2007 Super 14 season
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Super 14 season started in February 2007 with preseason matches held from mid-January. It finished on 19 May with the final at ABSA Stadium
in Durban
, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby. The visiting Bulls won the 2007 Super 14 Final
, scoring a try in the 83rd minute and narrowly defeating the Sharks 20-19, thereby becoming the first South African side to win the Super Rugby title in the professional era.
Super 14 is a provincial rugby union
competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season is the second of the expansion, which led to the name change to the Super 14. The 2007 season saw an old team emerge with a new name, as the Cats changed their name to the Lions effective 8 September 2006.
There was also some confusion over the inclusion of the Southern Spears
franchise, who were in the end not included. The season is also notable of the New Zealand sides resting several All Blacks
players in the first half of the season. There were 94 matches held over the 3½ months, with each team playing one full round robin against the 13 other teams, 2 semi-finals and a final. Every team will get one bye over the 14 rounds.
in September, all three countries would have some of their top players rested, to avoid injuries. All Blacks coach Graham Henry
made clear his wish for up to 30 of New Zealand's best players to miss around half of the Super 14, with the five New Zealand franchises supporting him in May 2006. The mandatory stand-down period meant that the 30 players who toured at the end of 2006 would miss at least the first week of competition.
John Connolly
, the Wallabies coach, was also interested in lightening the load for his top players. It was expected that the Australians would want to rest only a few players, especially veterans such as Stephen Larkham
and George Gregan
, as they are seen as key to Australia's World Cup chances. Springboks coach Jake White
met the board of SA Rugby, the commercial arm of the South African Rugby Union
, in Cape Town on 25 May 2006 to put forward his suggestion to rest key players between then and the World Cup at regular intervals. White was also keen to rest some players during the Boks' 2006 mid-year internationals against Scotland and France
.
It was revealed in September 2006 that the All Blacks would rest 22 players, who would go into a "conditioning group" for the first 7 weeks of competition. The 22 players named were: Jerry Collins
, Jason Eaton
, Carl Hayman
, Andrew Hore
, Chris Jack
, Richie McCaw
, Chris Masoe
, Keven Mealamu
, Anton Oliver
, Greg Somerville
, Rodney So'oialo
, Reuben Thorne
, Ali Williams
, Tony Woodcock
, Dan Carter
, Byron Kelleher
, Leon MacDonald
, Aaron Mauger
, Mils Muliaina
, Joe Rokocoko
, Sitiveni Sivivatu
and Piri Weepu
. Seven of these players were from the Crusaders, six from the Hurricanes, four from the Blues, three from the Chiefs and two from the Highlanders. These players would be available for their franchises from Week 8. From these 22 players, Jason Eaton and Piri Weepu didn't make the final All Blacks squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
After the NZRU announced the resting of 22 leading players, Pat Wilson
, Australian High Performance Manager, revealed that leading Wallabies would only be rested for one match, which was to be chosen by their state's union. This decision has drawn criticism from former Wallabies coach and current Queensland Reds coach Eddie Jones
, who said that while resting the older players could be beneficial, it is better for younger players, such as his own Rodney Blake
, to receive game time.
The SARU decided against resting their top players for the 2007 Super 14 but conceded that it was likely that players would be rested for some games. It is expected that News Corp
and the other SANZAR
nations will request compensation from the New Zealand Rugby Union.
, SA Rugby announced that, contrary to the original plans, the Southern Spears
would not replace the lowest ranked South African based side.
In August 2006, however, the Spears won a court case for inclusion into the 2007 season, which would be at the expense of the Cats, who changed their name to the Lions the following month. SA Rugby and the South African Rugby Union were expected to appeal the High Court of South Africa
's decision. In November 2006, SA Rugby and the Spears reached a settlement. The financially troubled Spears abandoned the court case. They will still exist as an organisation to promote and develop rugby in the Southern and Eastern Cape region, with the support of SA Rugby and the SARU, but will now not be a part of Super Rugby in the foreseeable future. With the settlement, the season's Super 14 line-up was set, with the Lions taking up the final South African place.
's Eden Park
, the second time in the last two years the Blues had hosted the first match. In total, 94 matches were played, comprising 91 regular season matches, 2 semi-finals and the final. There were 29 Friday night match-ups and 61 Saturday matches. One match, the Brumbies-Waratahs regional derby in Week 10, was played on a Sunday night.
* Note: This match was the lowest-scoring in Super Rugby history at the time.
. The Brumbies also suffered a loss at | home to the Bulls whereas the controversial game of the round saw the Waratahs draw with the Western Force because of a blunder by Waratahs utility back Sam Norton-Knight
who decide to run with the ball in the final minute instead of taking the penalty shot which could have won them the game and for his mistake Lote Tuqiri shoved him and walked off the pitch looking very disappointed.
became the Hurricanes' hero after scoring a 90-metre try in the final moments of the game. It was also the team's fourth try of the game which gave them a bonus point on top of the win. The following day, the Chiefs thrashed the Western Force 64-36, a game which saw a total of 14 tries being scored, nine of which were scored by the Chiefs, with Roy Kinikinilau
and Brendan Leonard
each getting hat-tricks. The Crusaders then defeated the Highlanders to climb to the top of the table. The Blues lost to the Sharks at home, going down by 7 points, and the Waratahs won only their second game this season, defeating the Reds, who sit at the bottom of the table. In the last match of the week, the Bulls thrashed the Stormers 49-12.
being stretchered off after injuring his neck in a tackle on Rua Tipoki
. The Brumbies defeated the Western Force in an all-Australian derby by just two points and the Reds won their second game of the season defeating the Cheetahs. Ben Tune
(who is leaving the club after the season) scored the winning try in that match, but the match of the round saw the Chiefs defeat the Sharks to put themselves in contention for a semi-final spot. The Waratahs lost to the Highlanders by a point after Peter Hewat
missed another conversion, and in a South African derby, the Bulls thrashed the Lions 31-7. Finally, the Blues lost their away match to the Stormers, but they remain second in the table nonetheless.
