2018 Super Rugby Final

Event	2018 Super Rugby season
Crusaders Lions 37 18
Date	4 August 2018
Venue	Rugby League Park, Christchurch
Referee	Angus Gardner ( Australia)
Attendance	c. 20,000  [1]
← 2017 2019 →

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.

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

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-finals				Semi-finals
	21 July – Christchurch
	Crusaders	40
					28 July – Christchurch
	Sharks	10
					Crusaders	30
					Hurricanes	12
					28 July – Johannesburg
					Lions	44
	21 July – Johannesburg
					Waratahs	26
	Lions	40
	Jaguares	23

Match

Details

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

References