Super 15 Rugby

New South Wales Waratahs will host the mighty Christchurch Crusaders in the 2014 Super 15 Rugby final. It will be a clash of the top two teams from this season's Super League standings, per SuperXV.com.

The Waratahs will be hoping that home advantage will hold sway. However, that's a dubious hope against a seasoned bunch like the Crusaders, who have beaten New South Wales in two previous finals.

Here is the relevant fixture information now that the 2014 Super 15 final has been set.

Both teams ensured their place in the final with dominant performances at the semi-final stage. The Crusaders went first, easily overpowering the Sharks by an emphatic 38-6 scoreline.

Strength in the back row set the early pattern for victory, per Sky Sports.

"Seldom are the Sharks outmuscled but they had no answer for Todd Blackadder's menacing troops at the AMI Stadium with the potent back-row combination of Read, Todd and Richie McCaw continually thrusting the hosts onto the front foot."

Awesome power has been a familiar formula for success for the Crusaders. Players such as skipper Kieran Reid and Jimmy McNicholl, both scorers against the Sharks, give the Crusaders a decided advantage in strength.

It's an advantage that is sure to carry over into the final against a more free-flowing Waratahs group. The Waratahs faced similar forward-thinking verve in their semi-final against Brumbies in Melbourne, as Sky Sports noted.

"If Saturday's first semi-final, which saw the Crusaders beat the Sharks 38-6, was billed as a war of the towering packs, this all-Australian affair put two of the most attacking Super Rugby sides toe-to-toe."

It's this "attack versus defence" and "flair against might" contrast in styles that will make the final so intriguing.

Here are some predictions for this year's Super 15 final:

Crusaders' Power Will Stifle the Waratahs' Attacking Instincts

When stubborn power and attacking dynamism meet, something has to give. Sadly, it's all too often the daring flair that gets trampled under foot by brute force.

That's just how this final will ultimately play out. Back-line duo Colin Slade and Dan Carter are a fearsome tandem that routinely scrap to set up mauls the Crusaders often win.

It's in those exchanges where the Waratahs may struggle to counter. They have speed and guile in the form of winger Alofa Alofa along with the versatile Kurtley Beale. Both players earned tries in the semi-final dispatching of the Brumbies.

However, the Waratahs lack the imposing size to withstand the type of steady march of muscle the Crusaders have made their trademark. That means Alofa and his attack-minded teammates might not see a lot of ball.

Crusaders Will Win Eighth Super League Title

The New South Wales defence was surprisingly stout in the semi-final. Skipper Michael Hooper told Sky Sports that solid defending saw off the Bumbies.

"Defence wins you games and it was really good tonight, really good to see the big boys doing the hard work," said Hooper.

While the out-of-character showing was impressive, the Waratahs will struggle to muster the same defiant resolve against Christchurch. The Crusaders simply boast too much imposing physicality and drive at both ends of the pack.

That quality is perfect for a slight underdog looking to produce a major upset on enemy soil. Christchurch's power is the antithesis of New South Wales' more fluid approach. The Crusaders are the ideal opponent to stifle the Waratahs.

It won't be the kind of hammering they doled out to the Sharks, but the Crusaders will upset the party and outlast the Waratahs in Sydney.

The Southern Hemisphere’s most illustrious club rugby union competition has moved into the sharp end of the tournament, and with the final in sight it was guaranteed that none of the four teams involved in this year's semi-finals would be giving an inch to their opponents.

The first of these two enticing clashes was the Crusaders up against the Sharks, while the second saw the Brumbies—who knocked out the 2012 and 2013 winners the Chiefs in the previous round—battle it out for a spot in the final with the Waratahs.

Here’s a look at how the matches panned out, as the four teams involved looked to lengthen their pursuit of glory in the 2014 Super 15.

Crusaders 38-6 Sharks

In semi-final games, there can often be a temptation to come flying out of the traps all guns blazing. But often in these types of clashes, it’s the most composed and most measured of the two sides that can think the most clearly and subsequently come out on top.

That’s the message that the Sharks’ coach Jake White looked to drill into his players ahead of this massive clash with the seven-time champions, urging his team to play to its strengths, per The National:

We’ve got a great scrum, we’ve got a good set piece and we’ve obviously got some backs that we can finish when we turn some ball over, so it’ll be the same that has been working for us.

In knockout rugby you have to go back to what works for you and we have done those things consistently.

But in the opening stages of this semi-final, the Sharks looked nervous and blunt. And when you’re toiling against a team like the Crusaders, they’ll typically punish you.

The New Zealand outfit played with a maturity and a swagger throughout the semi-final, signalling their intent extremely early on by forcing a line-out in the Sharks’ half within the first minute of the match. In truth, it'd prove to be an apt indicator for the rest of the game.

