This weekend is the nineteenth and final round of the regular Super rugby season for 2018 and while some teams have sealed play off places a few still have everything to play for.
The Crusaders, Waratahs and the Lions will all host a Super Rugby play off and the Hurricanes have all but sealed a home play off. The battle for final placings will be contested between the teams ranked fifth to eighth.
In our current form rankings which is based upon the last five matches, points scored, matches won and points conceded the Crusaders and Waratahs rank the highest as they do in the overall standings.
The Crusaders have now won 11 matches in a row and they have set themselves up perfectly for a home super rugby final – if they can keep winning.
Current form ranking
1 Crusaders – W – W – L – L – W – W – W – B – W – W – W – W – W – W – W – B – W
2 Waratahs – W – D – L – W – B – W – W – W – L – B – L – L – W – L – W – W – W
3 Chiefs – L – W – B – W – W – W – W – L – W – B – L – W – L – W – L – W – W
4 Jaguares – L – L – L – W – L – W – B – L – W – W – W – W – B – W – W – W – L
5 Brumbies – W – L – L – W – B – L – W – L – L – L – B – L – L – W – W – W – L
6 Lions – W – W – W – L – W – L – L – W – B – W – L – L – L – W – W – L – B
7 Hurricanes – L – W – W – B – W – W – W – W – B – W – W – W – W – L – L – L – W
8 Rebels – W – W – W – L – W – L – B – L – L – L – L – W – B – W – W – L – L
9 Sharks – L – B – D – W – L – L – W – L – L – W – B – W – L – W – L – W – L
10 Bulls – B – W – L – L – L – L – W – B – W – W – L – L – W – L – L – L – W
11 Highlanders – W – B – W – W – L – L – B – W – W – W – L – W – L – W – W – L – L
12 Sunwolves – L – L – L – L – L – B – L – L – L – L – B – W – W – L – L – W – L –
13 Stormers – W – L – L – L – W – W – L – L – B – L – W – W – L – L – L – L – W
14 Reds – L – W – W – W – L – B – L – L – L – W – B – L – L – L – L – L – W
15 Blues – L – L – W – L – B – L – L – W – L – L – W – L – L – B – L – W – L
Chiefs v Hurricanes Super Rugby Preview
The Chiefs and the Hurricanes kick off the final round of the regular season and both teams are in the running for fourth place.
The Hurricanes are overwhelming the favourites to take fourth though as they have a far greater points differential so the Chiefs will most likely finish in 5th place.
The Chiefs have played the Hurricanes 31 times in Super rugby and they have won 14 matches, lost 16 and drawn one. Earlier this year the Hurricanes beat the Chiefs 25-13 in Wellington.
These two teams have met 11 times in Hamilton and the Chiefs have won 7, lost three and drawn one. The last three matches in Hamilton involving these teams have all been won by the Chiefs.
The average score when the Chiefs play the Hurricanes in Hamilton is : Chiefs 25 Hurricanes 18.
This season the Chiefs have played 15 matches and won 10. They have played 7 matches at home and won 5.
The Hurricanes have also played 15 matches and they have won 11 and lost four. Away from home the Hurricanes have played 7 matches and won three.
Average score: Chiefs 22 Hurricanes 23
Last five results
Fri, 13 Apr 2018 Chiefs v Hurricanes 13-25 Wellington
Fri, 09 Jun 2017 Chiefs v Hurricanes 17-14 Wellington
Fri, 10 Mar 2017 Chiefs v Hurricanes 26-18 Waikato
Sat, 30 Jul 2016 Semi Chiefs v Hurricanes 9-25 Wellington
Sat, 23 Apr 2016 Chiefs v Hurricanes 28-27 Wellington
Chiefs overall record against the Hurricanes
Played 31, Wins 14, Losses 16 , Draws 1
Match Officials and details
Date : Friday 13 July
Venue : FMG Stadium, Hamilton
Kick Off local: 19:35
Referee: Mike Fraser
Assistant Ref 1:Richard Kelly
Assistant Ref 2:James Doleman
TMO : Ben Skeen
Teams
Chiefs
1. Sam Prattley , 2. Liam Polwart, 3. Angus Ta’avao , 4. Brodie Retallick, 5. Tyler Ardron, 6. Lachlan Boshier , 7. Mitchell Karpik , 8. Jesse Parete , 9. Brad Weber , 10. Marty McKenzie , 11. Shaun Stevenson, 12. Charlie Ngatai , 13. Anton Lienert-Brown, 14. Toni Pulu , 15. Solomon Alaimalo
Replacements : 16. Samisoni Taukei’aho , 17. Karl Tu’inukuafe , 18. Jeff Thwaites, 19. Michael Allardice , 20. Liam Messam , 21. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi , 22. Tiaan Falcon , 23. Johnny Faauli
Hurricanes
15 Jordie Barrett , 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder , 13 Wes Goosen , 12 Ngani Laumape , 11 Ben Lam , 10 Beauden Barrett , 9 TJ Perenara , 8 Blade Thomson , 7 Sam Henwood , 6 Brad Shields (c) , 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 Gareth Evans , 20 Reed Prinsep , 21 Finlay Christie , 22 Ihaia West , 23 Julian Savea
Reds v Sunwolves Super Rugby Preview
The second match on Friday is in Brisbane where the Queensland Reds and Japan’s Sunwolves play their final Super rugby matches for the 2018 season.
