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Five talking points from Super Rugby Round 19

Rebels coach Dave Wessels. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Expert
15th July, 2018
83

So we’re here! After 19 rounds of sometimes wonderful, sometimes frustrating rugby we’ve found the best eight teams in the competition. Now the real fun begins with three rounds of high stakes rugby before we crown our champion.

So with some teams hanging up their boots for the off season and others trying to find the energy and focus to play knock out rugby for three more weeks, what are the key talking points that we should be discussing?

The equations are all figured out
As the final whistles blew at grounds across New Zealand, Australia and South Africa the last pieces of the puzzle were put into place and we know where we stand for the quartefinals…

Hurricanes vs Chiefs
Crusaders vs Sharks
Tahs vs Highlanders
Lions vs Jaguares

There are some intriguing matchups and while the Sharks might be wondering if their trip to Christchurch will be the next chapter in the Mission Impossible franchise, every other team will be looking at their game and thinking they are in with a good shout here of getting into the semis.

It’s going to be tougher for the Jags and Highlanders as they have to travel but both would still know that if they play their best games then they can pick up the win.

The format will raise questions though – we’ll lose one of the most successful teams of the season in this round thanks to the conference system.

The Canes finished with the second most points and the Chiefs just behind them – both of them ahead of the Lions and Tahs – but one of those sides will definitely be wrapping up their season.

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Can that really be a good thing?

Emiliano Boffelli

(Photo by Gabriel Rossi/Getty Images)

M is for momentum
Making it to the finals is one thing but charging into them with momentum is another and there are three sides who will be disappointed with how they have wrapped up the main season.

The Canes have won just one of their games since the international break and have not been able to find the form that had them carving up their opposition for so much of the regular season.

The Jags too – who put together a wonderful run of victories to get themselves into the finals – have not ended the first part of the season how they wanted.

The Tahs have not stumbled as badly, but their loss against the Brumbies would not have been in their plans and their defence in the game will be concerning yet again.

Their line out wasn’t great either and the Highlanders – with their key All Blacks back and rested – will know that they can take the Sydneysiders down.

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It will be interesting to see how these three sides – the ones who are not running into the finals with a string of wins – perform and whether they will stumble at the first hurdle.

M is also for missed opportunity
The Rebels are going to be very, very angry and disappointed as well they should be. This was such a great opportunity to get into their first finals series and after their strong start to the season and the extra talent that they’ve had this year they really should have regarded finals rugby as a minimum on the objectives list.

Yes there have been a lot of changes for the squad going into the season but when those changes involve bringing in a lot of talent, that excuse will only get you so far.

A few too many times they have just played poor rugby in the key moments and it’s caught up with them. Super Rugby needs these younger franchises to be competitive and challenge the top dogs so let’s hope that 2018 is a better year for them.

The Brumbies too will be disappointed. While their place in the finals was quite unlikely, their performances in recent weeks has shown many that they really should have been there.

It’s too easy to say it was all down to Pocock and there were several players who found good form in the final weeks but it was too little too late and memories of narrow losses in the earlier rounds will haunt their off season.

Dave Wessels

(Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

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Is Aussie rugby improving?
Last season the Aussie sides couldn’t buy a win against their Kiwi opposition but this year there have been some great performances against the Kiwis. The drought has been broken and the Wallabies played some great rugby against the Irish so surely all is good right?

Well just one side in the finals would indicate otherwise. It’s not good enough for the Aussies to have only the Tahs make the finals while their other two best sides were either slip sliding dramatically out of contention or stumbling to catch up lost ground to even get a sniff of finals footy.

There has been some interesting debate recently about whether Australia would be better served from Super Rugby ending and being replaced by a trans Tasman competition. Whatever the format of the competition moving forwards, the Australian sides need to find a way to be competitive week in, week out for the whole 19 rounds.

Are we really happy with average making the finals?
Speaking of competition format – how do people feel about the Sharks, who won just 7 of their 16 matches making it into the finals?

Are the finals really the best of the best if we’re letting a team who couldn’t win half of their matches a shot at the title?

Back in 2015 when the competition had 15 teams prior to expansion only six teams made the finals. In 2018 we have 15 teams again but there will be eight teams taking the fields next week.

Yes having more finalists means there are more teams that are in the hunt later in the regular season and yes there are more fans going to stay interested. But if that all comes at the cost of diluting the quality of those finals, is it really a good thing?

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