Super XV Semi-Final previews.

First topic message reminder :

So the Semi-Finals of the Super XV is coming up and arguably the best 4 teams will be on show this weekend.

The Stormers will be taking on the Sharks at Newlands in Capetown and the Chiefs will take on the Crusaders at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.

Semi-Final 1:
The Chiefs vs the Crusaders promises to be a matchup of two teams who will both go guns blazing and it promises to be a try fest, both teams have played exciting and inventive rugby during the season, the Chiefs in my view has the better backline, the crusaders the better forward pack, howver it seems the Crusaders will be without Keiran Reid.

They met for the first time this season in Christchurch in week three and it was the Chiefs who started their season strongly with a strong away win against the seven time champions.

Final Score Crusaders 19 (6) Chiefs 24 (16)
Crusaders
Tries - R. Fruean
Pen - T. Bleyendaal 4
Con - T. Bleyendaal
Chiefs
Tries - L. Messam, A. Taumalolo
Pen - A. Cruden 4
Con - A. Cruden

HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO

Their second meeting was in Hamilton and with a controversial try by Andy Ellis the crusaders turned the table.

Final Score Chiefs 21 (16) Crusaders 28 (20)
Chiefs
Tries - B. Retallick, SB. Williams
Pen - A. Cruden 3
Con - A. Cruden 1
Crusaders
Tries - K. Read, L. Romano, A. Ellis
Pen - D. Carter 2
Con - D. Carter 2
Drop - D. Carter

HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO

CHIEFS TEAM.
1. Sona Taumalolo , 2. Mahonri Schwalger , 3. Ben Tameifuna , 4. Craig Clarke (c) , 5. Brodie Retallick , 6. Liam Messam , 7. Tanerau Latimer , 8. Kane Thompson , 9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow , 10. Aaron Cruden , 11. Asaeli Tikoirotuma , 12. Sonny Bill Williams , 13. Andrew Horrell , 14. Tim Nanai-Williams , 15. Robbie Robinson.
Replacelements : 16. Hika Elliot , 17. Ben Afeaki , 18. Michael Fitzgerald , 19. Sam Cane , 20. Brendon Leonard , 21. Jackson Willison , 22. Lelia Masaga

CRUSADERS TEAM
1. Wyatt Crockett , 2. Corey Flynn , 3. Ben Franks , 4. Luke Romano , 5. Samuel Whitelock , 6. George Whitelock , 7. Matt Todd , 8. Richie McCaw (c) , 9. Andy Ellis , 10. Dan Carter (vc) , 11. Zac Guildford , 12. Ryan Crotty , 13. Robbie Fruean , 14. Adam Whitelock , 15. Israel Dagg
Reserves : 16. Quentin MacDonald, 17. Owen Franks,18. Tom Donnelly ,19. Luke Whitelock ,20. Willi Heinz,21. Tom Taylor ,22. Sean Maitland

PREDICTION.
Crusaders’ experience to carry them through, Crusaders by 8.


Semi-Final 2:

It is unlikely that there can be more contrasting styles from two South frican franchises than the Stormers and the Sharks. The Stormers came throught the pool rounds with 15/16 wins based on the best defensive record in the competition and the Sharks as one of the leading try scoring teams, the Stormers based their game plan on defence and patience, the Sharks on going wide when the opportunity presented itself and with some sublime offloads and good execution scored some scintilating tries.

Theiir first meeting was at Newlands in round two and the Stormers came away with a solid if not spectacular win.

Final Score Stormers 15 (6) Sharks 12 (9)

Stormers
Pen - J Pietersen 3, P Grant 2

Sharks
Pen - P Lambie 4
Cards - R Skeate (60)

HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO NOT AVAILABLE.

They met the second time in week 14 and this time the Sharks turned the tables.

Final Score Sharks 25 (20) Stormers 20 (6).
Sharks
Tries - F. Michalak, K. Daniel, L. Mvovo
Pen - P. Lambie 2
Con - P. Lambie 2
Stormers
Tries - G. Aplon 2
Pen - P. Grant 2
Con - P. Grant 2

HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO

Sharks and Stormers teams not announced yet.

PREDICTION.
Stomers have been off the boil in the past few weeks, the Sharks on the other hand has been on fire, will the travel fatigue affect them this weekend? Will the Stormers defence continue to dictate terms?

Sharks by the narrowest of margins.

Ag Shame, are you guys not watching this live?

biltongbek wrote:Ag Shame, are you guys not watching this live?

I'm at work.

And since IT upgraded my work PC to Windows 7 a couple of weeks back I no longer have Adobe Flash installed. So no youtube, no streams, can't even listen to the NZ radio commentary

And I can't really get away with watching on the iPad at my desk either

I am at work as well.

Crusaders start the second half with a period of control - well taken penalty, 17-14

biltongbek wrote:I am at work as well.

Me too, helps when you own the firm tho!

biltongbek wrote:I am at work as well.

Absolute howler of a penalty from Carter

Thanks for the clarification. Just went backwards on the DVR and saw it. The first one was pretty big, but the second was real close.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

biltongbek wrote:I am at work as well.

