The 2014 Super Rugby season is slowly drawing to a close and tomorrow sees the two Play-Off matches in the form of a Qualifying Round. Tomorrow’s victorious teams will qualify for the right to play in the Semi-Finals.
The only certainty is that the Crusaders and the Waratahs will be hosting those Semi-Finals, but against whom, and what happens after that?
There are multiple scenarios and permutations that could come into play.
3 Weekends of Super Rugby remain in 2014, this weekend’s Play-Off Round, the Semi-Final Weekend and the Final the week thereafter.
The Final takes place on 2 August 2014.
If you are a Sharks fan:
Your team qualified 3rd on the Combined Log.
They’re up against the Highlanders in Durban, on Saturday night.
- If the Sharks win, then they travel to Christchurch to take on the Crusaders in the one Semi-Final.
- If the Sharks beat the Crusaders and the Waratahs beat the Brumbies, the Sharks travel to Sydney to take on the Waratahs.
- The Sharks can host the Final if they beat the Crusaders and the Brumbies beat the Waratahs.
If you are a Brumbies fan:
Your team qualified 4th on the Combined Log.
They’re up against the Chiefs on Saturday morning.
- If the Brumbies beat the Chiefs and the Sharks beat the Highlanders, they travel to Sydney to take on the Waratahs in the other Semi-Final.
- If the Brumbies beat the Chiefs and the Highlanders beat the Sharks, they travel to Christchurch to take on the Crusaders.
- If the Brumbies beat the Waratahs and the Sharks beat the Crusaders, they travel to Durban to take on the Sharks.
- The Brumbies can host a Final if they beat the Crusaders and the Highlanders beat the Waratahs.
If you are a Chiefs fan:
Your team qualified 5th on the Combined Log.
They’re up against the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday.
- If the Chiefs win and the Sharks win, then they travel to Sydney to take on the Waratahs.
- If the Chiefs win and the Highlanders win, then they play a Semi-Final in Christchurch against the Crusaders.
- The Chiefs could host the Final if they and the Highlanders both win their Qualifier matches and then win their semifinals.
If you are a Crusaders fan:
Your team qualified 2nd on the Combined Log.
You have this weekend off, but results will determine who you host next Saturday.
- If the Sharks beat the Highlanders, they’ll be coming to Christchurch where they won earlier this season.
- If the Highlanders win then the winner of the Brumbies vs Chiefs match will be coming to Christchurch.
- The Crusaders can only host the Final if they win next weekend and if the Waratahs lose.
If you are a Highlanders fan:
Your team qualified 6th on the Combined Log.
They’re up against the Sharks in Durban this weekend.
- If the Highlanders beat the Sharks, then they’ll stop over in Sydney on the way home, to take on the Waratahs in a Semi-Final.
- If they make it past the Waratahs, the Highlanders will head to the home base of the other Semi=Final winner for the Final, thus they cannot host a Final.
If you are a Waratahs fan:
You’re team finished 1st on the Combined Log.
You have this weekend off, but results will determine who you host next Saturday.
- If the Brumbies beat the Chiefs and the Sharks beat the Highlanders, you will host the Brumbies.
- If the Highlanders beat the Sharks, you will host the Highlanders.
- If the Chiefs beat the Brumbies and the Sharks win at home against the Highlanders, you will host the Chiefs.
- If you win your Semi-Final, you will host the Final against either the Crusaders or Sharks.
The four teams in action this weekend have appeared in sudden death matches 36 times between them and have earned 19 wins collectively (this does not include Natal’s three appearances in 1996-7).
The Brumbies have appeared in the most (14) while the Chiefs have had the highest winning percentage, having won 5 of their 7 sudden death contests.
No team has played sudden death matches in New Zealand and South Africa (or vice versa) on successive weekends and won the Final.
Super Rugby has been won by the team finishing in first place on 12 occasions, a statistic that favours the Waratahs.