7 stats you should know around the 2018 Super Rugby final
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.
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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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Hi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
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