Eventually, that line-out would yield a penalty, and Dan Carter slotted the ball over to give Crusaders a 3-0 lead after three minutes. The Sharks were doing their utmost to stem the flow of Crusaders attacks, and although they were looking a little ragged at times, the defensive industry of Marcell Coetzee was once again very impressive, as noted here by Rob Houwing of Sport24.co.za:

Once the Sharks had possession, though, they were kicking the ball away far too frequently. Just to compound matters, their kicks weren’t accurate, either, and they paid the ultimate price in the 14th minute.

Paul Jordaan gave away possession with a poor kick before he missed a tackle on his opponent. But credit must go to the Crusaders, who finished the score with a fine move; Kieran Read was the man to apply the finishing touches, and Carter slotted the conversion to give the Crusaders a 10-point lead.

Former Springbok international Breyton Paulse bemoaned the Sharks' insistence on kicking away possession:

Initially, the Sharks responded well, getting their first points on the board courtesy of a penalty from Pat Lambie in the 22nd minute. But the 10-point buffer was restored by Carter when the Crusaders won a penalty and the All Blacks fly-half knocked it over. Both sides added another penalty each before the break, giving the Crusaders a 16-6 lead at half-time.

South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs offered the Sharks some advice on how they might potentially haul their way back into the game:

But with the second half barely started, the jig was all but up for the Sharks. The ball was worked out to the powerful Fijian winger Nemani Nadolo, and he went over to put the Crusaders 21-6 ahead; Carter was unable to add the extra points, though.

By this point, the Sharks were noticeably drained, and as their opponents set up camp in the South Africans' half of the field, another score was inevitable. It came in the 70th minute, as Willi Heinz capitalised on some poor scrummaging from the Sharks to sneak in and go over. Carter added the extra two to make it 28-6 with 12 minutes remaining.

It was damage limitation for the Sharks at this point, but the Crusaders seemingly had little intention of taking their foot off the throat of their opponents. They ran in their fourth try of the day after capitalising on yet another aimless kick from the Sharks. Johnny McNicholl was the man who finished it off before Carter's missed kick left the score on 33-6.

And with three minutes remaining, just when it looked as though the punishment was done, things got even worse. The Crusaders set up a rolling maul to batter their way through the Sharks defence, and Matt Todd bundled over the line to make the score 38-6. Carter again pushed his kick wide though.

SuperSport's Sias du Plessis summed it all up perfectly:

For the Sharks this was indisputably their worst performance of the entire campaign. They were anxious, sloppy and completely lacked invention throughout the entire 80 minutes. The Crusaders, by comparison, relished the big occasion, and their five tries were a measure of their clinical edge in front of the posts.

Waratahs 26-8 Brumbies

The Waratahs hosted the Brumbies in the second semi-final. Prior to the match, Tahs coach Michael Cheika urged his men to play without the apprehension that has seen this team come up short of the final in the last three seasons.

Per Steven Orme of Sportal.com, Cheika said the criticism that has come his team's way is warranted, but that they must rise above it:

If you worry about too much of that parochialism you'll get caught up and you'll forget about what you need to do in the game. We understand that we've been on the receiving end (of criticism) over the years and it's warranted because we haven't delivered, but here's a chance for us.

The Waratahs began like a team who had heeded the words of their coach, and just three minutes into the game they had their first try. The Brumbies looked a little overwhelmed by the occasion and Alofa Alofa was able to capitalise on a loose ball to give his team the lead.

Kicking for the Waratahs, Bernard Foley was unable to add the extra two points. But in the 22nd minute he was able to make amends, tucking away a penalty to give his team an eight point lead. 

Rugby writer Alex Broun commented on how physical the game was in the early stages:

The Brumbies are a fine side, though, and there was always going to be a spell in the match where they came roaring back. And they did exactly that in the second half of the first period. Henry Speight went over with 10 minutes left in the first half, and with just one minute remaining on the clock, Christian Lealiifano slotted over a penalty to level things up.

Here's Speight celebrating his try, courtesy of the Super Rugby account:

But somewhat crucially, Foley was able to wrestle back the initiative from the visitors, giving his side a shot of momentum going into half time by knocking over a penalty on the hooter. It was 11-8 at the break.

Buoyed by that score before the interval, the Tahs came out firing early in the second half, putting pressure on their opponents and forcing them into cheap mistakes. And in the 48th minute, Kurtley Beale capitalised on a massive tackle from Adam Ashley-Cooper to bundle the ball over the try line. Foley was unable to convert, meaning the Waratahs had a 16-8 lead going into the final knockings of the game.