. This result gave the Sharks the opportunity to take the top spot if they won in Cape Town
. The Blues smashed the Western Force 33-6 to keep their title dreams alive. Later, the Brumbies kept their semi final hopes alive by defeating the tired and weary Highlanders 29-10. Waratahs defeated the Hurricanes away in Wellington 38-14. Cheetahs gave the Lions the South African wooden spoon by beating them 16-10. The first main game of the day was the Stormers vs the Sharks. The Sharks played an efficient and professional game whilst the Stormers played their usual erratic hot and cold game that had seen them beat some good teams during the season, but in the end the Sharks easily claimed a 36-10 victory to be the first South African side to finish at the top of the table at the end of the round-robin stage in the Super 14 competition's history. The last game of the weekend promised to be a huge one for the Bulls, who were chasing a semi final spot. They came up against a feeble Reds team, who after going ahead 3-0 in the beginning, had no idea of the onslaught they were going to receive. The Bulls, who needed a bonus-point win to reach the semifinals, easily achieved this goal a quarter of the way into the "match". Early in the second half they reached the 45-point margin needed to push them up to third place. Then the impossible became possible. If the Bulls went 72 points clear of the Reds, they would leapfrog to second, giving them a home semifinal in the high-altitude cauldron of noise that is Loftus Versfeld. They seemed to reach this goal with little effort against a humiliated Reds side, setting a new Super Rugby record for winning margin of 89 points.
- two by each team, and the last of which was scored by Bulls' wing Bryan Habana in the 82nd minute to give his team the trophy. It was the first Super rugby final to be played in South Africa, as well as the first all South African final, and the first final with a South African winner.
cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-size: 90%; margin:auto;">
Bulls:
|
FB
15
Johan Roets
RW
14
Akona Ndungane
OC
13
JP Nel
IC
12
Wynand Olivier
LW
11
Bryan Habana
FH
10
Derick Hougaard
SH
9
Fourie du Preez
N8
8
Pierre Spies
BF
7
Wikus van Heerden
OF
6
Pedrie Wannenburg
RL
5
Victor Matfield
(c
)
LL
4
Bakkies Botha
TP
3
Rayno Gerber
HK
2
Gary Botha
LP
1
Gurthro Steenkamp
Substitutions:
HK
16
Jaco Engels
LP
17
Danie Thiart
RL
18
Danie Rossouw
N8
19
Derick Kuün
SH
20
Heinie Adams
FH
21
Morné Steyn
FB
22
Jaco van der Westhuyzen
Coach:
Heyneke Meyer
Kings Park Stadium
Kings Park , is a stadium in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa, which was originally built in 1891 and extensively renovated in the 1990s...
in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby. The visiting Bulls won the 2007 Super 14 Final
2007 Super 14 Final
The Final of the 2007 Super 14 season, a provincial rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere, took place on 19 May 2007 at ABSA Stadium in Durban, South Africa. The match was won by the Bulls 20 points to 19 over their hosts the Sharks...
, scoring a try in the 83rd minute and narrowly defeating the Sharks 20-19, thereby becoming the first South African side to win the Super Rugby title in the professional era.
Super 14 is a provincial rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season is the second of the expansion, which led to the name change to the Super 14. The 2007 season saw an old team emerge with a new name, as the Cats changed their name to the Lions effective 8 September 2006.
There was also some confusion over the inclusion of the Southern Spears
Southern Spears
The Southern Spears, were a South African rugby union franchise who were originally founded in 2005 and were intended to participate in the Super 14 from 2007 onwards; however, their proposed entry into the competition led to considerable controversy within the country's rugby establishment...
franchise, who were in the end not included. The season is also notable of the New Zealand sides resting several All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
players in the first half of the season. There were 94 matches held over the 3½ months, with each team playing one full round robin against the 13 other teams, 2 semi-finals and a final. Every team will get one bye over the 14 rounds.
Player withdrawal
With the Rugby World Cup2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
in September, all three countries would have some of their top players rested, to avoid injuries. All Blacks coach Graham Henry
Graham Henry
Graham Henry is a New Zealand Rugby Union coach, and former head coach of the country's national team, the All Blacks. He played rugby union for Canterbury and cricket for Otago in the Plunket Shield. Henry was heavily criticized following the All Blacks quarterfinal exit at the 2007 Rugby World...
made clear his wish for up to 30 of New Zealand's best players to miss around half of the Super 14, with the five New Zealand franchises supporting him in May 2006. The mandatory stand-down period meant that the 30 players who toured at the end of 2006 would miss at least the first week of competition.
John Connolly
John Connolly (rugby)
John "Knuckles" Connolly is a rugby union coach and the former head coach of the Wallabies. Connolly has in the past worked with the Queensland Reds, Stade Français, Swansea RFC as well as Bath Rugby....
