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Opinionated Rugby Commentary - by Fans for Fans
Spill what you really think about events in the rugby world.
Super Rugby Final Preview and Fantasy Rugby Guide 5 views
02 July 2015 by The Swede Eaters
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This is a must read!
For Super Rugby fans, it is make or break time with only one game left. Now is the time to make a move in that tipping conference and that is where we can help.
It seems like only yesterday that Super 15 Rugby Round 1 2015 left a lot of people red faced with most tipsters picking between two and three winners out of seven games. Things have got more predictable since then with Round 11 and 15 featuring no upsets, just when some people desperate to make up points got sick of losing out when picking the favourites and went for the upsets!
The overall average winning margin in the regular season was 12.5 points.
In Super Rugby Semi Finals we saw two comfortable wins in the end for the Hurricanes and Highlanders.
It is difficult for teams to win away during Super Rugby finals, but the Brumbies win two weeks ago in South Africa and the Highlanders win in Sydney showing that anything is possible.
Super Rugby Final will be an interesting game with both teams in good form.
The Hurricanes are the favourites, but the Highlanders love being the underdogs.
It is up to the international stars to stand up and make a difference, so who are you picking?
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Interestingly in the knockout stages in the last three Super Rugby seasons there have been at least two really close games, but also at least one really lopsided match. Travel seems to really affect finals’ results, with no away wins in the knockout stages since the Brumbies in 2013, while the Sharks picked up two away wins in the 2012 finals. The average winning margins in the knockout stages are similar to the regular season with the 2012 season the highest with the average winning margin of 13.8 points while in 2013 the average winning margin was only 8 points.
This is an excerpt from The Ultimate Rugby Tipping Guide 2015 ebook.
For those playing fantasy rugby game www.testrugby.com, we are also naming players to watch. You can also join the Super Rugby Tips conference at SuperBru. It is difficult to afford a team if playing salary cap fantasy rugby, so you may have to buy bargains, but there are enough new players in Super Rugby 2015 to give you some options. 2015 seems tough to fill a squad without going over budget.
There will be plenty of emotion, with so many players leaving their current teams at the end of Super Rugby 2015. Because of the Rugby World Cup there will be players going overseas, retiring or changing teams before the 2016 season.
For Super Rugby Final team lists click here
It is also worth checking the Super 15 Rugby Team of the Competition so far here
And the Super Rugby Statistical leaders here
Hurricanes vs Highlanders
The Super Rugby 2015 final is here and we will see new Super Rugby champions for the second year in a row. It is great finally seeing the Hurricanes fulfill their potential, given that in the last few years they have had a star-studded team, but struggled to even make the Top Six. The Highlanders surprisingly made the Top Six last season and now look to win their first ever Super Rugby title in their second ever final appearance. The large part of the success of both of these teams in 2015 can be put down to the coaching staff, which has given their teams a boost in 2015.
These two teams finished the season on the highest and second highest number of points, so despite having to win in Sydney in last week, there is no denying that the best two teams are in the final (sorry Crusaders’ fans).
Both of these teams are in great form, and can both thank their forward packs for a much improved showing in 2015. The Hurricanes have the named players in the forwards, but it is great to finally see them nail the tight exchanges, but the Highlanders have rarely been beaten upfront in recent weeks despite having no international test players in their forward pack. I guess it shows that a star team can beat a team of stars any day. They seem to be thriving under Jamie Joseph, Scott MacLeod and Tony Brown.
The Hurricanes go into this game as favourites having beaten the Highlanders twice this season, the last win in Napier, came just hours after the tragic death of former Hurricanes and All Blacks star Jerry Collins and therefore it was always going to be tough for the Highlanders. It will be interesting to see how much the death of Collins will inspire the home team.
The hosts had the second best attack and defence in 2015 regular season and have only lost two games all season. They will be hard to beat as they managed to even score a Brumbies special driving maul try against the Brumbies last week!
They will be sweating on the fitness of Ardie Savea and Nehe Milner-Skudder who are two young stars on the rise who have given their team a spark in 2015. Both struggled with injuries last week. Veteran outside back Cory Jane will miss the final.
In the Highlanders favour is that they have actually won the last four games between these two teams in Wellington (their 2015 Hurricanes home match was played in Napier). The Highlanders were the third best attacking team in Super Rugby regular season too, so they know how to score tries. The Highlanders have also shown in the last few weeks, that they are able to win in a variety ways. They really varied their strategy and tactics in the games against the Chiefs and Waratahs to suggest that the Hurricanes will have to be weary of the Highlanders brains trust. There is just enough class in the Highlanders, unlike other years to worry the hosts as well, including leading try scorer Waisake Naholo, on the wing.
The Highlanders will wear their traditional blue, gold and maroon for this game which has plenty of hype, given that Hurricanes and Highlanders fans have both been starved of success, and that this game is a virtual All Blacks trial, just months before the Rugby World Cup 2015.
There will be some great head to head battles, with the TJ Perenara vs Aaron Smith duel the most mouth-watering, although others would argue that the Conrad Smith vs Malakai Fekitoa, Dane Coles vs Liam Coltman or Julian Savea vs Waisake Naholo has that honour.
The Hurricanes have a 14-11 head to head lead and a 7-5 head to head lead at home, but the Highlanders seem to thrive in Wellington, having won the last four straight at the Cake Tin.
Either way, the stage is set for an epic final, especially when you consider how many Highlanders are originally from the Hurricanes franchise region, but moved south for further opportunities.
Players to watch:
Hurricanes: Dane Coles, James Broadhurst, James Marshall (bargain), Ardie Savea (if fit) , Ma’a Nonu, Victor Vito, Julian Savea, Nehe Milner-Skudder (bargain)
Highlanders (yet to be named): Aaron Smith, Nasi Manu, Waisake Naholo, Ben Smith, Patrick Osborne, Malakai Fekitoa, Lima Sopoaga.
My pick: Hurricanes by 7 points.
http://www.superrugbytips.com/2015/07/super-15-rugby-round-final-preview-and.html
Who are you picking to win the Super Rugby 2015 final?
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