Super Rugby News
-
-
So it is:
Top SA 1 Lions vs 3rd SA/Arg/Jap
&
Top Aus Brumbies vs 2nd NZ/Aus Hurricanestop SA 2 Stormers vs 3rd NZ/Aus Chiefs
&
Top NZ Crusaders vs bottom NZ/Aus HIghlanders -
The Saders vs Landers game is shaping up to be an absolute cracker. I'm sure a few Cantabs will be a bit worried about that - losses to the Lions, Canes and Landers to finish the season after going unbeaten for so long would be pretty difficult to stomach.
-
@hydro11 said in Super Rugby News:
@Tim said in Super Rugby News:
How is home advantage decided in the semifinals?
The top ranked of the two teams.
Yep, it's easy if the Lions and Crusaders win their QFs, because then the SFs will be in Johannesburg and Christchurch regardless of their opposition. If the Sharks and/or Highlanders win the QFs, you'll have to look closely at their and their opposition's total competition points.
I think - assuming the QF seeding nonsense doesn't apply when determining the ranking and only total competition points are relevant - this will be where the SF will be played:
Lions win: SF in Johannesburg
Sharks win: SF in Durban if Canes lose to Brumbies; SF in Wellington if Canes beat Brumbies
Brumbies win: SF in Johannesburg if Lions beat Sharks; SF in Durban if Lions lose to Sharks
Canes win: SF in Johannesburg if Lions beat Sharks; SF in Wellington if Lions lose to SharksCrusaders win: SF in Christchurch
Highlanders win: SF in Dunedin if Stormers beat the Chiefs; SF in Hamilton if Stormers lose to the Chiefs
Stormers win: SF in Christchurch if the Crusaders beat the Highlanders; SF in Dunedin if the Crusaders lose
Chiefs win: SF in Christchurch if the Crusaders beat the Highlanders; SF in Hamilton if the Crusaders lose -
@Stargazer Surely if the Sharks win and the Brumbies win the SF is in Canberra?
Brumbies will be ranked above the Sharks in the same way they're ranked above the Canes.
Similarly, the Highlanders - no way they're getting a home semi-final. They'll just remained ranked 7th. Reverting back to the points tables for the semis would be ludicrous - surely even SANZAR wouldn't come up with something as bizarre as that!
-
@No-Quarter said in Super Rugby News:
The Saders vs Landers game is shaping up to be an absolute cracker. I'm sure a few Cantabs will be a bit worried about that - losses to the Lions, Canes and Landers to finish the season after going unbeaten for so long would be pretty difficult to stomach.
Fear not, we have Hunt
-
@No-Quarter said in Super Rugby News:
The Saders vs Landers game is shaping up to be an absolute cracker. I'm sure a few Cantabs will be a bit worried about that - losses to the Lions, Canes and Landers to finish the season after going unbeaten for so long would be pretty difficult to stomach.
The whole thing is already pretty pretty difficult to stomach. Our prize for topping the NZ conference is a home semi against a full-strength Highlanders side.
I'd hate to see the fucking booby prize in this competition!
This conference structure has backfired monumentally on SANZAR - they have been made to look like incompetent wallies.
-
@Chris-B. said in Super Rugby News:
This conference structure has backfired monumentally on SANZAR - they have been made to look like incompetent wallies.
I would say 'proved' was the word you were looking for, proved to be incompetent wallies.
-
@Chris-B. said in Super Rugby News:
@Bovidae Why not have the Brumbies upset the Canes....
Lions* could march to the title with victories over the Sharks, Brumbies and Stormers!
I'm getting my bitter asterisk in early.
That would get the SANZAAR seal of approval.
-
So apparently, along with the Cheetahs and Kings, the Sharks could be looking at leaving too...
-
@canefan said in Super Rugby News:
Top qualifier without facing a single NZ side? Rubbish. Here's to the canes running rampant on the veldt and putting these pretenders in their place!
The Lions finished 2nd on the 2016 Super rugby log, and that was when they were facing NZ opposition.
Like the Blues, the Lions represent the economic hub of their respective country, and like the Blues they have been under-performing for a good number of years. However, unlike the Blues they have managed to turn their ship around.
I think that they deserve a little bit of credit for what they have managed to achieve, considering they werent even in super rugby a couple years ago.
-
@taniwharugby said in Super Rugby News:
So apparently, along with the Cheetahs and Kings, the Sharks could be looking at leaving too...
