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Super Rugby quarter-finals confirmed

The Super Rugby trophy. Photo / Getty Images

After 19 Rounds and 120 matches of the regular season, the quarter-finalists for the 2018 Super Rugby tournament have been confirmed.

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The four quarter-final hosts are the three conference winners – ranked 1 to 3 based on total tournament points – and the next best team based on total competition points regardless of conference.

The four next best teams based on total competition points – ranked 5 to 8 – will travel for their respective quarter-final matches.

The Crusaders finished the regular season as New Zealand conference winners and the highest ranked team in the tournament thanks to 14 wins, while in the South African conference the winner was determined when the Lions beat the Bulls on Saturday.

In the Australian conference, the Waratahs finished top despite a last week loss to the Brumbies. The last quarter-final host was also determined on the last weekend of action when the Hurricanes, despite a loss to the Chiefs, finished as the best wildcard team to be ranked fourth at the end of the regular season.

The four wildcards earning quarter-final spots after finishing ranked 5 to 8 are the Chiefs, Highlanders, Jaguares (who make their Super Rugby finals debut) and Sharks who all won in the last week of the tournament to cement their places.

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SUPER RUGBY QUARTER-FINALISTS

1. Crusaders – New Zealand Conference Winners
2. Lions – South African Conference Winners
3. Waratahs – Australian Conference Winners
4. Hurricanes
5. Chiefs
6. Highlanders
7. Jaguares
8. Sharks

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2018 QUARTER-FINAL DRAW

QF1: Crusaders [1] versus Sharks [8]
QF2: Hurricanes [4] versus Chiefs [5]
QF3: Lions [2] versus Jaguares [7]
QF4: Waratahs [3] versus Highlanders [6]

SCHEDULE (Times local)

Fri July 20: Hurricanes v Chiefs, Westpac Stadium, Wellington @ 7:35pm
Sat July 21: Crusaders v Sharks, AMI Stadium, Christchurch @ 7:35pm
Sat July 21: Waratahs v Highlanders, Allianz Stadium, Sydney @ 8:05pm
Sat July 21 Lions v Jaguares, Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg @ 3:05pm

In other news:

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N
Nickers 16 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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