Super Rugby

[zer0]

Should do. I mean the Hurricanes have scored 48 more tries than the Brumbies over the regular season FFS.

[rowan]

Against any other team I'd like to see the Aussies succeed, just not against the Canes!

[rowan]

Support for a Pacific Islands Super Rugby franchise seems to be gaining momentum. This from the Observer:

Samoa pushes for Super rugby inclusion during P.M’s New Zealand visit

Cabinet has approved the report on the Prime Minister’s trip to New Zealand on 16 June 2017. The trip included meetings with the Rugby New Zealand; the Manukau Institute of Technology and the launching of the Manu Samoa Old Boys Association.

The meeting with the New Zealand Rugby Union was attended by New Zealand’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Cherry Brownlie and former Minister Murray Mcully.

Representatives of the organisation for the South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby unions (SANZAR) were also present as well as representatives of the Fijian and Tongan Rugby Unions.

The meeting focused on the inclusion of a combined Pacific Team in the Super Rugby tournament.

The meeting by the Prime Minister and the Manukau Institute of Technology focused on reviewing and initiating networks with the Government of Samoa through education.

The Prime Minister also launched the Manu Samoa Old Boys Association (M.S.O.B.A). Members of this association will assist with the selection of rugby players for the Manu Samoa. The Prime Minister also challenged the M.S.O.B.A to network with former All Blacks who are Samoans to reaffirm opportunities for Samoan players in the team.



http://sobserver.ws/en/21_07_2017/local ... ABINET.htm

[rowan]

Yet another reason the Sunwolves' inclusion is absurd:

The on-field temperature in Tokyo reportedly topped 44C.

The heat is going on Sanzaar to heed the lessons from the Blues' regular season finale played in Tokyo in temperatures that nudged over the 40 degrees Celsius mark.

Tana Umaga's Blues suffered a meltdown in Tokyo last Saturday when they all but evaporated in the soaring summer temperatures in Tokyo, seeing a 21-7 lead turn into a horror 48-21 defeat at the hands of the Sunwolves who scored the last 41 points of the match.

The Blues were not keen to use the heat as an excuse after the match against the South African Super Rugby conference cellar-dwellers and refused to discuss the issue on their arrival back in New Zealand.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/supe ... um=twitter

[rowan]

Saders with the 17-0 win. It's all going to script so far, and that's actually been one of the major problems with Super Rugby this year - mind-numbing predictability.

[rowan]

Well, it wasn't an upset but it was certainly a thriller as the Lions needed a late penalty to edge the Sharks 23-21 and set up a re-match of last year's final. Frankly, I think the Canes will take these guys, even in J'burg, to set up a final with the Saders.

[morepork]

Stormers and Chiefs giving a lesson in hospital passing at the moment. Very loose.

[morepork]

Chiefs passing is shocking.

[rowan]

Are the Saders at home if it's them and the Canes in the final? It's always the higher-ranked team from the regular season, right?

[morepork]

Chch regardless of who.

[morepork]

This is a bit painful to watch.

[morepork]

Retalika single handedly keeping some shape to it. One of Cruden's long passes comes off and chiefs score.6 up with 3 minutes to go. Pretty ugly stuff but they look like sneaking it.

[rowan]

Chiefs head to Christchurch then...

[rowan]

1st semi looks certain to be the Lions at home to the Canes. 2nd is not so easy to pick, but good chance it'll be Saders at home to the Chiefs.

[canta_brian]

1st semi looks certain to be the Lions at home to the Canes. 2nd is not so easy to pick, but good chance it'll be Saders at home to the Chiefs.

Shame the canes won last week. There would have been every chance that all four nz teams would have made the playoffs. (Auckland as we all know is part of Australia).

[rowan]

We'll see how far ahead of the chasing pack the Kiwis really are when the Canes rock up to Ellis Park.

[rowan]

Unsurprising it's come down to the Lions & 3 Kiwi teams, unsurprising also that those Kiwi sides are the Saders, Canes & Chiefs. I think this scenario became likely even before the regular season was halfway through. Will we see a surprise in the last 3 games of the championship? The Canes v Lions game in Joburg is a 50/50 but I'll take the defending champs, while Canterbury are obviously favourites against the Chiefs, so a win for the visitors there would be a veritable upset.

[rowan]

Interesting point Stransky is making. The Canes will be the Lions' first Kiwi opponents this year. How much of a disadvantage is that going to be to them? All I can say is that, whoever wins at Ellis Park, I hope they win the final

& I'm going for a Canes - Saders final. Anyone else with a prediction

[zer0]

The Lions are a quality side, as they demonstrated last season. While it's not ideal, I don't think playing a NZ side for the first time this season should impact them too much. Especially as that side will be crossing the Indian Ocean a few days beforehand. I think the Lions will win, but it'll probably be close, especially if it's dry. A Lions vs Crusaders final could go either way.

If the Hurricanes do win, however, I'd say they'll lose the final on account of their travel. Comfortably so, if it's against the Crusaders as their pack will just steamroll through the Hurricanes -- which is basically what I expect them to do to the Chiefs.

[rowan]

Yes, it's going to be very interesting. The Lions are an unknown quantity for the Kiwis, and will play the rest of the championship at home, whether it be one or two games. But they were lucky to get by the sharks, and the NZ teams have generally been a cut above the others this year. So I'm expecting a Canes win, the a Lions v Saders final would be better for the competition and, obviously, better for SA rugby as well. On top of which, they would then have home advantage against Canterbury in the final and that could go either way (if the Lions have already beaten the defending champs). I also think the Saders would down the Canes in Christchurch, which would be a bit of an anti-climax - at least, from this fan's perspective...

[rowan]

Saders up 3-0 after 15

Update: 10-3 half an hour gone. Hall with the try.

Apparently Canterbury have never lost a home game in the Super Rugby playoffs. Wow

Update: HT 10-6

Update: 15-6 heading toward the final 1/4

[canta_brian]

Easy win in the end for the saders. Still to make up my mind if I would prefer a home match against the only team yo beat us this year or an away trip to an unknown quantity. Probably the former I guess

[rowan]

Congratulations! Well, this year has been so predictable I think the Saders will win either way. Obviously I'm a Canes man and will be rooting for them, but a final at Ellis Park would also be quite a scenario, given the Transvaalites have never won the thing!

[rowan]

Lions with a much-needed try just before the break but it's 10-22 to the Canes heading into the interval...

[canta_brian]

Book the flights Canterbury. The canes just blew it.