Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Eight qualifiers undermines the quality of the Super Rugby finals

The Highlanders looking despondent during their loss to the Crusaders. (Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)

Friday night’s fixture between the Crusaders and the Highlanders saw Super Rugby’s top seed take on the eighth ranked team in the competition.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Highlanders snuck into the finals by the skin of their teeth on the back of a bonus point victory over a Waratahs side resting Bernard Foley, Michael Hooper, Kurtley Beale and Sekope Kepu.

While many saw Friday’s match as a slim chance for the unfancied Highlanders to possibly get one up over their big brothers (however improbable), there was a certain inevitability in a Crusaders win.

Few would have predicted as a comprehensive a thrashing as what we saw from the Crusaders, however.

Ultimately, however, the result should come as no surprise to anyone thinking with their head instead of their heart.

The Crusaders entered the finals with 11 wins and 2 draws and 2 losses (excluding the called off match between them and the Highlanders from earlier in the season).

The Highlanders had 6 wins, 2 draws and 7 losses to their name (not including the abandoned fixture).  Already there’s a stark contrast between the two teams’ performances from throughout the season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trawl through the Highlanders’ victories, however, and you start to wonder what the southerners were even doing in the playoffs in the first place.

Four of their six wins came against the bottom four teams in the competition (and, again, the Waratahs were also resting their best players) while their other two successes were against the underperforming Chiefs (who entered their match without a goal-kicker) and the Jaguares, who benched their top players but still kept the game within seven points.

While we’ll never know for sure, there’s a good chance that the Highlanders wouldn’t have even made the play-offs if the match against the Crusaders hadn’t been terminated and both teams awarded two competition points.

All in all, the Highlanders’ season might get a pass simply on the basis of the team making the quarter-finals – but it was ultimately a hugely disappointing season for a franchise that will now lose a trove of their best and most experienced players.

ADVERTISEMENT

How the Highlanders qualified for the finals basically comes down to the fact that they were the most consistent of the inconsistent teams – which isn’t really a grand achievement.

This, of course, begs the question of why Super Rugby even has eight teams make the sudden death stages of the tournament at all.

When there were 18 teams competing, it made a lot more sense. Now, however, over half the sides participate in the knockout rounds, which means the bar for qualifying is exceptionally low.

The original Super 12 and Super 14 competitions saw the top four sides playing finals football. When Super Rugby expanded to 15 teams in 2011, the top six qualified (with the two highest rank teams receiving a bye in the first week of the finals). That same approach will be adopted in 2021 when the Sunwolves are culled from Super Rugby.

The expansion to 18 teams in 2016 introduced the present quarter-final set up – but for whatever reason was not dropped when the Kings, Cheetahs and Western Force received the chop last year.

The cynics will say that it was an oversight on the organisers’ behalf. The even more cynical will say that the organisers didn’t want more extreme situations arising than what occurred in 2017, when the Brumbies qualified for the quarter-finals even though they were only the ninth best performing side of the year.

Imagine an outcome where the top Australia side, who are gifted a spot in the playoffs, finished ninth but still earned a place in the top six. This shouldn’t pose a problem in the future once conferences cease to exist from 2021, but it could have been a very real concern for SANZAAR, given the reservations the wider public have about Super Rugby’s integrity.

For a season that has regularly underwhelmed, the finals are a breath of fresh air; the top teams duking it out to be crowned Super Rugby champion. Unfortunately, the eight-team structure means that it’s not just the good teams going hammer and tongs at one another – it’s the ‘best teams, including some sides who haven’t shown enough to validate their place in the sudden death rounds of 2019. The same system will be retained next year – hopefully 2020’s finalists prove themselves throughout the season more so than this year’s crop.

ADVERTISEMENT

O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 5 | Making Waves

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series | Full Day Replay

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Julio Langworth 2 hours ago
'Their eyes lit up': Ben and Tom Curry relishing Jack Willis test

In 2024, I received a substantial tax refund, which I saw as a golden opportunity to improve my financial situation. Eager to invest, I became interested in Bitcoin, a digital currency that many believe represents the future of finance. Unfortunately, my excitement led me to a fraudulent company that promised incredible returns on investments. Their persuasive tactics and seemingly legitimate operations drew me in, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that I had been deceived, and my hard-earned money $572,000 had vanished.Feeling devastated and hopeless after losing such a significant amount, I reached out to a friend who had faced a similar ordeal. They recommended a company called GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , which specializes in recovering lost Bitcoin. Although I was skeptical, my desperation pushed me to contact them for help.From the very first interaction with GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , I was impressed by their understanding and willingness to help. Their team guided me through the recovery process, providing the support I needed during this challenging time. They explained each step clearly and kept me informed throughout the entire journey. Their dedication rekindled my hope of recovering my lost funds.Thanks to the diligent efforts of GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , I was able to reclaim my stolen Bitcoin. This experience not only restored my financial situation but also taught me invaluable lessons about the importance of conducting thorough research before making any investments. I now have a solid investment strategy in place and am much more cautious about where I allocate my funds.I want to emphasize the importance of being vigilant in the world of cryptocurrency. While Bitcoin offers tremendous potential as an investment, it also attracts scammers looking to exploit unsuspecting individuals. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I strongly encourage you to seek help from a trustworthy recovery service like GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES .Investing in Bitcoin can be a rewarding venture, but it is crucial to approach it with caution. Always perform comprehensive research and remain skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true,but if fallen victim to scam a GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES is available for you.You can reach them on whatsapp +18582759508, web at ( https://graywaretechservices.com/ )    also on Mail: (contact@graywaretechservices.com)

0 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Fur set to fly as Parisian duo dragged into Top 14 relegation dogfight Fur set to fly as Parisian duo dragged into Top 14 relegation dogfight
Search