Super XVIII 2016

AbusesToilets

Really disappointing how the Jaguares have gotten on down the stretch. They were lost a bunch of games by last minute scores at the start of season, now they seem to be imploding every other game. Discipline shocking as well.

Digifriendly

From looking at conference tables it looks like there will be 4 NZ sides;3 S. African teams and just one Australian franchise in the play offs. Australian rugby is in a bit of a dip at present I would conclude.

matthew8

Digifriendly wrote: »

From looking at conference tables it looks like there will be 4 NZ sides;3 S. African teams and just one Australian franchise in the play offs. Australian rugby is in a bit of a dip at present I would conclude.

They're not doing great but their teams play a very tough schedule with the NZ sides. The South Africans that are going to make the playoffs have benefited a lot from regular outings against the Sunwolves, Cheetahs, Kings and Jaguares, all of whom have struggled. I'd say they're on a par with the South African sides, but both very far adrift from NZ.

Digifriendly

matthew8 wrote: »

They're not doing great but their teams play a very tough schedule with the NZ sides. The South Africans that are going to make the playoffs have benefited a lot from regular outings against the Sunwolves, Cheetahs, Kings and Jaguares, all of whom have struggled. I'd say they're on a par with the South African sides, but both very far adrift from NZ.

Very good summary. I would not be surprised to see an all NZ final.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Australian team of the week in the SMH.

https://twitter.com/TheShiftyShadow/status/752312836068503554

Felix Jones is God

Joe Tomane's season is over after breaking his leg

Quintis

Felix Jones is God wrote: »

Joe Tomane's season is over after breaking his leg

Jake White won't be too happy at Montpellier

sydthebeat

Quintis wrote: »

Jake White won't be too happy at Montpellier

is nadolo still muted as moving there as well? i heard rumblings at the start of the season

Jump_In_Jack

sydthebeat wrote: »

is nadolo still muted as moving there as well? i heard rumblings at the start of the season

It was mooted, then confirmed.
http://crusaders.co.nz/news/894-nadolo-confirms-move-to-montpellier-after-2016-season

sydthebeat

it will be great to see him play in the flesh

Felix Jones is God

Quintis wrote: »

Jake White won't be too happy at Montpellier

By all accounts it's an 8 week layoff, so he should be ok for the new season

sydthebeat

last league round this week and really only 2 play off positions up for grabs.

chiefs, crusaders, highlanders, hurricanes, lions and stormers all through

waratahs and brumbies both on 39 points, with only one top aussie team going through.
Brumbies fancied as they are at home to the bottom nz/oz conference team the force, while tahs are away to the blues who would be bouyed by their demolition of the brumbies last week.

in SA conference, its a straight shoot out between sharks and Bulls. The sharks are 2 points ahead and are at home to the sunwolves so would be highly fancied to take the last wildcard slot.

so play offs will, most likely, look like this

22/23 July 2016 Lions v Sharks (1)
22/23 July 2016 Chiefs v Hurricanes (2)
22/23 July 2016 Stormers v Highlanders (4)
22/23 July 2016 Brumbies v Crusaders (3)

and my suggested semis....

Lions v Highlanders
Chiefs v Crusaders

sydthebeat

truely excellent end to the season for the blues.

whopping the brumbies by 30 last week and beating the tahs by 6 today.

The introduction of piers francis at 2nd 5/8th has paid dividends by taking a lot of pressure off West.

Umagas first season will probably go down as a plus, he needs to get more consistency from his bigger players, esepcially away from home.

wp_rathead

Hon Sunwolves!!!
Down by 2 point's at HT 21-19 away to Sharks

pickarooney

Hurricanes battered the Crusaders away. BP and kept them scoreless after 30 minutes.

Buer

pickarooney wrote:

Hurricanes battered the Crusaders away. BP and kept them scoreless after 30 minutes.

