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STAT ATTACK: The numbers behind today's Super Rugby final

Lions captain Jaco Kriel and Lions skipper Sam Whitelock

The Lions will have the backing of a record crowd when they go in search of a first Super Rugby title against a Crusaders side on the brink of being crowned champions for an eighth time on Saturday.

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Ellis Park is set to be packed to the rafters, with 62,000 fans – the biggest ever Super Rugby attendance – expected for what promises to be a gripping showdown between two sides that have lost only once this season.

The Lions were beaten by the Hurricanes in the final last year and it would be a dream send-off for Gloucester-bound coach Johan Ackermann if they can heal those wounds by winning at their home ground.

The Crusaders will be looking to rip up the script by ending their nine-year wait to win the competition.

Here are a selection of the statistics and facts relating to the final:

17 – You have to go back 17 years for the last time a team won a Super Rugby final played outside their own country. It was the Crusaders who achieved that feat in 2000, travelling to Australia to edge out the Brumbies 20-19.

7 – The Crusaders have been crowned Super Rugby champions on seven occasions and have featured in 11 finals in total, both records in the competition.

14 – The Lions head into the final on the back of a 14-game winning streak; the Crusaders are the only team in Super Rugby history to have won more games in succession with 15 straight from 2002 to 2003; and 16 in a row between 2005 and 2006.

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9 – South African teams have won nine of their last 12 finals fixtures at home against New Zealand opposition.

2 – The Christchurch-based Crusaders have lost their last two finals, only the Sharks (four) have lost more than two in a row when reaching the final.

5 – The Crusaders won all five games outside New Zealand this season, scoring an average of 43 points per match in the process.

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Nickers 28 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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