Both teams are out of contention for the play offs and the Sunwolves will finish the season in 15th place as they cannot improve on their position.
The Reds have played the Sunwolves twice before and they have won a match and lost a match. The home side in these matches has never lost so the Reds will be favoured to win.
The Reds have played 15 matches this season and they have won 5. They have played 7 matches at home and won 4.
The Sunwolves have played 15 matches as well and they have won 3. The Sunwolves have played 7 matches away and lost all 7.
Average score: Reds 32 Sunwolves 44
Last two results
Sat, 12 May 2018 Reds v Sunwolves 28-63 Tokyo
Sat, 21 May 2016 Reds v Sunwolves 35-25 Brisbane
Reds overall record against the Sunwolves
Played 2, Wins 1, Losses 1, Draws 0
Match Officials and details
Date : Friday 13 July
Venue : 19:45
Kick Off local: Ben O’Keeffe
Referee: Damon Murphy
Assistant Ref 1:Jordan Way
Assistant Ref 2:
TMO : Damien Mitchelmore
Teams
Reds
1. JP Smith , 2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa , 3. Taniela Tupou , 4. Izack Rodda , 5. Lukhan Tui , 6. Caleb Timu , 7. Liam Wright , 8. Scott Higginbotham (C), 9. Tate McDermott , 10. Hamish Stewart, 11. Eto Nabuli , 12. Duncan Paia’aua, 13. Jordan Petaia, 14. Filipo Daugunu , 15. Jono Lance
Replacements : 16. Alex Mafi , 17. Harry Hoopert , 18. Ruan Smith , 19. Angus Blyth, 20. Angus Scott-Young , 21. Adam Korczyk, 22. Moses Sorovi , 23. Teti Tela
Sunwolves
15 Jason Emery, 14 Yoshikazu Fujita, 13 Michael Little, 12 Harumichi Tatekawa, 11 Akihito Yamada, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Yutaka Nagare (captain), 8 Willie Britz, 7 Edward Quirk, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Wimpie van der Walt, 4 James Moore, 3 Takuma Asahara, 2 Yusuke Niwai, 1 Craig Millar
Replacements :16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Keita Inagaki, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Kazuki Himeno, 20 Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Rikiya Matsuda, 23.Ryoto Nakamura
Highlanders v Rebels Super Rugby Preview
The first Super rugby match on Saturday in the final round is in Dunedin where the Highlanders host the Rebels in a match that will decide who travels to play an away play off.
The Highlanders are currently in sixth place on 40 points with a -14 points differential. They could overtake the Chiefs but the current points difference is over 100 points so they will most likely be playing to consolidate sixth place.
The Rebels are in 8th place with 35 points. Almost anything could happen for the Rebels as they could be overtaken by the Sharks or they could move up to 7th place.
The Rebels cannot overtake the Highlanders as they have more wins. The Rebels then should also be playing to seal their place in the play offs as they have never reached the knock out stage yet.
The Highlanders have played the Rebels 6 times in Super rugby and one all but one. In Dunedin the Highlanders have played the Rebels three times and they have yet to lose a match.
The average score when the Highlanders play the Rebels in Dunedin is : Highlanders 42 Rebels 18.
