Super rugby quarters explained. Because nobody else is

Here is your quarter-final prognosis, because nobody else is explaining it, and Einstein and Pythagoras are no longer with us.

Is embarrassment the reason behind the normal sources have conspicuously shied away from pondering what the Super Rugby quarter-finals might look like?  The tournament is past the halfway stage so you’d normally expect some crystal ball gazing.  Anyway, filling the vacuum, here it is

The four so-called Conference winners get the top seeds, and get to play at home.  The out-of-control crazy Wild Cards get to play away.

So, going from the current tables (and you never see a combined table because that is not a good look we have this:

Conference winners:

Crusaders	37
Stormers	29
Lions	27
Brumbies	25

Then the next best; three from the Australia – New Zealand super conference, one from the South Africa – Argentina – Japan – Singapore super-mega conference.

Chiefs	37
Highlanders	32
Hurricanes	31
Bulls	28

Note how some of those numbers are higher than some of those other numbers.  Collectively 10 points in fact.

Anyway, from a matrix system, the quarter-finals are as follows.

Crusaders v Bulls.

Thanks for coming; the hosts do not need to travel.

Stormers v Hurricanes

Probably the most interesting match of the round.  The Canes could do it, but good luck for a potential semi after the round-the-world trip.

Lions v Highlanders

Well, the Hurricanes put 50 points on the Lions at the Ellis Park sludge.  It’s hard to see the Highlanders not replicating that.

Brumbies v Chiefs

Brumbies, 25 points, at home to the Chiefs, 37 points.  That is the one that says it all.