ProRugby came to an exciting conclusion and Super Rugby decided it’s finalists. Here’s my round-up of the weekend’s action.
Super Rugby
Hurricanes 25 – 9 Chiefs
Lions 42 – 30 Highlanders
1 from 2, the Lions proved that they are ready for playoff rugby.
The highlights will be all about Barrett’s 2 breaks for tries but this was a game won on defence. The Canes had those two tries in the first half to take a lead. But the real story was that the Chiefs didn’t get over the line with 2/3 possession and territory. Also the choice not to always take the 3 points meant that the scoreboard pressure was always against them. In the second half the Canes got a try from the back of a scrum and with everything the Chiefs tried not coming off the game was over. They forced the Canes to make 122 tackles to just 80 but perhaps the most telling stat was turnovers. The Chiefs conceded 23 to the Canes 12 which just goes to show how many passes weren’t going to hand.
The Lions game was fairly similar except that possession and territory were more even. The Lions got ahead through a couple of early tries and everything the Landers tried didn’t come off. They did tire towards the end of the game as the travel took its toll but the game was already lost by then, as the Lions kept a couple of scores in front the whole time. My fear that the occasion might get to the Lions didn’t eventuate and they kept to their attacking ethos to have a wonderful game that they had under control the whole way though.
The final is going to be a great contest between to top teams who have fly-halves in the form of their lives.
I have been competing with @RugbyNumbers all season and it looks like I have lost it at the end as I think we will probably go for the same team this coming weekend.
ProRugby
Sacramento Express 34 – 37 San Francisco Rush
Ohio Aviators 32 – 25 Denver Stampede
0 from 2, I ended the season poorly.
The Rush consigned the Express to the bottom of the table with that last round win and in so doing avoided the wooden spoon themselves. The Aviators ended the season with a win but their late season surge wasn’t enough to overhaul the Stampede. So our season 1 champions are the Stampede by just 1 point. It’s been a successful season for ProRugby and there is already talk of how they will expand next season rather than if they will be existing, which is a major achievement.
Predictions League
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