Super 15 Rugby

After seven months of compelling action, the field in the 2013 Super Rugby season has been whittled down to just a few teams left to vie for the championship in Round 22. 

Kicking off the action this weekend is a promotional relegation contest between the Southern Kings and the Golden Lions. The two teams will play their first of two games on Friday, July 26 to determine which of them will be the fifth South African team in next year's Super Rugby competition, as noted by SkySports.com. 

Then, on Saturday, July 27, the four teams left in the field will compete in the semifinals to determine which of them moves on to play in the Super Rugby final on August 3. 

Here's a look at the full schedule for this weekend's activities. 

Super Rugby Promotion/Relegation Playoff

Teams: Kings vs. Lions

When: Friday, July 26, at 12 p.m. ET/18:00 BST

Where: Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Watch: Sky Sports 

Super Rugby Semifinals 

Teams for Game 1: Chiefs vs. Crusaders

When: Saturday, July 27, at 1:35 a.m. ET/7:35 BST

Where: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand

Watch: Sky Sports

Teams for Game 2: Bulls vs. Brumbies

When: Saturday, July 27, at 10:05 a.m. ET/16:05 BST

Where: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, South Africa

Watch: Sky Sports

Game Previews

Kings vs. Lions

Though not officially part of the Super 15 this season, the stakes are high for these two teams on Friday. 

The Kings replaced the Lions in Super Rugby this year, as noted by SkySports.com, and finished the season at the bottom of the table with just three wins. As noted in the opening, the winning team in this relegation playoff will earn the right to become the fifth Super Rugby team from South Africa next year.

The Kings will be without two of the team's top players in Luke Watson and Andries Strauss—both of whom are out with injuries. 

On the other side, the Lions will be happy to have a few key players returning to action, as Franco van der Merwe, Martin Bezuidenhout and Elton Jantjies are back after being loaned out to other clubs. 

The stakes are high for these teams, and you can be sure an all-out effort by both sides will lead to some fierce action on the pitch on Friday. 

Chiefs vs. Crusaders

After winning the championship last year, the Chiefs are right back in the thick of the title chase again this year. Judging by the team's history against the Crusaders, however, getting back to the final will be an arduous task.

As noted by SkySports.com, the Crusaders have an historic edge over their rivals, winning two-thirds of the contests against the Chiefs, though the Chiefs have won three of four recently, including last year's semifinals clash. 

Two weeks ago, these two powerhouses lined up across the pitch from one another in a contest the Crusaders handled with ease on their home turf. When the dust had settled, the Chiefs suffered a miserable defeat as the Crusaders won by a score of 43-15. 

After being ravaged by injuries throughout the season, the Chiefs enter this contest relatively healthy after resting last weekend in what was essentially a bye week. It's a good thing, too, because this upcoming contest will be a brutally physical affair that will require nothing but the best of efforts to win.

Bulls vs. Brumbies

In what should be a closely contested match, the South African champion Bulls will host the Australian champion Brumbies to see which team makes it to the finals next weekend. 

The two sides met up once during the regular season, with the Brumbies earning a narrow victory over the Bulls, 23-20. Historically, the Aussies have been superior to the South Africans, winning nine of 15 times.

That said, this is a home game for the Bulls, who have won five of eight contests against the Brumbies at Loftus Versfeld. The home team will be going with a few changes to the lineup, as a few players who were injured will finally be ready to compete. 

As noted by SkySports.com, the Brumbies haven't been to the finals in nine years. Jake White liked what he saw from his squad in its narrow victory over the Cheetahs leading up to the match, and he'll be rolling out the same 22 players he did in that contest.

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The 2013 Super 15 Rugby Draw is in full swing, as some of the top teams in the world have come together to fight for league supremacy. While all have dreams of winning the title, some are simply looking to remain afloat.

Two of those teams, the Southern Kings and MTN Lions, will be playing in a relegation fixture to determine who remains in the standings for the Super 15 table.

Both squads have struggled to piece together victories at the highest level, thus falling out of championship contention. With that being said, losing this relegation match would be a significant blow to their future in professional rugby.

Here's what you need to know about their monumental clash.

Round: 22

Date: Friday, July 26

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: Sky Sports

Southern Kings

Entering this match, the Southern Kings are 3-12-1, making for a league-worst 24 points. They're five points behind the second-lowest team in the Super 15 and a full 42 behind the first place Waikato Chiefs.

In other words, they simply aren't faring well at this juncture.

If the Kings are defeated in their forthcoming matches, they will face relegation and drop out of the Super 15. If they're able to win, they will live to fight another day.