Only caught 15 minutes but Crusaders were doing a fine Leinster impression with ball in hand. Utterly toothless, side to side play.

pickarooney

Buer wrote: »

Only caught 15 minutes but Crusaders were doing a fine Leinster impression with ball in hand. Utterly toothless, side to side play.

I see they got charged down and intercepted for two tries by the halves.

LuckyGent88

Some massive defensive effort from the Chiefs at the moment. Putting in huge hits

LuckyGent88

What an unbelievable finish from naholo. This is a cracking game.

Buer

Complete bottle job. Inverted player, drove him into the ground onto neck/shoulder.

It's a red all day. Disappointing decision. No surprise given the referee.

LuckyGent88

Buer wrote: »

Complete bottle job. Inverted player, drove him into the ground onto neck/shoulder.

It's a red all day. Disappointing decision. No surprise given the referee.

At least highlanders have taken advantage of the yellow. Belter of a try.

sydthebeat

Great game.

I'll take an away game v the brumbies in the play offs.

Digifriendly

Why have Brumbies got home advantage in QFs when their pts total is not as good as their opponents?

sydthebeat

Digifriendly wrote: »

Why have Brumbies got home advantage in QFs when their pts total is not as good as their opponents?

because there topped the aussie conference
http://www.sanzarrugby.com/superrugby/

there are actually 2 'leagues' divided into 2 conferences each, creating 4 conferences.
the OZ/NZ league and 2 SA leagues

the conference winners all get home advantage, even though that means 2 SA teams and 1 OZ and 1 NZ

not perfect, but thats countered by the fact that the OZ/NZ league gets 3 wildcard play off positions while the SA league only gets 1.

sydthebeat

in a mad turn of events, of the four NZ play off teams to go through... the top team had the worst points difference, 2nd team had 2nd worst, 3 team had 2nd best, and 4 team had best points difference.

sydthebeat

so after a fun last day which threw up a fewsurprises, heres how the league finished

1.) Hurricanes (NZC1) 53
2.) Lions (AF2) 52
3.) Stormers (AF1) 51
4.) Brumbies (AC 1) 43
5.) Highlanders (WC) 52
6.) Chiefs (WC) 51
7.) Crusaders (WC) 50
8.) Sharks (WC) 43

The conference winners take the top spots and home advantage, the 4 wild card places by 3 NZ and 1 SA teams.

Interestingly the semis could see all four of the 4 NZ teams as they have avoided each other in the play offs

2016 Super Rugby Quarter-Final Line ups

Match No.136: Brumbies (4) v Highlanders (5)
Date : Fri 22 July
Venue : GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kick Off:GMT 0900

Match No.137: Hurricanes (1) v Sharks (8)
Date : Saturday 23 July
Venue : Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Kick Off:08.35

Match No.138:Lions (2) v Crusaders (7)
Date : Saturday 23 July
Venue : Emirates Airlines Park, Johannesburg
Kick Off: 15.30

Match No.139: Stormers (3) v Chiefs (6)
Date : Saturday 23 July
Venue : Newlands, Cape Town
Kick Off: 18.00

thomond2006

I didn't watch Super Rugby this year but I'm surprised at how poorly the Jaguares finished. With their squad I expected a lot better.

sydthebeat

thomond2006 wrote: »

I didn't watch Super Rugby this year but I'm surprised at how poorly the Jaguares finished. With their squad I expected a lot better.

absolutely

i had them touted as an outside chance of a play off position at the start of the year, but despite the half decent finish to the season they have been pretty crap.

i still havent put my finger on exactly what is going on with them... and how much of an influence does the Hourcade and the UAR have in the management of team. There certainly were cases during the season when change were made for changes sake... and there wasnt a coherent 23 for practically all season.

The losses to the kings and sunwolves stick out, but in reality they lost away to the cheetahs and sharks and then at home to chiefs and stormers, in their first 4 games, by less than a try in each game... which may have just disillusioned them a bit.

sydthebeat

Come on the highlanders !

LuckyGent88

What a steal by Dixon at that line out. Could be a big turning point as brumbies really should have just taken the 3 points