The only certainty going into Saturday’s final round of matches before the Chris ‘Moose’ Kapene Memorial Cup playoffs is that Carterton are in the semifinals.
Otherwise, there are too many conundrums, and any one of the other four teams – Martinborough [24 points], Greytown [24], Marist [23], or Pioneer [21] – will be destined for the Hodder-Steffert Cup final to be played between the fifth-placed team and sixth-placed East Coast.
Home advantage for the semifinals for Carterton, on 28 points, is almost assured, with only a win or, at worst, a losing bonus point needed against struggling Gladstone. However, nothing is guaranteed when these two bitter rivals clash.
Add in the factor that Gladstone, who are seventh, three points ahead of bottom team Eketahuna, will be desperate to take at least two points from the game to avoid the possibility of slipping into the promotion-relegation position, should Eketahuna upset Marist.
The crunch game, however, is in Martinborough, where the home side will host old foes Greytown in a potentially do-or-die battle. The winner will secure a semifinal spot, while a bonus point victory for scoring four tries guarantees home advantage.
The first criteria should two teams finish tied on the same points is “the highest number of wins in matches played between the teams in pool play”, in other words, who beat who.
That favours Martinborough, who lost to Marist but beat Pioneer. A win secures the ‘Green and Blacks’ a semifinal, while a bonus point victory means they will host a semifinal.
Martinborough can also qualify with a draw or by picking up two bonus points for a loss by seven points or less with four tries, or even a loss could be enough should Marist or Pioneer lose.
Greytown dropped their games against Pioneer and Marist, so would miss out should they finish tied with either team.
A win will definitely put Greytown in the top four, whereas a loss would likely see their championship aspirations end unless they score two losing bonus points and stay ahead of Marist and Pioneer. Like Martinborough, though, Greytown can still qualify if Marist or Pioneer lose.
Marist have a strong chance of grabbing a home semifinal with what, on the face of it, should be a straightforward win over Eketahuna, who are winless in the premier championship.
Second is the best that Marist can hope for, having lost to Carterton in their fixture.
However, a bonus point victory could take them ahead of Martinborough or Greytown, or if they finish tied with either of those sides because they defeated both in the round-robin.
In Marist’s way are a determined Eketahuna desperate to score their first win and move off the bottom of the table to avoid a potential promotion-relegation match.
Pioneer’s fate is not as simple as beating East Coast at Whareama and leapfrogging the loser of the Martinborough-Greytown game. There are too many factors surrounding bonus points that could come into play.
There is a strong likelihood Pioneer will need to win with a bonus point to advance unless they simply win and Marist lose.
Should Pioneer finish equal on points with Marty, they will miss out, but they will progress if tied with Greytown.
Add in the fact that the Coasties would love nothing better to tip over their “cuzzies” in the local derby, and nothing is cut and dry.
Complicated? Sure is, but we’ll all be the wiser shortly after 4pm Saturday.
SUPER RUGBY FINAL
Seeing every other scribe has stressed their opinions on the much talked about final won 25-20 by the Crusaders over the bitter Chiefs, why not chuck in my two bobs’ worth?
Sure, there might have been a couple of contentious decisions.
That’s pretty much the case with every game, but does that warrant the boorish behaviour of the crowd, which appeared to be on a parallel with some of the best [or worst] dished up in one-eyed ‘Red and Black’ country?
The main talking point for me, though, is the performance of Chiefs co-captain Sam Cane being sin-binned for a blatant penalty in the dying minutes, which led to the Crusaders’ matchwinning try, and then his petulance in refusing to front the post-match media conference.
Is this what we want from our All Blacks captain?
I don’t think so! Imagine if he repeated that in a World Cup quarterfinal, semifinal, or final. Marist can hope for, having lost to Carterton in their fixture.
However, a bonus point victory could take them ahead of Martinborough or Greytown, or if they finish tied with either of those sides because they defeated both in the round-robin.
In Marist’s way are a determined Eketahuna desperate to score their first win and move off the bottom of the table to avoid a potential promotion-relegation match.
Pioneer’s fate is not as simple as beating East Coast at Whareama and leapfrogging the loser of the Martinborough-Greytown game. There are too many factors surrounding bonus points that could come into play.
There is a strong likelihood Pioneer will need to win with a bonus point to advance unless they simply win and Marist lose.
Should Pioneer finish equal on points with Marty, they will miss out, but they will progress if tied with Greytown.