, the Wallabies coach, was also interested in lightening the load for his top players. It was expected that the Australians would want to rest only a few players, especially veterans such as Stephen Larkham
Stephen Larkham
Stephen Larkham is an Australian rugby union footballer currently playing for the Ricoh Black Rams in Japan. He is best known for his career with the Brumbies in Super Rugby, for whom he played from the inception of the professional Super 12 in 1996 through 2007, and his long tenure with the...
and George Gregan
George Gregan
George Musarurwa Gregan AM is an Australian rugby union halfback who has made more appearances for his national team than any other player in the sport's history....
, as they are seen as key to Australia's World Cup chances. Springboks coach Jake White
Jake White
Jake White is a rugby union coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations title...
met the board of SA Rugby, the commercial arm of the South African Rugby Union
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to the International Rugby Board...
, in Cape Town on 25 May 2006 to put forward his suggestion to rest key players between then and the World Cup at regular intervals. White was also keen to rest some players during the Boks' 2006 mid-year internationals against Scotland and France
2006 mid-year rugby test series
During June of 2006, several rugby union test sides played fixtures that were mainly contested in southern nations. It acted as end of year tours of the Northern Hemisphere nations, and pre season matches for the Tri Nations Series and Pacific 5 Nations....
.
It was revealed in September 2006 that the All Blacks would rest 22 players, who would go into a "conditioning group" for the first 7 weeks of competition. The 22 players named were: Jerry Collins
Jerry Collins
Jerry Collins is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who formerly played for the national team, the All Blacks in which he was capped 48 times. He now plays for Yamaha Jubilo, in Japanese Top league rugby.-Early career:...
, Jason Eaton
Jason Eaton
Jason John Eaton is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays lock.-Early life:Though born in Palmerston North he grew up on a dairy farm near the small community of Colyton.-Career:...
, Carl Hayman
Carl Hayman
Carl Hayman is an international rugby union footballer who has played at tighthead prop for Otago at provincial level, the Highlanders in the Super 14 and the All Blacks at international level...
, Andrew Hore
Andrew Hore
For the rugby union coach from New Zealand see Andrew Hore Andrew Hore is a rugby union player who plays for Taranaki in the ITM Cup. He has played for the All Blacks since 2002, in which time he has played 48 tests. His position is hooker...
, Chris Jack
Chris Jack
Christopher Raymond Jack is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays as a lock. He has played for Canterbury and the Tasman Makos in the National Provincial Championship and its successor, the Air New Zealand Cup; the Crusaders in Super Rugby; Saracens in the Guinness Premiership; and...
, Richie McCaw
Richie McCaw
Richard Hugh "Richie" McCaw is a New Zealand rugby union player, and is the current test captain. He plays in the openside flanker position for the New Zealand, Crusaders and Canterbury rugby teams...
, Chris Masoe
Chris Masoe
Chris Masoe is a New Zealand rugby union footballer and currently plays for Castres Olympique.-Super 14:...
, Keven Mealamu
Keven Mealamu
Keven Mealamu is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays at hooker for the Blues in the Super 14, Auckland in the National Provincial Championship, and the New Zealand national team, All Blacks....
, Anton Oliver
Anton Oliver
Anton David Oliver is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer who most recently played professionally for the French second-division club Toulon, noted for signing veteran greats including former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga and great George Gregan...
, Greg Somerville
Greg Somerville
Greg Mardon Somerville is a New Zealand rugby union player. He is a former All Black and a specialised tighthead prop who can also play loosehead. Somerville made his All Black debut in 2000 against Tonga, a match in which the All Blacks won 102–0...
, Rodney So'oialo
Rodney So'oialo
Rodney So'oialo is a New Zealand rugby union player currently playing in Japan for the Honda Heat. Previously, he had been a stalwart for the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby competition, making 101 appearances for the franchise. He also made 62 test appearances for the All Blacks between 2002 and 2009...
, Reuben Thorne
Reuben Thorne
Reuben David Thorne is a New Zealand rugby union player, and former captain of the national team, the All Blacks.-Super 12:...
, Ali Williams
Ali Williams
Alexander James "Ali" Williams is a New Zealand rugby union player at the position of lock. He represented Auckland and plays for the Blues in the Super 14, when he signed for the Tasman provincial side. In 2008, he played for the Crusaders in the Super 14 and in 2010 signed on loan for Nottingham...
, Tony Woodcock
Tony Woodcock (rugby player)
Tony Dale Woodcock is a New Zealand rugby union player. His position is loosehead prop, and he has played 83 tests for the national team, the All Blacks. He plays for North Harbour in the Air New Zealand Cup and for the Auckland Blues in the Super 14. He plays for North Harbour Marist in the North...
, Dan Carter
Daniel Carter (rugby player)
Daniel William "Dan" Carter is a New Zealand rugby union player.He is currently the highest points scorer in test match rugby and is regarded as one of rugby's greatest ever fly-halves.-Early life:...
, Byron Kelleher
Byron Kelleher
Byron Terrance Kelleher is a rugby union half-back who currently plays for Stade Francais in the French Top 14 competition, and has played over 57 tests with the New Zealand All Blacks...
, Leon MacDonald
Leon MacDonald
Leon Raymond MacDonald is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer, and now assistant coach for the Tasman Makos rugby team, who played 56 tests for the national team, All Blacks. He plays first five-eighths and fullback.-Biography:MacDonald was born in Blenheim, New Zealand, and attended...
, Aaron Mauger
Aaron Mauger
Aaron Joseph Douglas Mauger is a former rugby union player who played at centre for Leicester Tigers. He previously played first five-eighths and second five-eighths for Canterbury , the Crusaders and the New Zealand All Blacks...