This is as close to a must-win as you'll find.

The Kings, hailing from South Africa, are led by standout players Tomas Leonardi of Argentinia and Jaco Engels of Namibia. They may not be producing victories, but they're talented players with enough ability to lead this win.

They and their teammates will need every ounce of their ability to escape this one with a victory and an early edge as they fight to avoid relegation.

MTN Lions

The MTN Lions operated a squad in the Super 15 until 2012, when they were relegated out of the ranks of the elite. Now, with the Kings struggling to piece together victories, there is a legitimate possibility that they re-emerge as a participant.

If they do, it certainly won't be easy.

Team captain JC Janse van Rensburg is a class player, but those surrounding him are far from elite. When it comes to stepping up and winning when it matters most, however, there's reason to believe that the Lions are capable.

The fact they're playing a team that can't seem to buy a victory certainly doesn't hurt.

Re-entering the Super 15 would be fitting, as the Golden Lions are a strong organization, and they now have a chance to re-enter the Super Rugby tournament with a massive victory.

As was expected, at least according to the bookies’ odds, the Canterbury Crusaders mauled their way past the Queensland Reds this weekend to book their spot in the Super Rugby semi-finals for the 12th season in a row.

In the end, the Australian visitors were more than a shade off the pace, and despite coming close on several occasions, they were prevented from scoring even a single try in their 38-9 defeat.

Depending on how the qualifier between the ACT Brumbies and the Central Cheetahs pans out, the Christchurch titans will now face either the Waikato Chiefs or the Blue Bulls in the next round of the postseason.

Focusing on the now, however, the following players were largely responsible for Crusaders’ most recent demolition. These stars chose to shine at the right moment yet again for the New Zealand franchise.

George Whitelock

One of four Whitelock brothers to have taken to the AMI Stadium pitch on Saturday, George’s contributions in both attack and defence currently put him at the top of the family tree.

The 27-year-old was unfortunate to have a try disallowed after getting held up just prior to halftime, but Whitelock had plenty of other occasions to add five to his side’s tally.

Crashing the ball up the middle of the pitch, the back-rower often drifted into the channels rather than get sucked in unnecessarily. He made himself available as a big, physical first receiver whenever possible.

Whenever that wasn’t the case, Whitelock ensured that his support was dangling off the shoulder of the ball-carrier, making it that much harder for the Reds to get any sight of the ball.

Ryan Crotty

Still a budding talent in the Crusaders system, Ryan Crotty showed his potential to become the team’s leading force in the middle of the pitch, grabbing two tries against the Reds this weekend.

The 24-year-old showed all the trademarks of a great centre against his most recent opposition—a great step, soft hands and the ability to turn on the afterburners when the slightest gap emerged in the opposition's back line.

Despite setting his teammates up for a great deal of chances, Crotty found himself on the end of a few opportunities this weekend—some almost completely independently engineered.

Dan Carter

While Quade Cooper could have had an easier time from the tee this weekend, Dan Carter was nevertheless reliable in his kicking duties. He was as omnipotent as ever when it came to that aspect of his game.

The Crusaders fly-half notched three penalties and three conversions, one of which was for a try he finished off nicely, showing good pace from short range to round off a lovely passing movement.

The official Super Rugby Twitter account took note of the move:

Classy as ever, the New Zealand international continued his trend of throwing his tees into the crowd with each kick, but that class extended into the back’s play.

An inconspicuous catalyst, Carter bided his time, acting as nothing more than a mediator amongst his back line. But with the slightest pause or the quickening of tempo, the 31-year-old helped to create numerous line breaks in his latest AMI Stadium outing.

It’s not been an enjoyable few weeks for Australia’s rugby faithful.

The British and Irish Lions marched into their country and outfought them to take the series, whilst their two major club sides, ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds, failed to qualify for the Super 15 Rugby semifinals.

The responsibility now rests on the two teams to restore their nation’s standing in the game by emerging from the playoffs to reach the final four.

Just one month ago, things were far rosier. The Brumbies invited the Lions into their Canberra backyard and served up a display of fearless tackling to dispatch of their more illustrious opponents, 14-12.

It was the first time a provincial side had beaten the Lions in over 15 years, their last defeat coming at the hands of South African side Northern Transvaal. Australia was surely ready to defeat its European opponents.

But what unfolded over the next few weeks saw all that optimism unravel.  A catalogue of errors and late penalty drama handed the Lions their first Test, and although the Wallabies recovered to take the second, they were outclassed by their rivals in the decider.