Here's the interview:
It's all just rumour at this stage, but I do see a world where SARU pull out of SANZAR if the money is right up north. The Cheetahs and Kings are SARU dipping their toes in the water.
I hope that it does not happen, but you cant help but agree that the decision making from SANZAR has been terrible. I believe them ejecting 3 teams is SANZAR taking responsibility for their poor decisions, and I think the competition will regain some respectability for it.
What it cannot undo is stop the wheels set in motion for SARU looking up north for greener pasture$.
-
@PN said in Super Rugby News:
@canefan said in Super Rugby News:
Top qualifier without facing a single NZ side? Rubbish. Here's to the canes running rampant on the veldt and putting these pretenders in their place!
The Lions finished 2nd on the 2016 Super rugby log, and that was when they were facing NZ opposition.
Like the Blues, the Lions represent the economic hub of their respective country, and like the Blues they have been under-performing for a good number of years. However, unlike the Blues they have managed to turn their ship around.
I think that they deserve a little bit of credit for what they have managed to achieve, considering they werent even in super rugby a couple years ago.
I was being glib. They were good enough to make the final last year so they are a strong team. It's not their fault, they don't make the draw
-
@PN although we have often heard that SARU are the one that pull the strings for SANZAR because of the extra $$$ they bring in, so this is borne of thier own doing in part?
I assume pulling from Super rugby, if in full or slowly over a number of years as I dounb the European comps could deal with 6 more teams will see the withdrawal of SA from TRC too, as they have oft threatened, although getting access to the 6N may prove to be a tougher nut to crack?
-
@taniwharugby said in Super Rugby News:
@PN although we have often heard that SARU are the one that pull the strings for SANZAR because of the extra $$$ they bring in, so this is borne of thier own doing in part?
I assume pulling from Super rugby, if in full or slowly over a number of years as I dounb the European comps could deal with 6 more teams will see the withdrawal of SA from TRC too, as they have oft threatened, although getting access to the 6N may prove to be a tougher nut to crack?
I believe the SANZAR CEO position is held on rotation, but that's not to say the other two don't provide any input. While the pie isn't sliced evenly, I believe voting is and therefore everyone should accept equal responsibility.
Will EU let SARU in to play with them? Only TV ratings can determine that when the Pro14 kicks off in October.
-
@PN what I mean was that we have always heard SA provide the most $$$ and have often 'threatened' (or talked of) to leave SANZAR, maybe against thier better judgement??...everyone bar SANZAR knew the expansion was a dumb move.
If workable, having a foot in each comp might be good, especially if we got a proper global season, but that would require common sense from the IRB and other national bodies...
-
@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News:
@hydro11 said in Super Rugby News:
@Tim said in Super Rugby News:
How is home advantage decided in the semifinals?
The top ranked of the two teams.
Yep, it's easy if the Lions and Crusaders win their QFs, because then the SFs will be in Johannesburg and Christchurch regardless of their opposition. If the Sharks and/or Highlanders win the QFs, you'll have to look closely at their and their opposition's total competition points.
I think - assuming the QF seeding nonsense doesn't apply when determining the ranking and only total competition points are relevant - this will be where the SF will be played:
Lions win: SF in Johannesburg
Sharks win: SF in Durban if Canes lose to Brumbies; SF in Wellington if Canes beat Brumbies
Brumbies win: SF in Johannesburg if Lions beat Sharks; SF in Durban if Lions lose to Sharks
Canes win: SF in Johannesburg if Lions beat Sharks; SF in Wellington if Lions lose to SharksCrusaders win: SF in Christchurch
Highlanders win: SF in Dunedin if Stormers beat the Chiefs; SF in Hamilton if Stormers lose to the Chiefs
Stormers win: SF in Christchurch if the Crusaders beat the Highlanders; SF in Dunedin if the Crusaders lose
Chiefs win: SF in Christchurch if the Crusaders beat the Highlanders; SF in Hamilton if the Crusaders loseSo best case scenarios for each NZ team are...
Crusaders- win v Highlanders, semi in ChCh, win semi and play Hurricanes who had to travel to SA and back
Highlanders - beat Crusaders, hope Chiefs win and have to travel back for game in Hamilton then play final in wellington against returning Hurricanes.
Hurricanes, beat Brumbies, hope Sharks beat Lions, play semi in Wellington, hope Highlanders beat Crusaders in quarters and claim final at home without much travel
Chiefs - beat Stormers, hope Highlanders beat Crusaders so they get a home semi, hope to get a final against a returning Canes