This season the Highlanders have played 15 matches and they have won 9. The Highlanders have played 7 matches at home and won 6.
The Rebels have played 15 matches and won 7. The Rebels have played 7 matches away from home and won 3.
Average score: Highlanders 38 Rebels 19
Last five results
Fri, 31 Mar 2017 Highlanders v Rebels 51-12 Dunedin
Sat, 26 Mar 2016 Highlanders v Rebels 27-3 Melbourne
Fri, 04 Apr 2014 Highlanders v Rebels 33-30 Dunedin
Fri, 12 Jul 2013 Highlanders v Rebels 37-38 Melbourne
Fri, 30 Mar 2012 Highlanders v Rebels 43-12 Dunedin
Highlanders overall record against the Rebels
Played 6 , Wins 5 , Losses 1 , Draws 0
Match Officials and details
Date : Saturday 14 July
Venue : Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Kick Off local: 17:15
Referee: Glen Jackson
Assistant Ref 1:Paul Williams
Assistant Ref 2:Brendon Pickerill
TMO :Chris Hart
Teams
Highlanders
1. Aki Seuili,2. Liam Coltman,3. Tyrel Lomax,4. Alex Ainley,5. Jackson Hemopo,6. Shannon Frizell,7. James Lentjes (C),8. Liam Squire,9. Kayne Hammington,10. Lima Sopoaga,11. Tevita Li,12. Teihorangi Walden,13. Thomas Umaga-Jensen,14. Waisake Naholo,15. Josh Ioane
Replacements : 16. Greg Pleasants-Tate, 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18. Kalolo Tuiloma, 19. Tom Franklin, 20. Dillon Hunt, 21. Josh Renton, 22. Matt Faddes, 23. Josh McKay
Rebels
1. Fereti Sa’aga , 2. Anaru Rangi , 3. Sam Talakai , 4. Matt Philip , 5. Ross Haylett-Petty , 6. Angus Cottrell , 7. Colby Fainga’a , 8. Amanaki Mafi , 9. Michael Ruru , 10. Reece Hodge , 11. Marika Koroibete , 12. Billy Meakes , 13. Tom English ,capt.) , 14. Sefa Naivalu , 15. Jack Maddocks
Replacements : 16. Nathan Charles , 17. Tetera Faulkner , 18. Jermaine Ainsley , 19. Sam Jeffries , 20. Richard Hardwick , 21. Harrison Goddard , 22. Jack Debreczeni , 23. Lopeti Timani
Crusaders v Blues Super Rugby Preview
The Crusaders host the Blues in the second Super rugby match on Saturday and they will be looking for an 8th straight win over the Blues.
The Crusaders can afford to take it a little easy this weekend as they are 8 points ahead of their closest rivals so they will host they final if they reach it no matter what happens this weekend.
The Crusaders beat the Blues 24-32 at Eden Park in Auckland in May this year and in this match the Crusaders will have home advantage.
The Crusaders have played the Blues 31 times in Super rugby since 1996 and they have won 20 matches and lost 11. Their have been no draws.
These two teams have met 14 times in Christchurch and the Crusaders have won 11 matches and lost three. The Blues have not won in Christchurch since 2004 as the Crusaders have won the last 9 matches against the Blues at home in Christchurch.
The average score when the Crusaders play the Blues in Christchurch is Crusaders 30 Blues 20.
This season the Crusaders have played 15 matches and they have won 13. They have won their last 11 matches and have not lost since round 5. The Crusaders
have played 7 matches at home in 2018 and won all 7.
The Blues have played 15 Super rugby matches and they have won 4. The Blues have played 7 matches away from home and won 3. The Blues won three times as many matches away from home in 2018 as they did at home.
