2018 Super Rugby Finals
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So it looks as though the Chiefs have got this quite comfortably as the guaranteed home final after sweeping past the Crusaders in the Semi Final. I'm surprised that the Highlanders are helping us achieve this by beating the Aussies and then the South Africans to join us there but alas, that travel factor will be a trip too far when we turn them upside down in the final.
Somebody start planning the parade!
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I'm pleased the Sharks scraped in ahead of the Rebels because they're the better side, a more traditional rival (I quite like the symmetry of a repeat of our '98 semi) and this makes for a more interesting game to go to this Saturday than it might have otherwise been. For mine, a loss is a very real possibility whereas the Rebels would have been fodder. I can't forget the home game against the Sharks 2-3 years ago when they were down to 14 men for a large part of it and 13 men for ten minutes, and they still beat us.
Sanzaar have changed the finals system this year though to group teams on one side of the finals draw or the other - in order to limit short-notice travel issues apparently - rather than basing the Semi Finals on ranking. This means the Crusaders, Sharks, Chiefs and Canes are on one side of the draw as 1, 4, 5 and 8 but in reality it's the top three sides (on points) and #8. Tough on all of them really.
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@milk said in 2018 Super Rugby Finals:
Impressive result from the Chiefs as most pundits were picking them to be bottom of the NZ teams, even below the Blues... and I think those predictions came even before they got decimated with injuries.
Yeah - credit to Cooper - he's done much better than I thought he would.
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@nta said in 2018 Super Rugby Finals:
Highlanders will fucking murder the Tahs, just like last time they were in Sydney for a finals game.
Based on the performance against the Bumbies, I fear you're correct.
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Just a further thought on the 'tweaked' finals format this year. Sanzaar would have fairly comfortably known that NZ sides were likely to finish in 1st, fourth and fifth positions on the conference ladder. Therefore it's hard not to consider the possibility that they've amended the format this year at least in part to limit the possibility of an all-NZ final and therefore broaden the international appeal of the competition showpiece. To the absolute detriment of the 'integrity' of the competition.
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@shark said in 2018 Super Rugby Finals:
Just a further thought on the 'tweaked' finals format this year. Sanzaar would have fairly comfortably known that NZ sides were likely to finish in 1st, fourth and fifth positions on the conference ladder. Therefore it's hard not to consider the possibility that they've amended the format this year at least in part to limit the possibility of an all-NZ final and therefore broaden the international appeal of the competition showpiece. To the absolute detriment of the 'integrity' of the competition.
That is some serious conspiracy theory shit
NZ has the deck stacked against them to finish first in the comp. So many good local teams.
Alternatively, they are trying to push that this is a genuine ladder (It's not -- the conference winners get priority), and therefore give the top qualifier the chance to play no 4 rather than 2 or 3.
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@shark said in 2018 Super Rugby Finals:
Just a further thought on the 'tweaked' finals format this year. Sanzaar would have fairly comfortably known that NZ sides were likely to finish in 1st, fourth and fifth positions on the conference ladder. Therefore it's hard not to consider the possibility that they've amended the format this year at least in part to limit the possibility of an all-NZ final and therefore broaden the international appeal of the competition showpiece. To the absolute detriment of the 'integrity' of the competition.
This was the 2017 Finals format:
The result of that format, with the current standings and conferences, would have been the same QFs and SFs as with the 2018 format:
QF:
1 Crusaders v 8 Sharks
2 Lions v 7 Jaguares
3 Waratahs v 6 Highlanders
4 Hurricanes v 5 ChiefsSF1 (CRU/SHA) v QF4 (HUR/CHI)
SF2 (LIO/JAG) v SF2 (WAR/HIG)So the finals format hasn't been tweaked, just renumbered.
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@shark said in 2018 Super Rugby Finals:
Just a further thought on the 'tweaked' finals format this year. Sanzaar would have fairly comfortably known that NZ sides were likely to finish in 1st, fourth and fifth positions on the conference ladder. Therefore it's hard not to consider the possibility that they've amended the format this year at least in part to limit the possibility of an all-NZ final and therefore broaden the international appeal of the competition showpiece. To the absolute detriment of the 'integrity' of the competition.
Are you sure this is a change for this year? I'm sure that this debate has come up in previous years and the same justification (travel uncertainty) has been given. Pretty sure the option was decided by the teams too, not sanzaar.
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@shadowtrooper said in 2018 Super Rugby Finals:
@kiwimurph I'm glad of the following;
- The four NZ teams have no significant travel
- Two NZ teams host QFs
- The best 8 teams made it anyway, despite the rigged conference system
I always maintained the Aus teams did not deserve a 2nd team in the playoffs the way they have played this season, whilst crediting the Sharks with some good performances, especially in NZ
Shame the Chiefs couldn't have made it a home QF, i go back to that loss against the Jags, that really hurt, and came back to bite them in the end.I thought the Rebels were a touch unlucky not to make it. When fit they were pretty impressive. They have wafer thin depth though and haven’t been able to cover for injuries like other teams.
Really pleased to see Sharks and Jags get in as I’ve enjoyed watching those teams.
As an aside I think this has been the best season in terms of the play and competitiveness since the conference system format began.
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@act-crusader As it worked out if Rebels had kicked the penalty after the siren vs the Jags to get the draw they would have made the playoffs.
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@kiwimurph yeah it’s hard not to look at those moments now and ask what if.
My QF picks:
Hurricane
Crusaders
Highlanders
Jaguares -
@act-crusader All 4 quarterfinals look interesting - Chiefs have a forward pack to really worry the Canes, Sharks have yet to play the Crusaders and look good v nz teams, Tahs are coming off a shocking loss but Highlanders have been leaking a heap of points lately themselves and Jaguares have lost their momentum from before June but don't have to travel as they are already in SA.
