Super XV final conclusion.

So well done to the Chiefs who totally annihilated the Sharks yesterday, they were simply too fresh, too intense and too physical for the Sharks.

Whenever a team is outscored in a final by 4 tries to one the question on everyone's mind would naturally turn to whether they were deserved finalists.

I think we can put that to bed immediately, the Sharks won seven of their last eight pool matches to finish in the sixth position on the log.

They beat two of the three conference winners in knockout matches whilst travelling enough airmiles to circumnavigate earth.

Now the reality is the Chiefs were the best team in the pool matches inspite of losing more matches than the Stormers.

Their ability to dominate physical exchanges against the two top forward packs (Sharks and Crusaders), their ability to outscore the most dangerous backlines and their balanced defence makes them in my eyes a deserved Championship team.

But spare a thought for the Sharks, they shouldn't have beaten the Reds in Brisbane, but they did, on the return to SA, they shouldn't have beaten the Stormers, but they did.

Alas the final stretch was out of their reach.

Now the reality is they only earned 6th place on the log due to losses such as the Lions who has been easy beats the whole season, and hence they faced a travel itenerary which no other team was likely to succeed in.

There is a solution in my view to the qualification of home finals which in my virw would make this more even.

Currently the log position determines who travels, in other words if the team that goes through is ranked lower than their opponent they have to travel. But would it not be more even a contest if the victorious team in the knock out match inherits the ranking of the beaten team?

In other words if the Sharks were to have recived the ranking of the Stormers, they would have then gotten a home final, it would reduce the travel and provide a more even spectacle to the final.

Just a thought.

No. The beauty of the current system is that it rewards the team and fans of the teams that have performed consistently throughout the entirety tournament.

All you are doing is trying to reward the teams that make a late run at the end of the tournament.

The Sharks will have been rueing some of their ealier costly mistakes, like losing to the Lions, and only just losing to the Stormers and Bulls in the opening rounds...unfortunately they paid for their less than optimum early season form!

Best way dump the franchise system,early start,play each side once Home/away Alternate Seasons.Cut out the wild card game top 4 into the Semi top 2 Home Advantage.Home advantage final decided on result of there pooll game.Winner of that host`s final.

I'd like to see something similar to the Champions League where there is a break of three or two weeks before the semi finals and the final. That way you still reward ranking in the pool games but give teams who time their run perfectly from the back to recover properly.

We have had two finals where we have had the best two teams. I don't think that's a coincidence but I do think we haven't had the best final possible because both the Sharks and the Crusaders didn't have a full tank at the start of the game.

What I'd like to see also next year is some teams like the Bulls, Stormers, Crusaders chance their arms a bit more. I'd also like to see one or two Aussie sides comepting well outside Oz as well. I'm not a fan of the conference system but I must admit there have been some great derbies with some good crowds. Those last Hurricanes matches for example were gems. They were the sentimental favourite this year, the Sharks were the neutrals' favourite and the Chiefs were deserved champs although it's a shame that the Sharks weren't given time to recover. If we get the best teams in the final, we deserve to see the best rugby played by those teams.

The problem I see with this Kia, is that The sharks made it to the final from 6th place, rightfully they were 5th (and the Reds were 6th), if they had started the playoffs from 5th place, their route to the final would have been completely different.

I also think its crazy that the team placed 11th at the end of round robin play, could in fact start the playoffs from 3rd, with the huge home game advantage that comes with that position.

If we are going to form any conclusions as to the advantages and disadvantages of the current set up, we should be focussing more on the Reds rather than the Sharks.

From a NZ point of view and not on the format one of the better things to come out was the emegence of the newer coaching talent in Rennie and Hammet. Rennie has AB coach written all over him and Hammet made some tough unpopular decisions to secure his vision with the canes.

Blackadder and Joseph are going to be the old hands next year and will need to find some momentum themselves to match the improving levels of the others.

All eyes will be ok jk and the blues next year and being of the old school for me nothing in world rugby is better than a successful auckland side.

With Gatland, Deans, schmidt, plumtre etc al having varied measure of success overseas our coaching fraternity looks in good hands post lord ted.

One swallow does`nt make a Summer,Am I Correct was Dave Rennie was formerly the Hurricanes coach.They have been consistently until last year the Second best Franchise in Super Rugby.Highlanders rise over the last two years Co-incided with the arrival of Colin Slade.Unfortunately he seems as injury prone as Richard Kahui BUT fit with a decent half back instead of Jimmy Cowans pedestrian service?.Crusaders flat lining now that is a very dangerous assumption.IF they start the Season next year with a fit Squad,without post RWC rest period.You want to bet they are not there or there abouts come finals time.Take nothing away from the Chiefs,BUT they faced travel weary sides in both Semi and Final.Wayne Smith is a class act as a Coach,a Fit Richard Kahui to replace SBW?.SBW was a loose forward in League and placed at 12 where he was very physical. The Blues need major re construction but a Lock pairing of
Ali Williams and Anton Boric IF both fully fit is a good start at this level.

Regardless of the reasons the crusaders have not won the sxv since 2008 and that coincided with the arrival of blackadder who although uas maintained high standards has still fallen short. They were out thought by the chiefs in the semi who simply had to get in their faces to win it. Like the sharks they had no answers.

Rennie coached Wellington then Manawatu, where cruden and Aaron Smith play 9,10 and won 2 or 3 NZ under 20 world junior cups. He's gaining huge respect for his abilities and with Smith are the primary reason for the chiefs success this year.

The blues need a huge kick up the rear. Two locks aren't gonna do it. The Auckland I've always known is a shell of what it was and unfortunately the drain of the 18 and 19 year olds to the under 20 league contracts is strangling the region like never before. Auckland was always the biggest producer of top class young players in the world for a single region for years. Jks challenge is to stop the rot and put some pride back into auckland rugby, reinstall it back to its former glory. His is the list of itm titles
1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007.

Its clear between 82 and 99 they were by far the dominant side...ridiculously so.

To drop off from 12 titles in 17 years to four in twelve years, none in the last five reflects the impact professionalism has had on the area...players are getting poached...and young.

Well played to the Chiefs. The Sharks only looked in the game for the first 15, then it went all downhill from there.

Also good to see SBW scoring the last try. He really brought a new dimension to NZ rugby (ridiculous offloads) and it looks like it is spreading to the other SANZAR teams as well.

It was also good to see Jordaan doing so well, he will definitely get a Springbok cap soon.

That's one impressive record for AKL between 82-96 TM. Remember the AKL fans at Eden Park used to switch ends at half time so they didn't miss any action? Hard case. Good call about Rennie being a future AB coach, too soon to be saying next cab off the rank or perhaps second in line?

He's ticking the right boxes and has good company. Hansen has a good 4-8 years if he wants it and doesn't stuff it up so any of these guys are in for a long wait.

EBOP wrote:That's one impressive record for AKL between 82-96 TM. Remember the AKL fans at Eden Park used to switch ends at half time so they didn't miss any action? Hard case.

I can remember the Eden Pk crowd used to have some muppet who would start playing the last post after about 10 mins...used to drive me insane, especially when they played Wellington. But it was pretty true, no team had a chance really.