To make things even more difficult for the Brumbies, Speight limped out of the game in what was a huge blow for his side, as noted here by the Super Rugby account:

With the end of the game in sight, the supporters inside the Allianz Stadium were rallying behind their team. And it's little wonder that the noise levels were so high, as noted by the Waratahs' official Twitter account:

Naturally, the Waratahs came under some huge pressure in the latter stages of the match, as the Brumbies pressed for a score to get them back in the game. But the home side were buoyed by their support and clung on. When they did finally get out of their own 22, the Tahs earned a penalty which was slotted home by Foley to make it 19-8 with seven minutes remaining.

But the home supporters were sent into rapturous delirium just a couple of minutes later, as Foley ran in a try and slotted the subsequent conversion to give the Waratahs an insurmountable 26-8 lead and set up what promises to be an encapsulating final against the Crusaders.

It has been a tough few years for Ma'a Nonu. While his All Blacks form has never really dipped, he has copped all sorts of criticism for his below-par performances at Super Rugby level.

In 2015 he will return home to the Hurricanes, where he will look to put the nightmares of the past four seasons behind him. The move should be a good one for both Nonu and his new team, provided Nonu's head stays in the right place.

There has not been a player in New Zealand rugby whose game has received more attention in recent years than Nonu. How can he be so brilliant for the All Blacks but so underwhelming at the level below?

With the Hurricanes in 2011, Blues in 2012 and Highlanders in 2013, he entered each season on a team with high hopes. All were huge disappointments, and Nonu's form did not help. He offered little on attack, and his discipline was not flash either.

Of course, there was a lot more wrong at these three teams than just Nonu. None looked polished, and all appeared to lack the desire to gain a physical edge. The unfortunate thing for Nonu was that he was the common denominator in each of these three teams.

In 2014 he returned to the Blues after arguably the worst season of his career at the Highlanders. His form has been better but inconsistent. At times he has been the player many consider to be the best inside centre in the world. At others, he has been error-prone and struggled to make an impact.

A return home in 2015 will mark the fourth season in a row where he has donned a different jersey to the one before.

But this time there is every chance it could work out.

Not only could Nonu do with a fresh start, the Hurricanes need a quality inside centre.

This year the Hurricanes remained on the fringe of the playoffs for the entire season. They had a good all-round team, hard-working tight five, a bruising loose forward trio and a lethal back line. But they lacked an inside centre, and it was this that really hindered their performances.

Alapati Leiua was the best of the options used, but his departure to Europe means he will no longer be an option.

With Nonu in the mix, the Hurricanes will have a player who can bring something different to their back line.

He is a player at his best when he is receiving front-foot ball with enough depth that he can step. With this step he creates a weak shoulder on his defender, which allows him to break the tackle. It is a skill heavily taught right through the age grades in New Zealand, and there are few better at executing it than Nonu.

In this, he provides them with a genuine line-breaking option in the midfield. Sandwiched between Beauden Barrett and Conrad Smith, he will be in the best situation of recent times.

Barrett is maturing into a player capable of taking good options while also maintaining the speed and eye for a gap which helped him burst onto the scene. He will attract more attention from the defence, and he will take the ball to the line, meaning Nonu can get the ball on the run.

Part of Nonu's problems in recent years has been in being stuck outside fly-halfs who just shovel the ball straight on. Often Nonu has gotten the ball at a standing start, meaning the defence is able to push up further on him. He has been limited to having to crash the ball and set up for the next phase without being able to really make an impact.

At the Hurricanes outside Barrett, this should not be such an issue.

Outside Nonu will be his longtime partner, Conrad Smith. The two have formed one of the great All Blacks midfield pairings and combine as well as any two players in the world. Smith is the hard-working, tidy, intelligent, safe tackler. Nonu is the dynamic, line-breaking, hard runner.

The key to note there is that they are different. In his two seasons with the Blues, Nonu has brought too much of what everyone else has had. Likewise, the Hurricanes have lacked punch through the midfield.

Nonu provides them with variation. He will attract more defensive attention closer in, which will open up space for their dangerous wing combination of Julian Savea and Cory Jane.

Of course, he has been hampered with some niggling injuries over the past few years too. These have clearly inhibited his play and could continue to do so at the Hurricanes. The 32-year-old will need to be managed to stay healthy, but the same can be said about many other older players in New Zealand.

His form at Super Rugby level has not been flash over the past four years. But his best years at this level came wearing a Hurricanes jersey. It seems to be where he most wants to play and also looks to be the best fit for him.

If it does not work out for him here, it is difficult to see where it will work out. At his best, he remains as good an inside centre as anyone, and if he can bring this form to the Hurricanes, they will be right up there with the top contenders.