Preview: S15 Round 18, Part One
There will passion and drama aplenty on the opening day in the final round of Super Rugby league action.
The opening match will have a Blues team trying to say farewell to a number of legends by giving them a winning send-off.
However, they are up against a Highlanders team desperate for a bonus-point win that could secure them home-ground advantage in the preliminary round of the play-offs.
The Highlanders and Chiefs – who face the runaway leaders, the Hurricanes – are both on 48 points and with just a solitary point separating them in terms of points difference the men from Dunedin will be in no mood for gratitude towards the departing Blues.
We then hop across the Tasman Sea to Melbourne, where the Rebels and Force will go head to head in a dead rubber – a game with nothing but pride on the line.
We look at Friday's games!
Friday, June 12
Blues v Highlanders
(Eden Park, Auckland – Kick-off: 19.35; 07.35 GMT)
There is a lot more at stake for the Highlanders than the Blues.
They may already be in the play-offs, but they can finish anywhere from fourth to sixth. It is the latter they want to avoid, as that will in all likelihood involve a trip to cape Town and a meeting with the Stormers.
However, despite the need for a bonus-point win, the Highlanders are well aware that their first objective must be to get victory.
The Highlanders sit on 48 points, the same number as the Chiefs, and know if they get five points on Friday, the pressure will be on the Chiefs.
''We just have to get back to a bit of structure," loose forward Gareth Evans told the Otago Daily Times.
"We need to go up there and not worry about bonus points,'' Evans added.
''It's just about going out there and worrying about winning first and then everything else is out of our hands, whether we have a home play-off or we are travelling to South Africa.
''Obviously, we would love to have a home play-off and to get the Dunedin folk in behind us.
But that is out of our hands. We have to just go out there and put the result out on the field.
''What happens to the Chiefs and the Hurricanes is out of our hands.''
On the flipside, Friday's game marks the end of an era for three Blues stalwarts.
Veteran All Black hooker Keven Mealamu will be stepping on to the field for his last time in the Blues jersey. Tony Woodcock, who is out from play with a shoulder injury, and Luke Braid, out with a concussion, will be sitting in the Blues players’ box for their final game.
Mealamu says he is not letting his thoughts wander past the job in hand on Friday.
"I've been blessed to have been able to play in Super Rugby for 15 years, and this is certainly not the end of my rugby quite yet," Mealamu said.
"I will make a final decision on that at the end of the year," Mealamu added.
"In some ways it will be emotional to share my final Super rugby game on Friday with my teammates, my friends and especially my family.
"This has been a tough season for the Blues, but we can go out on a good note knowing we have performed to our best."
Recent results:
2015: Highlanders won 30-24, Dunedin
2014: Blues won 30-12, Auckland
2014: Highlanders won 29-21, Dunedin
2013: Highlanders won 38-28, Dunedin
2013: Blues won 29-18, Auckland
2012: Highlanders won 27-20, Auckland
2012: Highlanders won 30-27, Dunedin
Prediction: The Blues have won six of their last seven at home to the Highlanders and have only lost twice at home to the Dunedin-based side in Super Rugby. The last eight meetings between these two sides have seen an average aggregate score of 52 points per game. The Aucklanders have lost their last four at home to fellow New Zealand sides, with their most recent two defeats in that run each coming by over 20 points. The Blues boast the best tackle success in Super Rugby this season (88 percent). The Blues (9.1) and Highlanders (9.2) have won fewer penalties than any other teams this season. The Blues will start with a lot of passion, but in the end the Highlanders' greater class and desire will win the day – by at least two scores.
Teams:
Blues: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Ben Lam, 13 Hamish Northcott, 12 George Moala, 11 Melani Nanai, 10 Ihaia West, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Joe Edwards, 7 Brendon O'Connor, 6 Chris Vui, 5 Josh Bekhuis, 4 Hayden Triggs, 3 Angus Ta'avao, 2 Keven Mealamu (captain), 1 Sam Prattley.
Replacements: 16 James Parsons, 17 Nic Mayhew, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Will Lloyd, 20 Jack Ram, 21 Jimmy Cowan, 22 Matt McGahan, 23 Lolagi Visinia.
Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith (captain), 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Richard Buckman, 12 Shaun Treeby, 11 Patrick Osborne, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Dan Pryor, 7 John Hardie, 6 Elliot Dixon, 5 Joe Latta, 4 Alex Ainley, 3 Josh Hohneck, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Daniel Lienert-Brown.
Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon, 17 Brendon Edmonds, 18 Ross Geldenhuys, 19 Jackson Hemopo, 20 Gareth Evans, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Marty Banks, 23 Kurt Baker.
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Shane McDermott (New Zealand), Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Rebels v Western Force
(AAMI Park, Melbourne – Kick-off: 19.40; 17.40 AWST; 09.40 GMT)
The Rebels have made progress this season, the Western Force have slipped back – right out of the also-rans pack to being cannon-fodder.
For the Force all that is left is playing to give departing lock Sam Wykes a winning send-off.
However, Rebels coach Tony McGahan believes his team can showcase the progress they made this season with a commanding win at home.
McGahan is looking to mould the squad to a point where they can challenge for a title and winning a dead rubber like this – without letting the standards slip – will be a step in the right direction.
"We've got a hell of a lot to play for," McGahan said in an interview in the West Australian newspaper.
"We've built up some sort of credibility this year with the way we've performed.
"We want to make sure we protect that.
"People are here to be accountable, so there's no slackening off at any period.
"The last game of the season – it can really leave a bad taste in people's mouths if you lose."
Wykes admitted there will be "a little bit of emotion" in Melbourne.
"It's starting to sink in, but at the same time it's exciting," he told The West Australian, when asked about his pending departure to Japan.
"It hasn't been the best year and I would love to have achieved a little bit more in terms of personal honours and team goals, but I'm honoured to have played rugby in Perth and been a part of history.
"To put on the blue jersey with the boys was something I never took for granted.
"To finish off with a win would be great, to sing the team song for one last time," he said.
Recent results:
2015: Rebels won 21-17, Perth
2014: Rebels won 22-16, Melbourne
2014: Force won 32-7, Perth
2013: Rebels won 30-23, Perth
2013: Rebels won 30-23, Melbourne
2012: Rebels won 32-31, Perth
2012: Rebels won 30-29, Melbourne
Prediction: The Rebels have won their last four at home and have never won five on the bounce in Melbourne. The Rebels have won seven of the nine Super Rugby meetings between these two sides and have won their last three at home to the Force. No team has averaged longer in possession this season than the Force (17 minutes and five seconds) who have the best ruck success in the competition (96 percent). The Rebels have the worst line-out success this season (78 percent) while the Force are the fourth-worst team in that regard (83 percent). The Force (13.1) and the Rebels (13.8) have conceded fewer turnovers per game than any other teams this season. The Western Force showed, twice against the Waratahs, that they can beat the best. However, they ave not lacked the consistency that makes you think they can beat a much-improved Rebels outfit – who will by at least 10 points.
Teams:
Rebels: 15 Mike Harris, 14 Bryce Hegarty, 13 Dom Shipperley, 12 Mitch Inman, 11 Cam Crawford, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Nic Stirzaker, 8 Scott Higginbotham (captain), 7 Colby Fainga'a, 6 Sean McMahon, 5 Lopeti Timani, 4 Luke Jones, 3 Paul Alo-Emile, 2 Pat Leafa, 1 Toby Smith.
Replacements: 16 Tom Sexton, 17 Cruze Ah-Nau, 18 Tim Metcher, 19 Sam Jeffries, 20 Scott Fuglistaller, 21 Jordy Reid, 22 Ben Meehan, 23 Tom English.
Western Force: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Marcel Brache, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Nick Cummins, 10 Zack Holmes, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Angus Cottrell, 7 Matt Hodgson (captain), 6 Chris Alcock, 5 Steve Mafi, 4 Sam Wykes, 3 Tetera Faulkner, 2 Nathan Charles, 1 Pekahou Cowan.
Replacements – from: Heath Tessmann, Chris Heiberg, Guy Millar, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Brynard Stander, Ryan Louwrens, Luke Burton, Patrick Dellit, Oliver Hoskins.
Referee: Andrew Lees (Australia)
Assistant referees: James Leckie (Australia), Ed Martin (Australia)
TMO: Peter Marshall (Australia)
Compiled by Jan de Koning
@King365ed
@rugby365com
Statistical information provided by Opta Sports
