I think you are being generous saying the Kings are average :) 

I am hoping that the Crusaders loss in Fiji is enough to wake them up so they are back in battle mode for the next 3 games. Rebels shouldn't be too much of an issue, and it depends which Hurricanes team turns up. Still a reasonable chance of topping the table, but they are taking the hard road.

The moment they expanded from super 12 I stopped watching super rugby

And good stuff the Canes!!

What an awesome Saturday afternoon / evening for rugby fans coming up! 4 teams already locked into the quarters, and 3 points between them. 

It's up to the Crusaders in the first game to stake their claim and make the Chiefs work.

If the Canes win, they go top, with either the Chiefs or Highlanders able to knock them off (Landers a win with bonus point (straight to top) or a win by > 10 points takes them above chiefs, and maybe top spot as long as the Cans don't beat the Crusaders by > 30)

Those points vs the Rebels have really given the Crusaders a good position to build from, they are a point behind but 35 PD ahead.

Wow what a weekend we had in NZ against Australian teams. 

Some pretty decent hidings handed out. 

Terrible defense would account for a reasonable amount of it, but I really felt in general the quality of offload in the tackle and the strength displayed, and fantastic decision making, made a bigger difference. 

Some really nice tries by the forwards including the opening try in the first 2 minutes for Sam Whitelock was a great way to start his 100th test and as captain as well. What a great player he is for the Crusaders and AB's. 

Wow, what a Canes win!!!! And thanks to Highlanders for beating the Chiefs.

Seriously, though, those two games were a tremendous testament to the power and skill of our top rugby teams. 

Now that the QF matchups have been decided, can anyone tell me how the SFs are matched up?

Winner of 1 vs 8 play Winner of 4 vs 5 I presume?

joker97:

Now that the QF matchups have been decided, can anyone tell me how the SFs are matched up?

Winner of 1 vs 8 play Winner of 4 vs 5 I presume?

I don't really get the way that accommodation and airfares work when teams travel during the finals. One must imagine that business class seats for 23+ players on short notice, not to mention accommodation etc. The cost must be unbelievable. I mean it's one thing when you know you are going to play the Blues in round 3, you can book flights and accommodation!

networkn:

 

I don't really get the way that accommodation and airfares work when teams travel during the finals. One must imagine that business class seats for 23+ players on short notice, not to mention accommodation etc. The cost must be unbelievable. I mean it's one thing when you know you are going to play the Blues in round 3, you can book flights and accommodation!

 

Probably as cost effective to charter!

Congrats to the Highlanders. Having said that, no doubt in my mind that was one of the most one sided reffing I've seen this year. The Highlanders got away with blue murder! They should have had a person in the bin by the 65th minute. Stephen Moore probably created that by his annoying pestering of Angus Gardner, but toward the end of his time on the field, he had a valid point. 

Yellow cards can be given anywhere on the park, if the penalty count mounted up, but in AG mind it seemed only the ones near the try line were worth considering. 

I thought Dixon was lucky to stay on the field with that shoulder, esp 2 minutes after a warning. 

Highlanders did a SUPERB job of killing confidence of the Brumbies for their #1 attacking strategy, but BOY did the Highlanders scrum get massacred. 

I thought as reply shows DIXON shoulder to shoulder was OK as ref said. But agree, if it was not play offs yellow card for highlanders. I hope no doubts about BRU's yellow card, right?