Super Rugby play-offs: Hurricanes the top seed after topsy-turvy weekend + fixtures in UAE time

The decision to rest 15 players backfired for the Lions as defeat to Jaguares saw them slip from top seed to second. Alejandro Pagni / AFP

No one was more surprised than Hurricanes captain Dane Coles when a turbulent final weekend of Super Rugby’s regular season saw his Wellington side emerge as top qualifier.

In a weekend that started with multiple permutations in play, the Hurricanes needed a bonus-point win over the Canterbury Crusaders, who led the competition until three weeks ago, and two other results to go their way.

That was how it panned out when the Hurricanes whipped the Crusaders 35-10 to catapult from fourth in the New Zealand conference to top overall and guaranteed home matches through the play-offs.

The Chiefs only needed a win to overtake the Hurricanes but were beaten 25-15 by the Highlanders who, in turn, were unable to get the winning bonus point they needed to claim the top spot.

The outcome then boiled down to the Golden Lions, who started the weekend in pole position but paid dearly for their gamble to rest 15 of their stars when they went down to the Jaguares.

It was an outcome that even amazed the usually confident Coles.

“I didn’t expect to get a bonus point. I am not going to lie,” he said.

“I knew we could perform and get the result, but to get the bonus point was pretty pleasing.”

After the Highlanders beat the Chiefs, the Hurricanes had a nervous wait for the outcome of the Lions game, which was being played in Argentina as Coles and his team flew back to Wellington from Christchurch.

Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said they pushed the boundaries of air safety rules on the flight trying to monitor what was going on.

“Somebody was watching it on their phone until three minutes before the end when we lost reception and at that stage I think (the Jaguares) were up by 10 or 12 points so I guess that put the icing on the cake for us,” he said on landing.

The four conference winners; the Hurricanes, Lions, Western Stormers and ACT Brumbies will next weekend host quarter-finals against the Coastal Sharks, Crusaders, Chiefs and Highlanders respectively.

It was the Hurricanes’s usual backroom players who came to the fore in their demolition of the Crusaders.

Jason Woodward and Willis Halaholo, promoted to start in the centres because of injuries, both scored tries as did replacement flanker Callum Gibbins.

In Dunedin, a yellow card proved costly for the Chiefs who were in front until 13 minutes into the second half when they were reduced to 14-men and the Highlanders cashed in with a quick penalty and try to open up a lead.

Lions coach Johan Ackermann was left to deal with the harsh reality that his gamble on leaving his frontline troops at home to rest before the quarter-finals had backfired.

The South Africans only needed a losing bonus point against the Jaguares to finish top of the table but instead they squandered a half-time lead to lose 34-22.

The Brumbies downed the Western Force 24-10 to wrap up the Australian conference qualifying spot, with their pathway to the finals eased when their nearest rivals, the NSW Waratahs, were beaten 34-28 by the Auckland Blues.

The Sharks secured the remaining play-off berth, and ensured themselves a trip to Wellington with a laboured 40-29 win over the Sunwolves in Durban.

It was enough to keep them one point ahead of the Northern Bulls, their nearest rivals for the quarter-final slot, who beat the Central Cheetahs 43-17.

Super Rugby quarter-finals fixtures (x denotes seeding. All times UAE):

Friday

At Canberra

ACT Brumbies (AUS x4) v Otago Highlanders (NZL, holders x5) 12pm

Saturday

At Wellington

Wellington Hurricanes (NZL x1) v Coastal Sharks (RSA x8) 11.35am

At Johannesburg

Golden Lions (RSA x2) v Canterbury Crusaders (NZL x7) 6.30pm

At Cape Town

Western Stormers (RSA x3) v Waikato Chiefs (NZL x6) 9pm

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