, Mils Muliaina
Mils Muliaina
Junior Malili Muliaina , better known as Mils Muliaina, is a rugby union player. He plays for the Chiefs in Super Rugby and New Zealand at international level. He was born in Salesi, Samoa, then moved with his family to Invercargill, New Zealand, at the age of two...
, Joe Rokocoko
Joe Rokocoko
Josevata Taliga "Joe" Rokocoko is a professional New Zealand rugby union player. Rokocoko is known for his speed and strength which has accounted for his prolific try strike rate...
, Sitiveni Sivivatu
Sitiveni Sivivatu
Sitiveni Waica Sivivatu is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, playing on the position of a wing. He was largely successful in the 2005 Super 12 season playing for the Chiefs, and acquired a starting position in the All Blacks. He has scored 29 tries in 45 tests...
and Piri Weepu
Piri Weepu
Piri Awahou Tihou Weepu is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays scrum-half for the All Blacks on international level, Wellington Lions in the National Provincial Championship and the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby. He first won national honours against Wales in 2004...
. Seven of these players were from the Crusaders, six from the Hurricanes, four from the Blues, three from the Chiefs and two from the Highlanders. These players would be available for their franchises from Week 8. From these 22 players, Jason Eaton and Piri Weepu didn't make the final All Blacks squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
After the NZRU announced the resting of 22 leading players, Pat Wilson
Pat Wilson
Pat Wilson is an Australian singer and journalist. Wilson wrote for Go-Set, a 1960s and 1970s pop music newspaper, under the pen-name "Mummy Cool" during 1971–1972. Wilson released several singles in the early 1980s including the hit single "Bop Girl"...
, Australian High Performance Manager, revealed that leading Wallabies would only be rested for one match, which was to be chosen by their state's union. This decision has drawn criticism from former Wallabies coach and current Queensland Reds coach Eddie Jones
Eddie Jones (rugby)
Eddie Jones is a rugby union coach and former player.-Coaching career:...
, who said that while resting the older players could be beneficial, it is better for younger players, such as his own Rodney Blake
Rodney Blake
Rodney Blake is a professional Australian rugby union footballer. He plays prop for the Melbourne Rebels. He previously played for Bayonne in France. He is sometimes referred to as Rodzilla. His father Paul is a former Otago flanker. In June 2006, Blake made his debut for the Wallabies.- Career...
, to receive game time.
The SARU decided against resting their top players for the 2007 Super 14 but conceded that it was likely that players would be rested for some games. It is expected that News Corp
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
and the other SANZAR
SANZAR
SANZAR is the body which operates Super Rugby and Tri Nations competitions in rugby union. It is a joint venture of the South African Rugby Union, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby Union, formed in 1996.Created shortly after rugby's move to professionalism in 1995, SANZAR's two...
nations will request compensation from the New Zealand Rugby Union.
Southern Spears saga
During the 2006 Super 14 season2006 Super 14 season
The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, which saw two new teams, the...
, SA Rugby announced that, contrary to the original plans, the Southern Spears
Southern Spears
The Southern Spears, were a South African rugby union franchise who were originally founded in 2005 and were intended to participate in the Super 14 from 2007 onwards; however, their proposed entry into the competition led to considerable controversy within the country's rugby establishment...
would not replace the lowest ranked South African based side.
In August 2006, however, the Spears won a court case for inclusion into the 2007 season, which would be at the expense of the Cats, who changed their name to the Lions the following month. SA Rugby and the South African Rugby Union were expected to appeal the High Court of South Africa
High Court of South Africa
The High Courts are superior courts of law in South Africa. The courts were created in 1996 on the adoption of the Constitution of South Africa, and inherited the jurisdiction of the provincial and local divisions of the former Supreme Court of South Africa...
's decision. In November 2006, SA Rugby and the Spears reached a settlement. The financially troubled Spears abandoned the court case. They will still exist as an organisation to promote and develop rugby in the Southern and Eastern Cape region, with the support of SA Rugby and the SARU, but will now not be a part of Super Rugby in the foreseeable future. With the settlement, the season's Super 14 line-up was set, with the Lions taking up the final South African place.
Table
| Top four teams advance to playoffs. |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | BP | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sharks |
13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 355 | 214 | 141 | 5 | 45 |
| 2 | Bulls |
13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 388 | 223 | 165 | 6 | 42 |
| 3 |  Crusaders |
13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 382 | 235 | 147 | 10 | 42 |
| 4 | Blues |
13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 355 | 235 | 120 | 6 | 42 |
| 5 |  Brumbies |
13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 234 | 173 | 61 | 4 | 40 |
| 6 | Chiefs Chiefs (Super rugby franchise) The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys... |
13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 373 | 321 | 52 | 10 | 40 |
| 7 | Western Force Western Force Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th... |
13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 276 | 292 | −16 | 6 | 32 |
| 8 | Hurricanes Hurricanes (Super rugby franchise) The Hurricanes are a New Zealand professional Rugby union team based in Wellington that competes in the Super Rugby competition... |
13 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 247 | 300 | −53 | 3 | 27 |
| 9 | Highlanders |
13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 235 | 301 | −66 | 7 | 27 |
| 10 | Stormers Stormers The Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as DHL Stormers, are a South African rugby union team based in Cape Town competing in the Super Rugby competition . Despite their lack of silverware over the years, their home stadium, Newlands, typically draws the highest average attendance figures... |
13 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 249 | 326 | −77 | 3 | 27 |
| 11 | Cheetahs Central Cheetahs The Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as the Toyota Cheetahs, is a South African rugby union team that entered the Super Rugby competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State and Northern Cape. In terms of Currie Cup unions, the Cheetahs draw from Free State... |
13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 265 | 342 | −77 | 4 | 22 |
| 12 | Lions |
13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 175 | 284 | −109 | 2 | 22 |
| 13 | Waratahs |
13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 266 | 317 | −51 | 7 | 21 |
| 14 | Reds Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland... |
13 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 201 | 438 | −237 | 3 | 11 |
Results
The draw for the 2007 season was released on 2006-10-13. The season started 8 days earlier than the 2006 season, with the first match being between the Blues and the Crusaders at AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
's Eden Park
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
, the second time in the last two years the Blues had hosted the first match. In total, 94 matches were played, comprising 91 regular season matches, 2 semi-finals and the final. There were 29 Friday night match-ups and 61 Saturday matches. One match, the Brumbies-Waratahs regional derby in Week 10, was played on a Sunday night.