Brumbies utility back Christian Lealiifano will be desperate to bring success to his nation. His international debut came to an end after just 52 seconds in the first Lions Test after he knocked himself out clattering into opponent Jonathan Davies, but he did recover to start the other two matches.

He currently has the third highest points total in Super 15, and his kicking will be imperative to his side’s success. The Brumbies are likely to gain lots of early penalties as their eager opposition, the Central Cheetahs, lack the composure required in big matches in their first ever playoff match.

The Reds can only hope 2011 top-scorer Quade Cooper returns to form as they head to New Zealand to face Super Rugby’s most successful side, the Crusaders. They can draw strength from the final two years ago, when they triumphed to take the title, 18-13, but repeating it in their opponents stadium is a different matter entirely.

Whilst it can’t be referred to as a crisis—after all, only two teams from three nations can progress automatically to the semifinals each season—it should be enough to send warning signals across the Aussie rugby community.

If Sunday evening comes round and Australia are without Super Rugby representation, it would be a very sombre moment for the nation.

The 2013 Super Rugby season has been a marvel to watch for the last seven months or so, but it’s only now that matters really start to heat up.

This weekend, the Crusaders play hosts to the Queensland Reds in the first qualifying fixture before the Cheetahs, then travel to Canberra to take on the Brumbies.

Awaiting them in semifinal are the top two finishers from the regular season, the Chiefs and the Bulls, who finished in first and second respectively.

Read on to find out just when and where you might hope to catch some of what promises to be some of the most entertaining southern hemisphere rugby this year.

Round 21

Crusaders vs. Reds

When: Saturday, 20 July, 3:35 a.m. ET/8:35 a.m. BST

Where: AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand

Watch: Sky Sports 1 (UK), DIRECTV (USA), Fox Sports (AUS)

The first post-season match of the year pit fourth against fifth respectively as Crusaders look to continue the strong run of form with which they ended the campaign.

With the British and Lions Tour now in the rear view mirror, James Horwill and Will Genia give the visitors a huge boost by their returns to fitness.

The visiting side are certainly geared up for their massive clash this weekend, professing their club support on Twitter:

However, the home side have a big return of their own and are expected to welcome Richie McCaw back from his six-month sabbatical from rugby.

All three players have the potential to be the difference in this game, not to mention the other stars set to dazzle in what looks like the closer of Round 21’s matchups.

Brumbies vs. Cheetahs

When: Sunday, 21 July, 2:10 a.m. ET/ 7:10 a.m. BST

Where: Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia Watch: Sky Sports 1 (UK), DIRECTV (USA), Fox Sports (AUS)

During the regular season, the Brumbies played every team in the South African conference except for the Central Cheetahs, winning two, drawing one and losing the other of those fixtures.

Now facing the fifth and final of their western opponents this term, Jake White will be hoping it’s a case of third time’s the charm against the second-placed team of the South African contingent.

Of the previous seven meetings between these two franchises, it’s this weekend’s hosts who have won the majority with five, the Cheetahs prevailing on just two occasions.

Round 22

Chiefs vs. Lower Ranked Qualifier Winner

When: Saturday, 27 July, 3:35 a.m. ET/8:35 a.m. BST

Where: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand

Watch: TBC

Having completed a late Round 20 turnaround, the Chiefs sewed up Super Rugby’s top-place finish at the close of the regular season, giving them not just home advantage in the semi-final, but a lower ranked opponent, too.

Due to the knockout format of the tournament, surprise results aren’t to be considered out of the question, leaving the forum open as to which team may be just yet.

Bulls vs. Higher Ranked Qualifier Winner

When: Saturday, 27 July, 11:05 a.m. ET/16:05 p.m. BST

Where: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, South Africa

Watch: TBC

Unfortunate to be beaten at the final hurdle, the Bulls relinquished top spot in the final chapter of the season after they lost to the Stormers 30-13, much to the disappointment of coach Frans Ludeke.

The Crusaders and Brumbies will be considered favourites for their respective fixtures this weekend, meaning one of the two will be more likely to meet the Bulls—set to play the higher ranked of the qualifiers—in their semi-final.

Super 15 Rugby gets real on Saturday. After the sparring of the league format, just six teams remain, with one of them set to be crowned champions in two weeks’ time.

The Waikato Chiefs and Blue Bulls avoided the playoffs through their league endeavours, leaving the third to sixth placed teams to compete for a spot in the final four.

