Super Rugby team by team preview – quarter-finals

Super rugby has reached the knock out stage and we are down from 15 Super rugby teams to 8 and by the end of the week just four will remain.

The Crusaders, Lions, Waratahs and Hurricanes finished as the top four Super rugby teams so they all have home advantage this weekend.

The next best four teams – the Chiefs Highlanders, Jaguares and Sharks – all have to travel to their opposition team’s bases for do or die matches.

Here we look at the weekend’s four upcoming Super rugby quarter-finals.

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Hurricanes v Chiefs Super Rugby Preview

The Hurricanes and the Chiefs kick off the Super rugby quarter finals in Wellington for a rematch of the game that was played last week and won 24-28 by the Chiefs in Hamilton.

This week though the Hurricanes have home advantage. Ealier this season the teams met in Wellington and that match was won 25-13 by the Hurricanes.

Overall these teams have played e3ach other 32 times in Super rugby since 1996 and the Hurricanes have won 16 matches, drawn one and lost 15.

This weekend the match will be played in Wellington where the teams have met 15 times. In those 15 matches theHurricanes have won 11 matches and lost four. That gives the Hurricanes a record of winning 73% of their home matches in Wellington against the Chiefs.

The average score when the Hurricanes play the Chiefs in Wellington is : Hurricanes 27 Chiefs 20.

This season the Hurricanes have played 16 matches and won 11. At home in Wellington the Hurricanes have played 8 matches and won all eight. The Hurricanes reached this stage of the play offs in 2016 and 2017 and they won both matches.

The Chiefs have played 16 matches as well this season and they too have won 11 and lost five. The Chiefs have played 8 matches away from home and won five. The Chiefs have reached this stage (elimination or quarter finals) of the competition four times. In 2016 and 2017 they won but in 2014 and 2015 they lost.

The Bookies have given the Chiefs a 6 point start for this Match – with an offer of up to $100 in Bonus bets. The Hurricanes are unbeaten at home this year. There is little to suggest this will change against the Chiefs so the Hurricanes should win by 5 or more.

Average score: Hurricanes 27 Chiefs 20

Last five results
S15 NZL LocalConf Fri, 13 Apr 2018 9 Hurricanes v Chiefs 25- Wellington
S18 NZL LocalConf Fri, 09 Jun 2017 16 Hurricanes v Chiefs 14-17 Wellington
S18 NZL LocalConf Sat, 30 Jul 2016 Semi Hurricanes v Chiefs 25-9 Wellington
S18 NZL LocalConf Sat, 23 Apr 2016 9 Hurricanes v Chiefs 27-28 Wellington
S15 NZL Conference Sat, 16 May 2015 14 Hurricanes v Chiefs 22-18 Wellington

Hurricanes overall record against the Chiefs
Played 17 , Wins 11 , Losses 6, Draws 0

Match Officials and details
Date : Friday 20 July
Venue : Westpac  Stadium, Wellington
Kick Off local: 19:35
Referee: Referee Glen Jackson
Assistant Ref 1:Nick Briant
Assistant Ref 2:Paul Williams
TMO : Glenn Newman

Teams

Hurricanes

15 Nehe Milner-Skudder 14 Julian Savea 13 Jordie Barrett 12 Ngani Laumape 11 Ben Lam 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Blade Thomson 7 Gareth Evans 6 Brad Shields (c) or Reed Prinsep 5 Sam Lousi 4 Michael Fatialofa 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen 2 Ricky Riccitelli 1 Toby Smith

Replacements : 16 James O’Reilly 17 Chris Eves 18 Ben May 19 Vaea Fifita 20 Reed Prinsep or Sam Henwood 21 Jamie Booth 22 Ihaia West 23 Wes Goosen or Jonah Lowe

Chiefs

1. Karl Tu’inukuafe, 2. Nathan Harris, 3. Angus Ta’avao , 4. Brodie Retallick , 5. Michael Allardice , 6. Lachlan Boshier , 7. Sam Cane , 8. Liam Messam , 9. Brad Weber , 10. Damian McKenzie , 11.  Shaun Stevenson , 12. Charlie Ngatai , 13. Anton Lienert-Brown , 14. Sean Wainui, 15. Solomon Alaimalo

Replacements : 16. Liam Polwart , 17. Sam Prattley , 18. Jeff Thwaites, 19. Jesse Parete , 20. Mitch Karpik , 21. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22. Marty McKenzie , 23. Alex Nankivell

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Crusaders v Sharks Super Rugby Preview

Super rugby champions the Crusaders host South Africa’s Sharks on Saturday in Christchurch and the Crusaders will be aiming for a fourth straight win over the Sharks.