Round 1
The 2007 Super 14 started in contrast to that of 2006. The game of the week was the Blues from Auckland beating the defending champions the Crusaders, which was the first loss to a New Zealand side that the Crusaders had suffered since May 2004 and was ironically the Blues' first win over a New Zealand team for two years. The other upset was 2006 Finalists the Hurricanes losing to last years 12th placed Queensland Reds.Round 2
Week two saw the New Zealand teams have a strong week with the Hurricanes, Crusaders, Blues notching wins. Western Force began to show vast improvement from 2006 winning only their second match since entering the competition in 2006. Apart from the Force all other Australian teams suffered a loss.Round 3
In week three a Super rugby record was broken, although not one to be proud of. The Reds and Brumbies played in the lowest scoring match ever, a dire affair that resulted in a Brumbies win 6-3. The 22 All Blacks missing from New Zealand teams started to have a visible effect on the kiwi sides with only the Hurricanes claiming a tight win over the Blues. Even last years powerhouse champions the Crusaders were beaten by last years 13th placed Lions, it was the first match in six years the Crusaders hadn't scored a single try.Round 4
Week Four saw the Brumbies lose their second game by conceding a try in the final seconds to the Hurricanes (the first was to the Blues in Week Two). The Blues convincinly put away the Queensland Reds while the Force surrendered in the final seconds to the Lions leaving them yet to win a home game. The Bulls beat the Chiefs while the Crusaders began the show the form that they have displayed in past years by beating the Cheetahs 49-28.Round 5
Week 5 saw the Blues defeat the Highlanders, the Chiefs drew with the Cheetahs in the final moments of the game, the Hurricanes lost at | home to bottom placed Stormers and the Crusaders suffered their 3rd defeat of the season losing in the final minute because of a blunder by Rico GearRico Gear
Rico Levi Gear is a New Zealand rugby union international player. He is a specialist right wing but can also cover midfield positions. He currently plays for Kintetsu Liners in the Top League....
. The Brumbies also suffered a loss at | home to the Bulls whereas the controversial game of the round saw the Waratahs draw with the Western Force because of a blunder by Waratahs utility back Sam Norton-Knight
Sam Norton-Knight
Sam Norton-Knight is an Australian international rugby union footballer. He was born in Canberra but was educated on the Gold Coast....
who decide to run with the ball in the final minute instead of taking the penalty shot which could have won them the game and for his mistake Lote Tuqiri shoved him and walked off the pitch looking very disappointed.
Round 6
Week 6 saw the Reds travel to the "House of Pain" to play the Highlanders. Recent signing Andrew Walker was rushed into the starting team, however the Reds lost 17-33. The next game saw the Brumbies looking to rectify a three game losing streak at their home ground. They did so with a convincing 26-13 win against the Stormers. The Force were also looking to end a | home ground hoodoo against the Hurricanes. Seeking their first ever victory at Subiaco the Force looked to have squandered an 11-10 lead upon conceding a try with two minutes left to put the score at 17-11. However a try on the sideline and followed by an unlikely conversion by Force wing Cameron Shepherd gave the Force a maiden | home victory. The next day opened with the Blues thrashing an in-form Lions outfit 41-14. The game saw Doug Howlett score two tries and in doing so becoming the equal highest try scorer in Super Rugby history (with Joe Roff of the Brumbies). The Waratahs then played a | home game against the Bulls - who won 32-19 thanks to two tries apiece to Bryan Habana and Fourie du Preez.- Note: Doug HowlettDoug HowlettDouglas Charles Howlett is a professional New Zealand rugby union player of Tongan descent. He is primarily a wing but he has also covered fullback at national and international levels. He currently plays in Ireland with Munster. He is the brother of former Tongan rugby league international Phil...
became the joint top try scorer in Super RugbySuper 14Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
with Joe RoffJoe RoffJoe Roff is a retired Australian rugby union footballer and a product of the Tuggeranong Vikings Rugby Union Club in Canberra, who played on the wing or at fullback for Brumbies and Australia and played 5 tests as a centre in the early part of his test career...