Average score: Crusaders 26 Blues 21
Last five results
Sat, 19 May 2018 Crusaders v Blues 32-24 Auckland
Fri, 17 Mar 2017 Crusaders v Blues 33-24 Christchurch
Sat, 28 May 2016 Crusaders v Blues 26-21 Auckland
Fri, 04 Mar 2016 Crusaders v Blues 28-13 Christchurch
Sat, 06 Jun 2015 Crusaders v Blues 34-11 Auckland
Crusaders overall record against the Blues
Played 31, Wins 20 , Losses 11 , Draws 0
Match Officials and details
Date : Saturday 14 July
Venue :AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Kick Off local: 19:35
Referee: Federico Anselmi
Assistant Ref 1:Jamie Nutbrown
Assistant Ref 2:Mike Fraser
TMO : Shane McDermott
Teams
Crusaders
15 Israel Dagg, 14 Seta Tamanivalu, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Matt Todd, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Sam Whitelock (captain), 4 Quinten Strange, 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Andrew Makalio, 1 Tim Perry
Replacements : 16 Sam Anderson-Heather, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Donald Brighouse, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Mitchell Hunt, 23 Manasa Mataele
Blues
15. Matt Duffie, 14. Melani Nanai, 13. Michael Collins, 12. Rieko Ioane, 11. Caleb Clarke, 10. Stephen Perofeta, 9. Augustine Pulu ©; 8. Akira Ioane, 7. Blake Gibson, 6. Jerome Kaino, 5. Ben Nee-Nee, 4. Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 3. Ofa Tuungafasi, 2. Matt Moulds, 1. Alex Hodgman
Replacements: 16. Ross Wright, 17. Pauliasi Manu, 18. Sione Mafileo, 19. Jacob Pierce, 20. Murphy Taramai, 21. Sam Nock, 22. Bryn Gatland, 23. Tamati Tua.
Waratahs v Brumbies Super Rugby Preview
The Waratahs host the Brumbies in the final match on Australian soil for the regular season and they will be aiming for back to back wins over the Brumbies this year.
The Brumbies cannot reach the 2018 play offs and the Waratahs have already won the Australian Super rugby conference as they have 9 points more than the Rebels.
The Waratahs beat the Brumbies 17-24 in March this year and that result ended a three match losing streak for Sydney’s “Tahs”.
The Waratahs have played the Brumbies 31 times in Super rugby since 1996 and they have won 17 matches.
The Waratahs have played the Brumbies 17 times in Sydney and they have won 13 matches and lost 4. The average score when these teams meet in Sydney is Waratahs 27 Brumbies 18.
This season the Waratahs have played 15 matches, won 9 and drawn one. The Waratahs have played 7 matches at home and won 5.
The Brumbies have played 15 matches and won 6. The Brumbies have played 7 matches away from home and won 2.
Average score: Waratahs 22 Brumbies 23
Last five results
Sat, 31 Mar 2018 Waratahs v Brumbies 24-17 Canberra
Sat, 18 Mar 2017 Waratahs v Brumbies 12-28 Sydney
Sat, 16 Apr 2016 Waratahs v Brumbies 20-26 Sydney
Fri, 04 Mar 2016 Waratahs v Brumbies 15-32 Canberra
Fri, 01 May 2015 Waratahs v Brumbies 13-10 Canberra
Waratahs overall record against the Brumbies
Played 31, Wins 17, Losses 14, Draws 0
Match Officials and details
Date : Saturday 14 July
Venue : Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick Off local: 19:45
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1:Will Houston
Assistant Ref 2:James Leckie
TMO :George Ayoub
Teams
Waratahs
1. Tom Robertson , 2. Damien Fitzpatrick , 3. Sekope Kepu , 4. Jed Holloway, 5. Rob Simmons (VC), 6. Ned Hanigan , 7. Will Miller , 8. Michael Wells, 9. Nick Phipps, 10. Bernard Foley (C), 11. Taqele Naiyaravoro , 12. Kurtley Beale , 13. Curtis Rona , 14. Cam Clark, 15. Israel Folau,
Replacements: 16. Tolu Latu , 17. Harry Johnson-Holmes , 18. Paddy Ryan , 19. Tom Staniforth , 20. Brad Wilkin, 21. Jake Gordon , 22. Alex Newsome , 23. Bryce Hegarty
Brumbies
Tom Banks, Henry Speight, Tevita Kuridrani, Kyle Godwin, Andrew Muirhead, Christian Lealiifano, Joe Powell, Isi Naisarani, David Pocock, Blake Enever, Richie Arnold, Rory Arnold, Allan Alaalatoa, Folau Fainga’a, Scott Sio.
Replacements : Connal McInerney, Nic Mayhew, Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin, Sam Carter, Lachlan McCaffrey, Matt Lucas, Wharenui Hawera, Lausii Taliauli.
