Stunning, super rugby

THE SUPER Rugby competition has been widely criticised for its confusing and unwieldy format.

But at last we have moved past the convoluted, and in some ways unfair, conference system and now it’s a straight shootout in the quarter-finals, with eight teams playing knock-out rugby in a way that will make sense to each and every fan out there.

There are three South African teams in the quarter-finals – the Lions, the Stormers and the Sharks – and it is only good and proper that we first of all salute the Lions for their tremendous achievement in topping the overall log.

Yes, they did not play any New Zealand teams in the round-robin phase, but as we said, it’s a confusing thing, Super Rugby!

Fact is, the Lions have played wonderful rugby, and not just this season.

They have delighted and entertained fans for three years now with their irresistible 15-man game.

On Saturday, they are at home to the Sharks, and having already beaten the Durbanites twice this season, they are strong favourites to go through to a home semi-final.

Congratulations are in order, too, for the Stormers.

It has been a bit of an up-and-down season, with a great start followed by a horror tour of New Zealand and Australia.

But the Stormers have scored some stunning tries since the resumption of Super Rugby, and their “back three” of Seabelo Senatla, Dillyn Leyds and Cheslin Kolbe have blended beautifully, especially from broken play.

On Saturday, the Stormers play the Chiefs in a repeat of last year’s quarter-final, a game in which the Stormers were walloped 60-21. But they convincingly beat the Chiefs earlier this year in the regular season, so hopes will be high among Cape fans.

Whatever the quarter-final result, it has been very pleasing to see Robbie Fleck’s men embrace creative and expressive rugby this season, which is exactly why Senatla, Kolbe and Leyds have flourished.

We hope the strike runners of the Stormers can light up Newlands again on Saturday.