on 57 Tries
Round 7
The Chiefs put on a convincing win against the Lions to start week seven. This was followed later that evening with the Force easily putting away the bottom of the table Reds in Perth. The Crusaders began to show their regular form with a win against the Bulls and the Waratahs season slumped to a new low with a home loss at the hands of the Stormers. The Cheetahs pulled off an unexpected win against the Brumbies and the undefeated Sharks continued their streak - beating the Hurricanes.Round 8
The Waratahs fell to another loss - being convincingly beaten by the Blues in Auckland. The Bulls were not worried about the "House of Pain" moniker of Carisbrook - instead they turned in on the Highlanders to win 22-13. The Crusaders continued their quick ascent up the ladder with a bonus-point win over the Stormers. Queensland slipped to another loss - albeit a close one - against the Chiefs. The Sharks suffered their first loss of the season as the Brumbies recording a big upset at ABSA Stadium. It was also the Brumbies first ever away win against the Sharks. The Lions continued the Hurricanes bad season with an easy win.Round 9
The Highlanders recorded a home win over the Cheetahs to open the round before the Force subjected the Sharks to their second loss in as many matches in Perth. The Hurricanes pulled off a win over the Bulls and the Blues put in a hard fought win over the Chiefs. The Blues' Doug Howlett took sole possession of the all-| time try scoring lead in Super Rugby during the latter match. The Crusaders pulled away from the Waratahs early in the game before slacking off in the second half and seeing their lead evaporate to 34-28. The Waratahs scored a try late in the game to seeminly secure a win with the kick to come - but Peter Hewat missed a relatively easy kick to hand the Crusaders a 34-33 win. The Brumbies won a second game in South Africa - this time a close encounter against the Lions. A late Julian Huxley try securing a 14-9 win for the Canberra based side.Round 10
The Blues easily put away the Cheetahs in the sole Good Friday game. The next day saw the Chiefs beat the Highlanders before a startling mountain backdrop in Queenstown. The Crusaders annihilated the Force 53-0. It was the largest score ever conceded by the Force and the largest losing margin - but for the Crusaders it didn't come close to their 96-19 win against the Waratahs in 2002. The Sharks continued the high scoring - putting 57 points on the Reds in Brisbane for a big win. The Stormers upset the Lions 30-8 in Cape Town. In the sole Easter Sunday clash the Waratahs failed to resurrect their season against the Brumbies - going down 36-10 in the interstate grudge match between the rivals. The win put the Brumbies into the top four for the first time in 2007.Round 11
This week saw the Hurricanes take on the Cheetahs and Hosea GearHosea Gear
Hosea Gear is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays for the Highlanders in the Super 15 competition as a wing. He has played six international matches for New Zealand and scored five tries...
became the Hurricanes' hero after scoring a 90-metre try in the final moments of the game. It was also the team's fourth try of the game which gave them a bonus point on top of the win. The following day, the Chiefs thrashed the Western Force 64-36, a game which saw a total of 14 tries being scored, nine of which were scored by the Chiefs, with Roy Kinikinilau
Roy Kinikinilau
Roy Kinikinilau is a rugby union player who plays for the Ricoh Black Rams in the Top League in Japan. A powerful winger, Kinkinilau is also an accomplished rugby sevens player. Born in Tonga, he represented New Zealand internationally in rugby sevens competitions.-Provincial Rugby:Kinkinilau was...
and Brendan Leonard
Brendan Leonard
Brendan Patrick Leonard is a filmmaker best known for his hit series on ABC Family, The Brendan Leonard Show.-Personal life:...
each getting hat-tricks. The Crusaders then defeated the Highlanders to climb to the top of the table. The Blues lost to the Sharks at home, going down by 7 points, and the Waratahs won only their second game this season, defeating the Reds, who sit at the bottom of the table. In the last match of the week, the Bulls thrashed the Stormers 49-12.
Round 12
The Crusaders defeated the Hurricanes in a thrilling encounter which saw Jerry CollinsJerry Collins
Jerry Collins is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who formerly played for the national team, the All Blacks in which he was capped 48 times. He now plays for Yamaha Jubilo, in Japanese Top league rugby.-Early career:...
being stretchered off after injuring his neck in a tackle on Rua Tipoki
Rua Tipoki
Te Rua Reihana Tipoki brought up in Te Araroa in Gisborne, is a retired rugby union player who has played for North Harbour in the Air New Zealand Cup and for the Auckland Blues in the Super 14. Tipoki also played for Irish provincial side Munster until 2009. His position was outside centre...
. The Brumbies defeated the Western Force in an all-Australian derby by just two points and the Reds won their second game of the season defeating the Cheetahs. Ben Tune
Ben Tune
Ben Tune is an Australian rugby union player. He played most of his rugby career on the wing but later switched to outside centre....
(who is leaving the club after the season) scored the winning try in that match, but the match of the round saw the Chiefs defeat the Sharks to put themselves in contention for a semi-final spot. The Waratahs lost to the Highlanders by a point after Peter Hewat
Peter Hewat
Peter Hewat is an Australian rugby union player now playing in Japan's Top League for Suntory Sungoliath. He previously played for the NSW Waratahs and London Irish...
missed another conversion, and in a South African derby, the Bulls thrashed the Lions 31-7. Finally, the Blues lost their away match to the Stormers, but they remain second in the table nonetheless.
Round 13
Round 14
This was an exciting week for the two South African contenders the Bulls and the Sharks, both with possibilities of a home semi final. The action-packed weekend started with an upset, the in-form Chiefs beating the Crusaders 30-24 at Jade StadiumJade Stadium
Lancaster Park, formerly Jade Stadium and currently known as AMI Stadium through sponsorship rights, is a sports stadium situated in Waltham, a suburb of Christchurch in New Zealand....