The Crusaders have won their last three matches against the Sharks – a run that started in the 2014 Semi-final but against all opposition teams they have won their last 12 matches. The Sharks will need to be at the very top of their game to win this weekend.

The Crusaders have played the Sharks 21 times in Super rugby since 1998 and the Crusaders have won 17 matches and lost just four. These two teams have met 9 times in Christchurch and the Crusaders have won all but one.

Ironically when the Sharks did beat the Crusaders in Christchurch they did it with 14 players after Jean Deysel was sent off in the 16th minute.

The average score when the Crusaders play the Sharks in Christchurch is : Crusaders 36 Sharks 21.

This season the Crusaders have played 16 matches and won 14. They have played 8 matches at home and won all 8. The Crusaders have reached this stage (elimination or quarter finals) 5 times and won all but one.

The Sharks have played 16 matches so far in 2018 and they have won 7, drawn one and lost 8. The Sharks have played 8 matches away from home and won one.

The Bookies have given the Sharks a 20 point start for this Match – with an offer of up to $100 in Bonus bets. The Crusaders are the form team and they are playing at home against the lowest ranked qualifier. The Crusaders should win this comfortably by at least two converted tries.

Average score: Crusaders 32 Sharks 21

Last five results
Sat, 26 Mar 2016 Crusaders v Sharks 19-14 Durban
Sat, 04 Apr 2015 Crusaders v Sharks 52-10 Durban
Sat, 26 Jul 2014 Semi Crusaders v Sharks 38-6
Christchurch
Sat, 17 May 2014 Crusaders v Sharks 25-30 Christchurch
Fri, 05 Apr 2013 Crusaders v Sharks 17-21 Durban

Crusaders overall record against the Sharks
Played 21, Wins 17 , Losses 4, Draws 0

Match Officials and details
Date : Saturday 21 July
Venue : AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Kick Off local: 19:35
Referee: Mike Fraser
Assistant Ref 1:Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 2:Brendon Pickerill
TMO : Shane McDermott

Teams

Crusaders

15 David Havili, 14 Seta Tamanivalu, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Bryn Hall, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Matt Todd, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Sam Whitelock (captain), 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tim Perry

Replacements: 16 Andrew Makalio, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Michael Alaalatoa, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 Mitchell Hunt, 23 Manasa Mataele

Sharks

15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Philip van der Walt, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira

Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Makazole Mapimpi

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Waratahs v Highlanders Super Rugby Preview 

The Waratahs are the only remaining Australian team in Super rugby and they host the Highlanders in Sydney this Saturday.

The Waratahs and Highlanders have already met once this year in Sydney and that match was won 41-12 by the Waratahs.

Overall the Waratahs have played the Highlanders 23 times since 1996 and the Waratahs have won 14 matches and lost 9.

The Waratahs have played the Highlanders in Sydney 12 times and they have won 8 matches and lost four.

This gives the Waratahs a record of winning 67% of their matches against the Highlanders at home.

The average score when the Waratahs play the Highlanders in Sydney is : Waratahs 29 Highlanders 20.

This season the Waratahs have played 16 matches, won 9, drawn one and lost six. The Waratahs have played 8 matches at home and won 5. The Waratahs have reached this stage of the tournament just once before and they won that match (some years Super rugby did not elimination or quarter finals).

The Highlanders have played 16 matches as well and they have won 10 matches and won six. The Highlanders have played 8 matches away from home and won 3.

The Bookies have given the Waratahs a 3 point start for this Match – with an offer of up to $100 in Bonus bets. Although the Waratahs beat the Highlanders in Sydney earlier this season we think the HIghlanders will edge this by 4.

