Super Rugby - 5 Things We Learnt From the Semi Finals

1     The Australian commentators’ vitriolic criticism of the yellow card given by referee Craig Joubert to Jacques Potgieter for his foul play which prevented a probable Highlanders try showed ignorance of the laws of the game. Law 10.2 (a) states that a player who prevents a try being scored through foul play MUST “either be cautioned and temporarily suspended or sent off”. The word MUST makes it clear: the referee’s only discretion is whether the offender gets a yellow or red card.

2     Despite the machinations of Super Rugby’s conference system contriving to produce a final log where the teams with the second, third and fourth most points accumulated were awarded fourth, second, and fifth place respectively by SANZAR, where a home game for a top-six qualifier went to the team finishing seventh, and where the team achieving the second highest points had to travel to play their semi-final away against a team with fewer log points, we’ve ended up with the two best-achieving teams through their 16 games contesting the final.

3     If player performances in Super Rugby translate into team performances at the World Cup, it would be tempting to wager the family farm and one’s life savings on New Zealand.

4     Ardie Savea must be the unluckiest player in New Zealand not to be selected for the All Black squad. Again on Saturday, as throughout the season, his performance was brilliant.

5     Fijian-born Waisake Naholo and former rugby league player Nehe Milner-Skudder have ripped defences apart in Super Rugby. Expect them to do the same for the All Blacks very soon.