. This result gave the Sharks the opportunity to take the top spot if they won in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. The Blues smashed the Western Force 33-6 to keep their title dreams alive. Later, the Brumbies kept their semi final hopes alive by defeating the tired and weary Highlanders 29-10. Waratahs defeated the Hurricanes away in Wellington 38-14. Cheetahs gave the Lions the South African wooden spoon by beating them 16-10. The first main game of the day was the Stormers vs the Sharks. The Sharks played an efficient and professional game whilst the Stormers played their usual erratic hot and cold game that had seen them beat some good teams during the season, but in the end the Sharks easily claimed a 36-10 victory to be the first South African side to finish at the top of the table at the end of the round-robin stage in the Super 14 competition's history. The last game of the weekend promised to be a huge one for the Bulls, who were chasing a semi final spot. They came up against a feeble Reds team, who after going ahead 3-0 in the beginning, had no idea of the onslaught they were going to receive. The Bulls, who needed a bonus-point win to reach the semifinals, easily achieved this goal a quarter of the way into the "match". Early in the second half they reached the 45-point margin needed to push them up to third place. Then the impossible became possible. If the Bulls went 72 points clear of the Reds, they would leapfrog to second, giving them a home semifinal in the high-altitude cauldron of noise that is Loftus Versfeld. They seemed to reach this goal with little effort against a humiliated Reds side, setting a new Super Rugby record for winning margin of 89 points.
Semi finals
Grand final
The match had four triesTry
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
- two by each team, and the last of which was scored by Bulls' wing Bryan Habana in the 82nd minute to give his team the trophy. It was the first Super rugby final to be played in South Africa, as well as the first all South African final, and the first final with a South African winner.
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| Sharks: | |||
| FB | 15 | Percy Montgomery Percy Montgomery Percival Colin "Percy" Montgomery is a retired South African rugby union player... |
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| RW | 14 | Francois Steyn François Steyn Francois Steyn is a South African rugby union player, who plays for the South African national team; and Racing Métro 92 in Paris. He was a member of the South African team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup... |
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| OC | 13 | Waylon Murray Waylon Murray Waylon Murray is a current player in a provincial rugby union team, the Lions. He stands 190 cm tall and weighs in at 105 kg and plays the position of centre.-Career:... |
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| IC | 12 | Brad Barritt | |
| LW | 11 | JP Pietersen JP Pietersen Jon-Paul Roger "JP" Pietersen is a South African rugby union footballer. He generally plays fullback or wing for the Sharks and the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup... |
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| FH | 10 | Butch James Butch James Andrew David "Butch" James is a South African rugby union player. He has represented 40 times and was a member of the team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He also played for Bath Rugby in the Aviva Premiership... |
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| SH | 9 | Ruan Pienaar Ruan Pienaar Ruan Pienaar is a South African rugby union footballer who plays either as a scrum-half or as a fly-half. He joined Ulster for the 2010/2011 Magners League campaign.... |
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| N8 | 8 | Ryan Kankowski Ryan Kankowski Ryan Kankowski is a South African rugby union player, who plays for the Natal Sharks provincially, The Sharks in the Super 14 and he has been capped by the Springboks at international level.... |
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| BF | 7 | AJ Venter AJ Venter AJ Venter is a retired South African rugby union footballer. Who played for the Sharks in the international Super 14 competition, and the Natal Sharks in the domestic Currie Cup competition. Venter has also played for the South African national team, the Springboks.Venter made his debut for South... |
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| OF | 6 | Jacques Botes Jacques Botes Jacques Botes born 28 November 1980 in Johannesburg, South Africa is a rugby union player for the Sharks in the Super 14 competition. He plays as a flanker.-External links:*... |
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| RL | 5 | Johann Muller | |
| LL | 4 | Johan Ackermann Johan Ackermann Johannes Nicolaas "Johan" Ackermann is a recently retired South African rugby union player. A lock, he most recently played Super 14 rugby for the Sharks.... |
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| TP | 3 | BJ Botha BJ Botha Brendon James Botha, better known as BJ Botha is a South African rugby union player. He is a prop for the Irish Province, Munster. He signed for Ulster on Thursday 14 August 2008 on a three year deal, and left the province in May 2011... |
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| HK | 2 | John Smit John Smit John William Smit is the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a hooker, but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prop prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a tighthead... (c Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... ) |
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| LP | 1 | Deon Carstens Deon Carstens Pieter-Deon Carstens, better known simply as Deon Carstens, is a South African rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Stormers in Super Rugby... |
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| Substitutes: | |||
| HK | 16 | Bismarck du Plessis Bismarck du Plessis Bismarck du Plessis is a South African rugby union player, who plays for South Africa internationally, the Natal Sharks in the domestic Currie Cup, and the Sharks in Super Rugby.-Career:... |
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| LP | 17 | Tendai Mtawarira Tendai Mtawarira Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira is a Zimbabwean-born South African rugby union player for the Sharks in the Super Rugby competition. Mtawarira, a prop, is fondly known by friends and fans as "The Beast". Roars of "Beast" are shouted by spectators and fans of the Natal Sharks team whenever Mtawarira... |
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| RL | 18 | Albert van den Berg Albert van den Berg Albert van den Berg is a South African rugby union rugby player. In 2010, he signed to play in Japan's Top League for Canon Eagles. His usual position is at lock. He played for the Sharks in the international Super 14 competition... |
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| N8 | 19 | Warren Britz | |
| BL | 20 | Bob Skinstad | |
| FH | 21 | Rory Kockott Rory Kockott Rory Kockott born 25 June 1986 in East London, South Africa is a rugby union player and attended Selborne College. He currently plays for Castres Olympique after signing from the Sharks in the Super 14 competition. He plays as a scrumhalf.-External links:*... |
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| OC | 22 | Adrian Jacobs Adrian Jacobs Adrian Jacobs is a South African rugby union player who plays for the Natal Sharks provincially and The Sharks in the Super 14. He predominantly plays Centre, but also plays Wing and even Fullback for The Sharks. Adi usually plays off the bench... |
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| Coach: | |||
| Dick Muir Man of the Match: Victor Matfield Victor Matfield Victor Matfield is a South African rugby union player. He has played for, and captained the Springbok rugby team as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls franchise in the Super 14... (Bulls) Assistant referees: Lyndon Bray Bryce Lawrence Bryce Lawrence Bryce Lawrence is a professional international rugby union referee from the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.Originally a school headmaster, Lawrence took up refereeing in 1994, following in footsteps of his father, Keith Lawrence, who had been an international rugby union referee from 1985 to 1991... Television match official: Kelvin Deaker Kelvin Deaker Kelvin Deaker is a former New Zealand rugby union international referee and member of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union, who has now retired from all refereeing. Deaker took up refereeing in 1991, and refereed his first representative match in 1996, when he took charge of a National Provincial... Assessor: Tappe Henning |
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Akona Ndungane
Akona Zilindlovu Ndungane is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is on the wing, though he can play in the centres. He plays for the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup...