Whilst all the playoff sides have pressure on them to advance to the semifinals, it’s the Canterbury Crusaders and ACT Brumbies who have the greatest burden to bear.

Canterbury Crusaders

The Crusaders have struggled all season for form as they seek a return to the days when Super Rugby success was practically guaranteed. Five years ago, they beat NSW Waratahs 20-12 to clinch the title in front of their own fans at the AMI Stadium. They haven’t won it since.

Their place as New Zealand’s greatest side is now under threat by the rise of current reigning champions, the Chiefs.

How the Crusaders would love to reassert themselves as their nation’s dominant force by knocking their newest rivals out of the tournament. They threw away a lead in their opening clash with the Chiefs this season, falling to a 28-19 defeat, but obliterated them in the return group match 43-15.

Before they contemplate any such showdown they must first defeat the Reds—the side who beat them to the 2011 final and prevented the Crusaders from reaffirming themselves on the world stage.

Expectation will fall on Dan Carter who goes head to head with Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper as the outcome is likely to depend on who has the higher conversion rate with a tight contest anticipated.

The Crusaders have already beaten the three sides that finished above them this season and, if they can dispatch of the Reds, will provide a stiff test for anyone left in the competition.

ACT Brumbies

With the Reds likely to struggle in New Zealand, the Brumbies represent Australia’s best hopes of having a side in the final four. They last won the title in 2004 but they’ve proven this campaign that they can beat the best—the problem has been their consistency.

The high of beating the British and Irish Lions was quickly replaced by the low of losing their final match to Western Force 21-15.

The Brumbies have endured a rocky season. It started well enough as they kept pace at the top of the league with a series of commanding displays—the highlight being their opening day 24-6 victory over the Reds as fullback Jessie Mogg ran in two tries.

Although they’ve fallen away, they still have the chance of making the final should they defeat playoff debutants Central Cheetahs. The Cheetahs aren’t expected to cause the Australians many issues, but that adds extra pressure as the fans in the Canberra Stadium expect a walkover.

Should they progress as expected, any matches beyond the playoffs will likely be played away from home.

That shouldn’t prove too difficult, as their record on opposition turf is good. They even beat the Blues 20-13 at Eden Park this season, so write the Brumbies off at your peril.

No more second chances. One poor performance will wreck 20 weeks of hard work as the Super 15 Rugby rolls out its knockout phase with the dreaded playoffs.

The Canterbury Crusaders, Queensland Reds, ACT Brumbies and Central Cheetahs have impressed in reaching the latter stages, but no one will remember their season if they fail to progress to the final four.

Lying in wait for the two victors are the Waikato Chiefs and Blue Bulls, who stormed the league to be rewarded with automatic semi-final spots and a week off for good measure.

After losing a tight series to the British and Irish Lions, Australia now face the prospect of having no representatives in the last four. The pressure is firmly on the Reds and the Brumbies to make sure they avoid the embarrassment of seeing sides from only New Zealand and South Africa left in the tournament come Sunday evening.

With the tournament ready to heat up, here’s a look at the playoff schedule.

Canterbury Crusaders vs. Queensland Reds

When: Saturday, July 20

Where: AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand

Start Time: 3.35 a.m. ET/ 8.35 a.m. BST

Watch (US Viewers): Direct TV Channel 480 and 481

Watch (UK Viewers): Sky Sports 1

ACT Brumbies vs. Central Cheetahs

When: Sunday, July 21

Where: Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia

Start Time: 2.10 a.m. ET/ 7.10 a.m. BST

Watch (US Viewers): Direct TV Channel 480 and 481

Watch (UK Viewers): Sky Sports 1

The Crusaders are the most distinguished side in Super Rugby history, with a total of seven titles, but they face a Reds side that pipped them to the 2011 title.

They’ve not won a tournament since 2008 and their reputation as New Zealand’s finest side is under threat if they don’t win on Saturday.

The Brumbies must handle the pressure of being overwhelming favourites to progress to the semi-finals. They come up against a Cheetahs side with nothing to lose after the South African side progressed to the playoffs for the first time in their history.

All four playoff sides have struggled for consistency this season, and it will take three huge performances for them to even have a shot of Super 15 glory.

Even if they progress to the next round they must face the Chiefs or the Bulls, who will have home advantage and the extra confidence after topping the group stage.

But before these four sides can even contemplate the semifinals, they must first go to battle in the playoffs in the knowledge that one small slip could end their tournament dreams.

Canterbury Crusaders have dominated Super Rugby since its inception with seven titles from just 17 tournaments but their reputation as the game’s fiercest opponents is in danger if they fall in this year’s playoffs.