Add in the fact that the Coasties would love nothing better to tip over their “cuzzies” in the local derby, and nothing is cut and dry.
Complicated? Sure is, but we’ll all be the wiser shortly after 4pm Saturday.
SUPER RUGBY FINAL
Seeing every other scribe has stressed their opinions on the much talked about final won 25-20 by the Crusaders over the bitter Chiefs, why not chuck in my two bobs’ worth?
Sure, there might have been a couple of contentious decisions.
That’s pretty much the case with every game, but does that warrant the boorish behaviour of the crowd, which appeared to be on a parallel with some of the best [or worst] dished up in one-eyed ‘Red and Black’ country?
The main talking point for me, though, is the performance of Chiefs co-captain Sam Cane being sin-binned for a blatant penalty in the dying minutes, which led to the Crusaders’ matchwinning try, and then his petulance in refusing to front the post-match media conference.
Is this what we want from our All Blacks captain?
I don’t think so! Imagine if he repeated that in a World Cup quarterfinal, semifinal, or final. Marist can hope for, having lost to Carterton in their fixture.
However, a bonus point victory could take them ahead of Martinborough or Greytown, or if they finish tied with either of those sides because they defeated both in the round-robin.
In Marist’s way are a determined Eketahuna desperate to score their first win and move off the bottom of the table to avoid a potential promotion-relegation match.
Pioneer’s fate is not as simple as beating East Coast at Whareama and leapfrogging the loser of the Martinborough-Greytown game. There are too many factors surrounding bonus points that could come into play.
There is a strong likelihood Pioneer will need to win with a bonus point to advance unless they simply win and Marist lose.
Should Pioneer finish equal on points with Marty, they will miss out, but they will progress if tied with Greytown.
Add in the fact that the Coasties would love nothing better to tip over their “cuzzies” in the local derby, and nothing is cut and dry.
Complicated? Sure is, but we’ll all be the wiser shortly after 4pm Saturday.
SUPER RUGBY FINAL
Seeing every other scribe has stressed their opinions on the much talked about final won 25-20 by the Crusaders over the bitter Chiefs, why not chuck in my two bobs’ worth?
Sure, there might have been a couple of contentious decisions.
That’s pretty much the case with every game, but does that warrant the boorish behaviour of the crowd, which appeared to be on a parallel with some of the best [or worst] dished up in one-eyed ‘Red and Black’ country?
The main talking point for me, though, is the performance of Chiefs co-captain Sam Cane being sin-binned for a blatant penalty in the dying minutes, which led to the Crusaders’ matchwinning try, and then his petulance in refusing to front the post-match media conference.
Is this what we want from our All Blacks captain?
I don’t think so! Imagine if he repeated that in a World Cup quarterfinal, semifinal, or final. Marist can hope for, having lost to Carterton in their fixture.
However, a bonus point victory could take them ahead of Martinborough or Greytown, or if they finish tied with either of those sides because they defeated both in the round-robin.
In Marist’s way are a determined Eketahuna desperate to score their first win and move off the bottom of the table to avoid a potential promotion-relegation match.
Pioneer’s fate is not as simple as beating East Coast at Whareama and leapfrogging the loser of the Martinborough-Greytown game. There are too many factors surrounding bonus
points that could come into play.
There is a strong likelihood Pioneer will need to win with a bonus point to advance unless they simply win and Marist lose.
Should Pioneer finish equal on points with Marty, they will miss out, but they will progress if tied with Greytown.
Add in the fact that the Coasties would love nothing better to tip over their “cuzzies” in the local derby, and nothing is cut and dry.
Complicated? Sure is, but we’ll all be the wiser shortly after 4pm Saturday.
SUPER RUGBY FINAL
Seeing every other scribe has stressed their opinions on the much talked about final won 25-20 by the Crusaders over the bitter Chiefs, why not chuck in my two bobs’ worth?
Sure, there might have been a couple of contentious decisions.
That’s pretty much the case with every game, but does that warrant the boorish behaviour of the crowd, which appeared to be on a parallel with some of the best [or worst] dished up in one-eyed ‘Red and Black’ country?
The main talking point for me, though, is the performance of Chiefs co-captain Sam Cane being sin-binned for a blatant penalty in the dying minutes, which led to the Crusaders’ matchwinning try, and then his petulance in refusing to front the post-match media conference.
Is this what we want from our All Blacks captain?
I don’t think so! Imagine if he repeated that in a World Cup quarterfinal, semifinal, or final.
