Tiring travel a telling factor
Before their sudden death Super Rugby matches against the Crusaders and Lions respectively this weekend, the Chiefs and Hurricanes will travel in an airplane across the Indian Ocean.
For the Chiefs, it will be their second such journey in the space of a week. Say what you like about the fairness of the Super Rugby competition, travel friendly and environmentally sound it is not.
The travel factor will play a huge part in both teams’ preparation, and, potentially performance. The Chiefs in particular will be hit hard due to their extra travel and the fact they will be returning from sunny Cape Town to a flooded Christchurch and temperatures next Saturday won’t be much above freezing.
Tony Brown joked after his side lost their quarter-final 17-0 to the Crusaders at AMI Stadium that the Highlanders were late arrivals to the city (on the day of the game) because they were holding out in hope that their rivals might come to Dunedin to play under the roof instead.
Clearly there was little chance of that happening because Dunedin airport was under water too, never mind the fact that thousands of supporters had paid for tickets to attend the match in Christchurch.
There was also the significant matter of home advantage in such a crucial match. The Crusaders have never lost a home playoff game. Scott Robertson’s men would like a bigger and better stadium than the draughty and inhospitable temporary home they have at present, but opposition teams like it even less.
It’s home and after their globetrotting season of 2011 under Todd Blackadder — when they didn’t play in Christchurch at all due to the earthquakes and were perhaps unlucky to lose the final to the Reds despite travelling to Brisbane from Cape Town and their semifinal victory over the Stormers — they are happy to have one.
Right now, the Crusaders and Lions will be favourites to win the title due mainly to the fact they are playing their semifinals at home.
History massively favours the home team in a Super Rugby final. But if the Crusaders have to travel to Johannesburg, history shows they can be successful.
They are one of only three teams to have won the title away from home (the Bulls in 2007 and Highlanders in 2015 are the others).
Incredibly, the Crusaders won the first three of their seven titles in Auckland, Dunedin and Canberra.