Likewise, five-time finalists ACT Brumbies, who looked set to qualify automatically for the semifinals, must quickly recover after their shocking loss against Western Force in Round 20.

A decade of success from 1998 to 2008 made the Crusaders the most feared side in rugby union, but for the five years that followed it has been tricky to come by.

The rise to prominence of their New Zealand rivals Waikato Chiefs and South Africa’s Blue Bulls—the two sides currently enjoying a week off after finishing first and second in the league respectively—has pushed the Crusaders into the rugby wilderness.

They returned in 2011 to reassert themselves back on the Southern Hemisphere map but came up against their 2013 playoff opponents, the Queensland Reds, in the final who dispatched of them 18-13.

The Reds have struggled for consistency all season but the return of fly-half Quade Cooper, who inspired them to the 2011 title, presents a serious problem for the Crusaders ahead of their showdown in Christchurch.

If Cooper can find form with his boot, the Crusaders must not give away stupid penalties or allow him to float within striking range of their goalposts. Any opportunity for openside flanker Matt Todd to land a hefty early challenge to unsettle his rival would go down well with teammates and fans alike.

Much has been made of the Brumbies victory over the British and Irish Lions—the first provincial side to beat them since South Africa's Northern Transvaal in 1997—but their inability to recover and seal their progress to the semifinals was perhaps even more striking.

The Brumbies success over the Lions was meant to be the boost they needed to regain the Super Rugby title they last won nearly ten years ago.

They now face a Central Cheetahs side ready to play in their inaugural playoff match. You can expect the South Africans to approach the game in Canberra with no fear whatsoever as they seek to continue their remarkable season.

Rather oddly, the fixture computer kept the four playoff sides separate in the league stage meaning they will have to rely on video evidence, and what they garnered in previous years, as preparation.

That should create some nervy opening minutes as the teams try to suss each other out. But if the Crusaders and Brumbies don’t click into gear early, their rivals will sense an opportunity and the tournament giants will be sent crashing out.

The Super 15 regular season is over, with the qualifying stage set to begin in Round 21 with two intriguing clashes between sides in the top six.

July 20­­—Crusaders vs. Reds, AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand, 07:35 GMT

Fourth hosts fifth in the qualifying section, with Crusaders aiming to build on their excellent three-round winning streak. They haven’t missed a matchday since Game 17, and confidence will be high for the home side in New Zealand. Todd Blackadder, the Crusaders coach, confirmed to SuperXV.com Richie McCaw’s return to the squad, but he will only make the replacement bench in Christchurch.

There were doubts over All Blacks star Luke Romano, but he will start at lock with Sam Whitelock after recovering from an ankle injury. The play-off qualifier will also mark Matt Todd’s 50th appearance for the Crusaders.

The Reds won by only two points against the Waratahs, with Quade Cooper kicking two penalties to take the win 14-12. It was an excellent recovery from the Reds, who were 12-8 down at one stage, as the home side squandered some huge opportunities in the second half.

Despite injury concerns in their own camp, James Horwill and Will Genia will be back in the starting lineup. Ewen McKenzie, Reds director of coaching, expressed to SuperXV.com the importance of having both players back in the squad.

"Their influence can't be understated, and you need world-class players and strong leaders if you are going to win these games on the big stage.

"We have had to reshuffle our back line in some positions, and the players coming in now have an opportunity to contribute in a positive way.

This is the first time the two sides have met in 2013.

Prediction: Crusaders Win

July 21—Brumbies vs. Cheetahs, Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia, 06:10 GMT

The Brumbies are six points off top of the table, behind Australian compatriots the Chiefs and the Bulls from South Africa. Returning from a one-match lay-off, the Brumbies lost at Western Force by six, which is just their fourth defeat of the campaign. The club’s head coach, Stephen Larkin, described their qualifying final as needing a “do-or-die mentality” to SuperXV.com.

Prior to their two matchdays out of the fixture list, Brumbies had picked up a solid run of victories against the Melbourne Rebels and Hurricanes. George Smith will come in for the Brumbies, as confirmed by coach Jake White, coming back from a place on the bench in their defeat to Western Force.

The visitors will have a difficult job on their hands in Canberra, just qualifying for the top six on 54 points with a four-point lead over the Stormers. They’ve assembled 382 points in 16 games, which is 61 greater than fifth-placed Reds. The Cheetahs missed out on Round 20, but did win their last league match against the Blues by 21.

Prediction: Brumbies