2018 Super Rugby final

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The 2018 Super Rugby Final was played between the Crusaders of New Zealand and the Lions of South Africa. The match, held at Rugby League Park in Christchurch, was the 23rd final in the Super Rugby competition's history.

2018 Super Rugby Final
Event2018 Super Rugby season
Date4 August 2018
VenueRugby League Park, Christchurch
RefereeAngus Gardner (Australia)
Attendancec. 20,000 [1]
2017
2019

Both finalists won their respective conferences during the regular season and both had hosted quarterfinal and semifinal matches in the playoff series. The final was hosted by the Crusaders as the higher placed team from the regular season standings.

The Crusaders won the match by a margin of 19 points. The Lions started the final well, however the combination of travel, jet-lag and the sheer dominance of the Crusaders was instrumental in securing the result.[2] The Crusaders extended their record number of Super Rugby title wins to nine and became the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Chiefs in 2013.

Road to the final

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Finals Series qualifying teams
Conference leaders
Pos Team W D L PD BP Pts
1   Crusaders 14 0 2 +247 7 63
2   Lions 9 0 7 +84 10 46
3   Waratahs 9 1 6 +112 6 44
Wildcard teams
4   Hurricanes 11 0 5 +131 7 51
5   Chiefs 11 0 5 +95 5 49
6   Highlanders 10 0 6 −8 4 44
7   Jaguares 9 0 7 −9 2 38
8   Sharks 7 1 8 −5 6 36
Source: SANZAAR

After two seasons in which 18 teams participated, the 2018 season reverted to a 15-team competition, consisting of three geographical conferences.

Each conference leader at the end of the regular season, the Crusaders from New Zealand, Lions from South Africa and Waratahs from Australia gained home berths in the quarterfinals, as did the top-ranked wildcard team, the Hurricanes from New Zealand's conference. Their four wildcard opponents in the quarterfinals were the next best teams as ranked at the end of the regular season.

All four home teams won their quarterfinal matches to set up an all-New Zealand clash between the Crusaders and Hurricanes for the first semifinal in Christchurch, while the Lions hosted the Waratahs for the second semifinal in Johannesburg.

Both home teams won their semifinal matches with comfortable margins. The Lions then travelled away to Christchurch to play the Crusaders in the 2018 Super Rugby final.

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finals
 
          
 
21 July – Christchurch
 
 
  Crusaders40
 
28 July – Christchurch
 
  Sharks10
 
  Crusaders30
 
 
  Hurricanes12
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28 July – Johannesburg
 
 
  Lions44
 
21 July – Johannesburg
 
  Waratahs26
 
  Lions40
 
 
  Jaguares23
 

Match

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Details

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4 August 2018
19:35
Crusaders37–18Lions
Try: Tamanivalu 19'
Havili 34'
Drummond 62'
S. Barrett 70'
Con: Mo'unga (4) 20', 36', 63', 71'
Pen: Mo'unga (3) 16', 33', 43'
Report[3]
Scoreboard[4]
Try: Brink 53'
Marx 68'
Con: Jantjies 54'
Pen: Jantjies (2) 13', 39'
Rugby League Park, Christchurch
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crusaders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lions
FB 15 David Havili
RW 14 Seta Tamanivalu
OC 13 Jack Goodhue
IC 12 Ryan Crotty   67'
LW 11 George Bridge   77'
FH 10 Richie Mo'unga   77'
SH 9 Bryn Hall   54'
N8 8 Kieran Read
OF 7 Matt Todd
BF 6 Heiden Bedwell-Curtis   56'
RL 5 Sam Whitelock (c)
LL 4 Scott Barrett   72'
TP 3 Owen Franks   60'
HK 2 Codie Taylor   69'
LP 1 Joe Moody   47'
Substitutes:
HK 16 Andrew Makalio   69'
PR 17 Tim Perry   47'
PR 18 Michael Alaalatoa   60'
LK 19 Luke Romano   72'
FL 20 Pete Samu   56'
SH 21 Mitchell Drummond   54'
CE 22 Mitchell Hunt   77'
FB 23 Braydon Ennor   77'
Coach:
  Scott Robertson
FB 15 Andries Coetzee
RW 14 Ruan Combrinck
OC 13 Lionel Mapoe
IC 12 Harold Vorster   76'
LW 11 Courtnall Skosan
FH 10 Elton Jantjies   54'
SH 9 Ross Cronjé   69'
N8 8 Warren Whiteley (c)
BF 7 Cyle Brink   63'
OF 6 Kwagga Smith
RL 5 Franco Mostert
LL 4 Marvin Orie   54'
TP 3 Ruan Dreyer   69'
HK 2 Malcolm Marx   76'
LP 1 Jacques van Rooyen   47'
Substitutes:
HK 16 Corné Fourie   76'
PR 17 Dylan Smith   47'
PR 18 Johannes Jonker   69'
LK 19 Lourens Erasmus   54'
FL 20 Marnus Schoeman   63'
SH 21 Dillon Smit   69'
FH 22 Aphiwe Dyantyi   54'
WG 23 Howard Mnisi   76'
Coach:
  Swys de Bruin

Man of the Match:
Richie Mo'unga[5]

Assistant referees:
Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Nic Berry (Australia)
Television match official:
Shane McDermott (New Zealand)

References

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  1. ^ "Parade to celebrate Crusaders latest Super Rugby title". Radio New Zealand. 6 August 2018.
  2. ^ Geekie, Kaylan (4 August 2018). "Super Rugby Final: Crusaders crowned kings again". Super Rugby | Super 15 Rugby and Rugby Championship News,Results and Fixtures from Super XV Rugby. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Outstanding Crusaders claim ninth Super Rugby title". SANZAAR. 4 August 2018. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Crusaders 37-18 Lions". SANZAAR. 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Crusaders win title number nine after proving too strong for Lions in Super Rugby final". The Telegraph. London. 4 August 2018.