really expect from a young flyhalf, but showed enough that he may prove to be a test level player in a year or three (RWC 2011 anyone).  Especially if his forward pack stop reversing over him, and he stops playing flyhalf from behind the fullback...  Turner though, being wider out in the backline had a chance to make less mistakes, be tidy in what he did, and show plenty of pace.  I think this lad'll be gracing the green and yellow before too long.
Predicted that the Waratahs would scrape into the top four.

Lions - previewed by PaarlBok
original preview
Our old pal Paarl predicted that the Lions would not lie down and die for anyone, but didn't seem to hold out much hope for them other than being a gutsy team.  he was right!  Five wins was their lot, the same as the poorest performing team from New Zealand, the Highlanders.

Cheetahs - previewed by PaarlBok
original preview
Paarl seemed pretty happy about Rassie Erasmus coaching this side, and rated them to finish up in the money with the Sharks and the Bulls.  However they didn't really fulfil the promise that Paarl saw, and in fact won less games than the Cheetahs, who finished below them on the table.

Stormers - previewed by PaarlBok
original preview
Was worried about the coach, and if all the talented players could actually get off their collective buts and win some games.  Thought a top four finish would not be too far off, but as we all saw, those first thoguhts were a bit more on the mark.  An all Saffa top four was the Paarl's wish, he got half of that wish!

Highlanders - previewed by Voltman
original preview
Volty our hard bitten Southern Man didn't hold out too many hopes for the Highlanders, and picked an 8th place finish for the Clan.  He wasn't too far out, they were pushed to 9th on points differential, behind the Hurricanes.  He did mention though that they would face the Super Rugby Heavyweights in the last four games, Crusaders, Waratahs, Hurricanes and Brumbies.  What a rapid fall from grace for the Waratahs and Hurricanes, and the continued demise of the Brumbies as their weight grade plummets from heavyweight to flea weight for the Waratahs at the most.  Greg Zampach also gets a mention, mainly because he was a 30 year old wing making his Super debut.  But did he?  I can't recall seeing him.  He picked young Jamie McIntosh at prop to not get too much game time, whcih was spot on, and was worried that the absence of Hayman and Oliver in the early rounds would dent the clans scrum.  Big ups to King, Dermody and that bald headed hooker whose name escapes me who saw that their scrummaging was not missed too much.  In the same breath though, when Oliver came back onto the scene for his first game, the scrum looked like it had grown tracks and had a D8 badge stuck on it for a while!!  Ezra Taylor rated a mention as the next big thing too.  For next year, we had better hope so, as it looks like he is the last man left standing still contracted to Otago, and Highlanders rugby...

Hurricanes - previewed by Gibbit
original preview
Like Volty, pretty much on the money.  A mid table finish, worries about first five with Gopperth and Stewart slated their to fill the gap.  Also questions about the Hurricanes scrum once you go past Tialata and Schwalger at prop, and was not convinced about the Hurricanes loose trio until the All Blacks arrived back.  Predicted a win over the Reds in the first round, a match that proved to be one of only two wins for the Reds this season.. 

Force - previewed by Lee Grant
original preview
The surprise package for much of the Super season, and a good portent for them in coming seasons.  LG was picking better things for them than the year previous, but only saw them sliding into 11th spot, behind the Reds and Waratahs, both of whom were left propping up the table in 13th and 14th.  Picked it right that their backline would be the better of the two units, and that their forwards would struggle if the depth was tested.

Chiefs - previewed by BartMan
original preview
Geez, I'm not too bad, sometimes.  This line says it all really, "Gibbes, Willis and Robinson all need to play pretty much every minute of every game for the Chiefs to make the grade."  They didn't, and the season ended then and there in my eyes.  The early injury to Gibbes was the dagger in their backs.  I didn't really predict where the Chiefs would finish though, so can't claim any credit there!!  SO a typical Chiefs season, so close, and yet so far. 

Brumbies - previewed by Lee Grant
original preview
Right on the monmey with this one, Brumbies finishing 5th, just as LG called it.  Was worried about the leaving of the veteran core, and if the new boys could slip in and step up to the place and cope at this level.  Time'll tell, and in a few short months we'll see if life without Larkham, Paul and Gregan can be lived (over 300 Super 12 caps there, hard to replace at any level).

Blues - previewed by TeamRebel and Tim
original preview and original preview
TR (now TaniwhaRugby on the forum) was much a fence sitter like I was with predictions, but interesting point he bought up about Nucifora in pre season talking up the use of David Holwell as a ten, with McAlister out a spot wider.  That sort of happened, but with Nacewa at ten instead.  And when you hear the head of the Cartel comment about Nacewa as a first five (goes alright there for a wing), you get the drift that maybe the first though from Nucifora was the right one, but I digress.  Tim was not far off with his predictions, even down to the points - a top four finish probablt, with a total of 44 points (they finished with 42), but he's not thinking that they'll win the whole shooting box.

Crusaders - previewed by CD Wilson
original preview
Short and to the point.  Crusaders to win their second Super 14, the final at Jade against the Chiefs.  Well, still has one of those three to come right!!  Last weeks Crusaders v Chiefs game would have been a fine Super 14 final though, especially for the Chiefs fans out there...

Bulls - previewed by PaarlBok
original preview
I suppose, if you pick the same thing enough times, it will come true - and this time it has - the Bulls to make the top four, and to get a home playoff.  So he hit the nail on the head there, thanks mainly to the Reds being the worst team to grace a footy field since, well, since the Reds the year before, and the Highlanders next year...  Thinks it is their best chance to take a title, semi finalists for the last two seasons, and experience in that forward pack to die for.

Sharks - previewed by PaarlBok
original preview
PaarlBoks favourites for the Super title, and by topping the table, they have proved our Boer friend to be correct here!