Average score: Waratahs 26 Highlanders 21

Last five results
Sat, 19 May 2018 Waratahs v Highlanders 41-12 Sydney
Sat, 27 May 2017 Waratahs v Highlanders 28-44 Dunedin
Fri, 18 Mar 2016 Waratahs v Highlanders 26-30 Sydney
Sat, 27 Jun 2015 Semi Waratahs v Highlanders 17-35 Sydney
Sat, 14 Mar 2015 Waratahs v Highlanders 19-26 Dunedin

Waratahs overall record against the Highlanders
Played 23 , Wins 14, Losses 9, Draws 0

Match Officials and details
Date : Saturday 21 July
Venue : Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick Off local: 20:05
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1:Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2:Will Houston
TMO :George Ayoub

Teams

Waratahs

15 Israel Folau, 14 Alex Newsome, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley (captain), 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Will Miller, 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Tom Robertson

Replacements : 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Brad Wilkin, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Cam Clark, 23 Bryce Hegarty

Highlanders

1. Daniel Lienert-Brown 2. Liam Coltman 3. Tyrel Lomax 4. Jackson Hemopo 5. Tom Franklin 6. Liam Squire 7. James Lentjes 8. Luke Whitelock 9. Aaron Smith 10. Lima Sopoaga 11. Tevita Li 12. Teihorangi Walden 13. Rob Thompson 14. Waisake Naholo 15. Ben Smith (cc)

Replacements : 16. Ash Dixon (cc) 17. Aki Seiuli 18. Kalolo Tuiloma 19. Shannon Frizell 20. Elliot Dixon 21. Kayne Hammington 22. Josh Ioane 23. Matt Faddes

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Lions v Jaguares Super Rugby Preview

The Lions and Jaguares will contest the fourth and final Super rugby quarter final which will be the South American side’s first ever play off match.

The Lions and Jaguares played earlier this year in Buenos Aires and the Jaguares won 49-35.

Overall the Lions have played the Jaguares 6 times in Super rugby and the Lions have won 3 and the Jaguares have won 3. All of the matches were won by the side playing at home.

This weekend the the Lions will have home advantage as they have done against the Jaguares three times. The Lions have won all three matches in Johannesburg and the average score when these teams play is Lions 41 Jaguares 24.

The Lions have played 16 matches this season and they have won 9 and lost seven. The Lions have played 8 matches at home and won 6 matches. The Lions have reached this stage (elimination or quarter finals) of the tournament twice before and both times the Lions won the match.

The Jaguares have played 16 matches this year and they have won 9 matches and lost seven – the same as the Lions. The Jaguares have played 8 matches away from home and they have won four.

The Jaguares went unbeaten for seven matches before the June break but since they have returned they have yet to win as they lost to the Bulls and Sharks in both of their matches after the break.

The Bookies have given the Jaguares a 10 point start for this Match – with an offer of up to $100 in Bonus bets. The Lions should win this by 6 points.

Average score: Lions 34 Jaguares 32

Last five results
Sat, 24 Mar 2018 Lions v Jaguares 35-49 Buenos Aires
Sat, 24 Feb 2018 Lions v Jaguares 47-27 Johannesburg
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 Lions v Jaguares 24-21 Johannesburg
Sat, 11 Mar 2017 Lions v Jaguares 24-36 Buenos Aires
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 Lions v Jaguares 22-34 Buenos Aires

Lions overall record against the Jaguares
Played 6, Wins 3 , Losses 3, Draws 0

Match Officials and details
Date : Saturday 21 July
Venue : Emirates Airlines Park, Johannesburg
Kick Off local:
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant Ref 1:Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Ref 2:Egon Seconds
TMO : Marius Jonker

Teams

Lions

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen

Replacements: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Courtnall Skosan, 23 Howard Mnisi

Jaguares

15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de le Fuente, 11 Matias Moroni, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Tomas Lezana, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Marcos Kremer, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Santiago Garcia Botta

Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Tomas Lavanini, 21 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 22 Martin Landajo, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere

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