Lions v Bulls Super Rugby Preview
The Lions host the Bulls in the penultimate match of the regular Super rugby season in what has often been called the battle of the Jukskei.
The Lions have been in second place in the overall Super rugby standings for much of the season but last week they dropped to third place. They cannot drop below their current ranking but could go up to second if they win and the Waratahs lose.
The Bulls on the other hand will be playing to avoid the wooden spoon in the South African conference and they could avoid this with as little as a losing bonus point.
These teams have already met once this season and that match was won 35-49 by the Lions in Pretoria.
The Lions have played the Bulls 24 times in Super rugby since 1998 and the Lions have won 10 matches and lost 14. In Johannesburg these teams have met 10 times and the Lions have won 5 and lost 5.
The last three matches in Johannesburg have all been won by the Lions. The last Bulls victory in the city was back in April 2012.
The Lions have played 15 matches this year and they have won 8. The Lions have played 7 matches at home and won 5.
The Bulls have played 15 matches so far and they have won 6 and lost 9. The Bulls have played 7 matches away from home and won one.
Average score: Lions 29 Bulls 29
Last five results
Sat, 03 Mar 2018 Lions v Bulls 49-35 Pretoria
Sat, 20 May 2017 Lions v Bulls 51-14 Johannesburg
Sat, 28 May 2016 Lions v Bulls 56-20 Pretoria
Sat, 02 May 2015 Lions v Bulls 33-35 Pretoria
Sat, 04 Apr 2015 Lions v Bulls 22-18 Johannesburg
Lions overall record against the Bulls
Played 24 , Wins 10, Losses 14 , Draws 0
Match Officials and details
Date : Saturday 14 July
Venue : Emirates Airline Park, Johanesburg
Kick Off local: 15:05
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Ref 1:AJ Jacobs
Assistant Ref 2:Stephan Geldenhuys
TMO : Christie du Preez
Teams
Lions
15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Nic Groom, 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 Johannes Jonker, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman/Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Ross Cronje, 22 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 22 Howard Mnisi/Shaun Reynolds
Bulls
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 RG Snyman (captain), 4 Jannes Kirsten, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Matthys Basson, 18 Mornay Smit, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Nick de Jager, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Boeta Hamman, 23 Divan Rossouw
Sharks v Jaguares Super Rugby Preview
The final match of the 2018 regular Super rugby season will be in Durban where the Sharks host the Jaguares from Argentina.
The Sharks can reach the play offs if things go their way and they beat the Jaguares. The Sharks will need the Rebels to lose this weekend and they need to beat the South American side.
The Sharks and Jaguares have already played this season and the Jaguares won the match 29-13 in Buenos Aires.
The Sharks have played the Jaguares five times in Super rugby and they have won four and lost just one. The Sharks have played the Jaguares twice in Durban and they have won both matches.
The average score when the Sharks play the Jaguares in Durban is Sharks 18 Jaguares 14.
This season the Sharks have played 15 matches, won 6 lost 8 and drawn one. At home in Durban the Sharks have played 7 matches, won 5, lost one and drawn one.
The Jaguares have played 15 matches as well and they have won 9. The Jaguares have played 7 matches away from home and won four.
Average score: Sharks 22 Jaguares 21
Last five results
Fri, 25 May 2018 Sharks v Jaguares 13-29 Buenos Aires
Sat, 29 Apr 2017 Sharks v Jaguares 33-25 Buenos Aires
Sat, 08 Apr 2017 Sharks v Jaguares 18-13 Durban
Sat, 14 May 2016 Sharks v Jaguares 25-22 Buenos Aires
Sat, 05 Mar 2016 Sharks v Jaguares 19-15 Durban
Sharks overall record against the Jaguares
Played 5 , Wins 4 , Losses 1, Draws 0
Match Officials and details
Date : Saturday 14 July
Venue : Kings Park, Durban
Kick Off local: 17:15 l
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Assistant Ref 1:Egon Seconds
Assistant Ref 2:Archie Sehlako
TMO : Willie Vos
Teams
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 (c) , 4. Tyler Paul , 3. Thomas du Toit , 2. Akker van der Merwe , 1. Tendai 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
Jaguares
15 Ramiro Moyano, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Sebastian Cancelliere, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Javier Diaz;
Replacements 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Nicolas Sanchez, 23 Emiliano Boffelli