Vodacom Super Rugby Semi-final Preview – DHL Stormers Vs Crusaders
The DHL Stormers will host only their third Vodacom Super Rugby playoff match in the history of the competition when they face the Crusaders at 17:05 in the second semi-final at DHL Newlands on Saturday.
South African conference winners, the DHL Stormers, had a bye during last week’s qualifiers after they finished second on the combined log. The Crusaders, conference winners in New Zealand and third on the combined log, advanced to the semi-finals after beating The Sharks in a finals series qualifier in Nelson, 36-8.
It will be the Crusaders’ fourth semi-final in South Africa in the last five seasons after they lost to the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria in 2007 and 2009, and in Soweto last year. These three defeats make up more than half the playoff matches the Cantabrians have lost since the inception of Vodacom Super Rugby in 1996. Their record of 17 victories from 22 knock-out matches is very impressive, but the fact that the Crusaders have lost all three semi-finals on South African soil, indicates the massive influence travelling across the Indian Ocean has in these fixtures.
Only four teams have managed to win a Vodacom Super Rugby semi-final or final after having to cross either the Indian Ocean or the Tasman Sea. The Sharks beat the Reds in Brisbane in 1996, the Crusaders beat the Reds in 1999, a day before the High¬landers beat the DHL Stormers in Cape Town. The Crusaders’ final victory in 2000 over the Brumbies in Canberra is the only time a team managed to lift the trophy in a foreign country.
Saturday’s game will be the second time the DHL Stormers and the Crusaders face each other in a semi-final. The first time was way back in 2004, when the Capetonians had to travel to Christchurch, where they lost by 27-16. Only one member from that DHL Stormers team is still playing for the franchise – Springbok flank and current captain Schalk Burger. Four members of the Crusaders side from 2004 are back in Cape Town this week for Saturday’s match. They are flyhalf Dan Carter, who played inside centre and contributed 17 points with the boot that day, hooker Corey Flynn, lock Brad Thorn and flank Richie McCaw.
Looking at these names, it’s clear the Crusaders have heaps of playoff experience. However, the DHL Stormers are not novices when it comes to knock-out rugby, with the bulk of their squad involved in the Vodacom Super 14 semi-final and final last year.
Fourteen members of the DHL Stormers’ match 22 from 2010’s final have featured regularly for the team this season and are available for selection for Saturday’s semi-final. Most of these players were also part of the DHL Western Province side that lost in last year’s Absa Currie Cup final. They are Gio Aplon, Jaque Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Bryan Habana, Peter Grant, Dewaldt Duvenage, Francois Louw, Burger, Andries Bekker, Anton van Zyl, Brock Harris, Tiaan Liebenberg, Deon Fourie and Wicus Blaauw. Most of these players, however, were part of the DHL Stormers team that scored a superb 42-14 victory over the Crusaders last year. In total, the visitors from New Zealand have won four and lost four of their eight matches at DHL Newlands.
In the first semi-final, the Reds, Australian conference winners and first placed team on the combined log, host the Blues from New Zealand in Brisbane at 11:40 (SA time) on Saturday. The team from Auckland progressed to the semi-final after beating the Waratahs at Eden Park in the first qualifier last week (26-13).
Stomers vs Crusaders head-to-head
Stomers: Played – 15; Won – 4; Lost – 11; Drawn – 0; Points Scored – 317; Tries Scored – 32; Last Meeting – 14.
Crusaders: Played – 15; Won – 11; Lost – 4; Drawn – 0; Points Scored – 445; Tries Scored 48; Last Meeting – 20.
Playoff Performance
DHL Stormers: Played – 4; Won – 1; Lost – 3; Played at home – 2; Won at home – 1
Crusaders: Played – 22; Won – 17; Lost – 5; Played away from home – 9; Lost way from home – 5
Vodacom Super Rugby semi-finals from 1996 to 2010
22 May 2010 DHL Stormers v Waratahs 25-6 Cape Town
22 May 2010 Vodacom Bulls v Crusaders 39-24 Soweto
Sat, 23 May 2009 Vodacom Bulls v Crusaders 36-23 Pretoria
Fri, 22 May 2009 Chiefs v Hurricanes 14-10 Hamilton
Sat, 24 May 2008 Waratahs v The Sharks 28-13 Sydney
Sat, 24 May 2008 Crusaders v Hurricanes 33-22 Christchurch
Sat, 12 May 2007 The Sharks v Blues 34-18 Durban
Sat, 12 May 2007 Vodacom Bulls v Crusaders 27-12 Pretoria
Sat, 20 May 2006 Crusaders v Vodacom Bulls 35-15 Christchurch
Fri, 19 May 2006 Hurricanes v Waratahs 16-14 Wellington
Sat, 21 May 2005 Waratahs v Vodacom Bulls 23-13 Sydney
Fri, 20 May 2005 Crusaders v Hurricanes 47-7 Christchurch
Sat, 15 May 2004 Brumbies v Chiefs 32-17 Canberra
Sat, 15 May 2004 Crusaders v DHL Stormers 27-16 Christchurch
Sat, 17 May 2003 Blues v Brumbies 42-21 Auckland
Fri, 16 May 2003 Crusaders v Hurricanes 39-16 Christchurch
Sat, 18 May 2002 Crusaders v Highlanders 34-23 Christchurch
Sat, 18 May 2002 Waratahs v Brumbies 10-51 Sydney
Sat, 19 May 2001 The Sharks v Cats 30-12 Durban
Sat, 19 May 2001 Brumbies v Reds 30-6 Canberra
Sat, 20 May 2000 Brumbies v Cats 28-5 Canberra
Sat, 20 May 2000 Crusaders v Highlanders 37-15 Christchurch
Sun, 23 May 1999 DHL Stormers v Highlanders 18-33 Cape Town
Sat, 22 May 1999 Reds v Crusaders 22-28 Brisbane
Sun, 24 May 1998 Crusaders v The Sharks 36-32 Christchurch
Sat, 23 May 1998 Blues v Highlanders 37-31 Auckland
Sat, 24 May 1997 Brumbies v Hurricanes 33-20 Canberra
Fri, 23 May 1997 Blues v Natal 55-36 Auckland
Sun, 19 May 1996 Blues v Northern Transvaal 48-11 Auckland
Auckland Sat, 18 May 1996 Reds v Natal 25-43 Brisbane
Photo by Mike le Grange & Rugby15
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