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7 stats you should know around the 2018 Super Rugby final
By Ben Spratt
The Crusaders face the Lions in a Super Rugby final rematch this weekend as the New Zealand side look to defend their title.
Scott Robertson's Crusaders ran out 25-17 winners last year at Ellis Park and the league's outstanding team have the opportunity to go back-to-back in Christchurch.
The odds look to be firmly in the Crusaders' favour - the Lions finished 17 points behind Saturday's opponents in the regular season - but the whole campaign now boils down to one match.
Ahead of the crunch clash, we have picked out the best Opta facts.
Continue reading below...
1 - This game will mark the first time in Super Rugby history that consecutive finals have been contested by the same teams.
2 - Two of the last three Super Rugby finals have been won by the away team on the day, including the Crusaders' victory in the 2017 edition.
4 - The Lions have lost their last four games in New Zealand, scoring an average of just 16 points per game.
6 - The number of victories from the Lions' last eight play-off games in Super Rugby; however, they have finished as runners-up in each of the last two campaigns.
9 - The Crusaders have won nine of their last 10 games against the Lions, including their last two in succession.
14 - The length of the Crusaders' winning run. The last time they won more consecutively was a 16-game streak from April 2005 to April 2006.
87 - The amount of tries scored by the Lions this season is greater than any other team in the competition, but just one more than the Crusaders (86).
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Latest Comments
Thanks for the analysis Nick, thought provoking as usual. Couple of queries though, in the pic where you've circled Williams bind , I'm pretty sure it shows Stuart's knee on the ground, surely that's a NZ penalty? Also having had the chance to watch it again the All Black scrum seeems to improve after halftime, but before either England or the All Blacks replace their props. Not sure if that was the result of Tuipolutu coming on or some halftime tips. Either way this is only Williams second international season, so he'll be better for the experience.
Go to commentsif the clock could be turned back, Jones should still have been given the top job, to be assisted by Farrell, Borthwick, Catt, & Rowntree, and after 2019 he should have been replaced by Farrell.
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