Me too, helps when you own the firm tho!

To be fair it isn't a firm.

Just me and the missus working for ourselves.

Freuan, what a mupp!

biltongbek wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

biltongbek wrote:I am at work as well.

Me too, helps when you own the firm tho!

To be fair it isn't a firm.
Just me and the missus working for ourselves.

Well, I am at home watching. Its the wee early hours and made breakfast over halftime.

Now the Herald stream has the score wrong! They added Carter's penalty to the Chiefs. Incompetent ******s

Score should be 20-14 to the chiefs

Chiefs are a bit of a strange team. For all their attacking capability, they fail to finish. And find ways to keep teams in it. This could really cost them.

Ellis feeling the pressure from Kerr-Barlow

True, but the crusaders aren't at their best today, they seem to be rattled a bit. They need some composure here.

Sean Maitland wants to be a Chief - an Exeter one! You heard it here first

That's the second time Ellis is offsideat the scrum

Cane and Afeaki on for the Chiefs

Chiefs scrum is looking to go backwards the last few.

Superb scrum from the 'Saders

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Sean Maitland wants to be a Chief - an Exeter one! You heard it here first

Everyone want to be an Exeter Chief...........

Biltong,
Agree Crusaders are not on their game. But how much is the Chiefs mostly dictating play? And how much is Crusdaers just not quite right? But now, still only three points between.

Poor box kick from Ellis.

Pete, have you tried the live feed on planetrugby?

Cruden hits the underside of the cross bar from wide out on the half-way line

Looked v high from Owen Franks?

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Poor box kick from Ellis.

Pete, have you tried the live feed on planetrugby?

Cheers As, that's much better than the Granny Herald one

Good stuff As.

Here we go, down to the wire. Chiefs clearly dominant, but can't put Crusaders away. 7 minutes left and only three points in it.

Silly penalty from Retallik

Carter penalty falls short - slightly off-colour tonite

Chiefs lineout is really poor, eh? Could be the difference if they don't win. And if they do, they will be under massive pressure against either SA team.

Terrible time-wasting from Tamulolo - furry muff

Heroic defence to stop the DK

Well, nit-cutting last few minutes, but good on Chiefs.
Maybe thie finals will be contested in Exeter?

20-17 final score, Chiefs hold on

Great game chiefs, very well done.

doctor_grey wrote:Well, nit-cutting last few minutes, but good on Chiefs.
Maybe thie finals will be contested in Exeter?

Nah, we need to wait for the stadium upgrade in a few years time

McCaw such a gent in defeat

doctor_grey wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Well, nut-cutting last few minutes, but good on Chiefs.
Maybe thie finals will be contested in Exeter?

Well done Chiefs.

That means we're guaranteed a new name on the trophy, none of the 3 teams left in have won before.

C'mon Chiefs!

Any citings from the fisticuffs to affect the Chiefs next week?

Hopefully not. Want the finals between the strongest possible teams.

They didn't show much of it in the game so can't really judge how bad it was.

Awesome chiefs. Put it down to smith rennie, the break to refocus, and huge heart from this side to push the crusaders back all night. Carter was ruffled as he needed to be and the chiefs stood up.

Confirmed they're NZs best team this year and fittingly in the final.

With a break last week travel to a final if necessary is no problem. Its 8 days away and happy to play either the sharks or the stormers. Good tough derby match. Second knockout match saders have ever lost in NZ, last being 2003 loss to the blues in the final.

Top result. Well deserved chiefs!

Well done the Chiefs the form book was correct home team win plus a weeks rest was the difference.The Crusaders could`nt raise there game two weeks on the trot.If it goes to form tomorrow an narrow Stormers win plus home advantage another SA title.Upside for the All Blacks a weeks extra rest for any potential AllBlacks selected,Read hopefully fit.Crusaders robbed by the ref.?Joubert to join Bryce Lawrence?

The thing that really took my attention in that game was the number of times Richie McCaw was utterly smashed, but he took some massive lineouts at 6.

Why Joubert? He didn't make the TMO decision.

Alan

What do you mean Crusaders robbed by ref?

aucklandlaurie wrote: Alan

What do you mean Crusaders robbed by ref?

Can't be. Thought he was pretty good, certainbly fair to both teams.

emack2 wrote:Well done the Chiefs the form book was correct home team win plus a weeks rest was the difference.The Crusaders could`nt raise there game two weeks on the trot.If it goes to form tomorrow an narrow Stormers win plus home advantage another SA title.Upside for the All Blacks a weeks extra rest for any potential AllBlacks selected,Read hopefully fit.Crusaders robbed by the ref.?Joubert to join Bryce Lawrence?

Sorry Alan.

The form book had the saders winning this easy. Before the match 'the whole country' were backing the saders at the tab. So an upset ensued.

Sharks will beat the stormers.

And chiefs will top the sharks who will be stuffed from the travel.
And crusaders robbed by the ref?

Where on earth did that come from?

Chiefs deserved this completely. Saders were forced into more errors than probably any match they've played for a long time. Did you watch the match?