Hamstrung NZ leads way
Despite flawed format, three Kiwi teams are in semifinals and again looking good to claim title
Handicapped, dealt a dodgy hand and yet still New Zealand rugby’s cream continues to rise. As much as it may try, Super Rugby’s flawed format could not prevent three Kiwi teams making the semifinals.
And it will now take something special from the Johannesburg-based Lions to stop a 15th Kiwi champion emerging from Super Rugby’s 22nd season.
All year, New Zealand’s dominance has been clear. But in this increasingly unjust competition, rewards are difficult to come by. The Hurricanes, Crusaders and Chiefs all deserve their place in the final four, much more so than the Lions, who are now preparing to face their first Kiwi opponents this season. Absurd indeed.
The Hurricanes and Chiefs, despite finishing the regular season much better off than their quarter-final opponents, were both forced to do it the hard way by travelling; such is the folly of guaranteeing conference winners home playoff advantage.
That long road is far from over, either. Both the Chiefs and Hurricanes now need to defy history and battle long-haul travel fatigue to claim the title.
The Hurricanes are en route to Johannesburg and South Africa’s high veldt, where they’ll need to knock over the Lions, only to then face the prospect of heading home for a potential final.
Given the Lions scraped past the Sharks 23-21 with a match-winning 55m Ruan Combrinck penalty, a one-off match at Ellis Park will hold few fears for Chris Boyd’s men. Not confronting any Kiwi teams this season could be major disadvantage for the Lions. While they proved their credentials by dispatching the Crusaders and Highlanders in last year’s run to the final, this time around, preparation appears compromised.
The Lions will back their pack to trouble the Hurricanes tight five but the pace and tempo could eventually tell.
There’s also the fact that, in their last two ventures to Johannesburg in the past two years, the Hurricanes claimed 50-17 and 22-8 victories.
Even still, history suggests such taxing travel will eventually catch up with the