Wynand Olivier
Wynand Olivier is a South African rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition. His usual position is at centre, although he has played on the wing in the past.-Career:...
Bryan Habana
Bryan Gary Habana is a South African rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super 14, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup champions Springboks...
Derick Hougaard
Derick Hougaard is a South African rugby union player who plays for Saracens in England. He normally plays at flyhalf...
Fourie du Preez
Petrus Fourie du Preez is a rugby union player. His position of choice is scrum half. Du Preez plays for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup competition in South Africa and the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition...
Pierre Spies
Pierre Johan Spies is a South African rugby union player. His usual position is number 8 , where he plays for the Vodacom Bulls in the international Super 14 competition. He has represented the Springboks since 2006.He made his debut for the Blue Bulls in 2005 in a match against the Griquas...
Wikus van Heerden
Wikus van Heerden is a South African rugby union footballer who plays as a Flanker, currently signed to play for the Lions in the Super 14, and the Golden Lions in the national Curriecup competition. Van Heerden has also played for the national team, the Springboks...
Pedrie Wannenburg
Pedrie Wannenburg is a South African Rugby Union player who currently plays for Ulster in the RaboDirect Pro12. He previously represented the Bulls in the southern hemisphere Super 14 competition. As of 15 June 2010, he signed a deal with Irish club, Ulster Rugby...
Victor Matfield
Victor Matfield is a South African rugby union player. He has played for, and captained the Springbok rugby team as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls franchise in the Super 14...
(c
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
)
Bakkies Botha
John Philip "Bakkies" Botha, is a South African rugby union player who plays lock for the Springboks. He was a member of the national team that won the Rugby World Cup in 2007 in addition to winning two Tri-Nations titles in 2004 and 2009...
Gary Botha
Gary Botha is a professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for Stade Toulousain have signed from the Bulls in the Summer of 2011. He also plays for the South African national team...
Gurthro Steenkamp
Gurthrö Garth Steenkamp is a South African Rugby union player. He plays loosehead prop. Steenkamp currently plays for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls in the Super 14...
Jaco Engels
Jaco Engels is a Namibian rugby union player playing for the Eastern Province Kings.He has previously played for the Leopards, Boland Cavaliers and Blue Bulls in South Africa's Currie Cup. He has also played Super Rugby with the Bulls...
Danie Rossouw
Danie Rossouw is a South African rugby union footballer who plays as a second row forward. He plays for the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition. Rossouw made his provincinal debut during 1999 for the Blue Bulls in a match against the North Western Province in the Currie Cup competition...
Morne Steyn
Morné Steyn is a South African rugby union player who plays at the Flyhalf position.He plays at number 10 for the Springboks internationally, as well as for the Bulls in the Super 14 and for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup...
Jaco van der Westhuyzen
Jaco van der Westhuyzen is a South African rugby union footballer who plays fly-half or fullback.-Early life:...
Heyneke MeyerHeyneke Meyer
Heyneke Meyer is a rugby union coach, most recently Head Coach at Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership. He is the former coach of the Blue Bulls in the Super 14 competition....
Leading try scorers
| Top 3 try scorers (Stats) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Name | Tries | Pld | Team | ||||
| 1 | JP Pietersen JP Pietersen Jon-Paul Roger "JP" Pietersen is a South African rugby union footballer. He generally plays fullback or wing for the Sharks and the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup... |
12 | 15 | Sharks | ||||
| 2 | Bryan Habana Bryan Habana Bryan Gary Habana is a South African rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super 14, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup champions Springboks... |
8 | 15 | Bulls | ||||
| Lelia Masaga Lelia Masaga Lelia Masaga is a professional rugby union player from New Zealand. Masaga is contracted to the Chiefs in the Super 14 where he plays for them on the wing. He is nicknamed the Flash and is also the youngest member of the team. His career was highlighted by selection for New Zealand representation... |
8 | 13 | Chiefs Chiefs (Super rugby franchise) The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys... |
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| 4 | Cameron Shepherd Cameron Shepherd Cameron Shepherd is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Western Force in the international Super 14 competition. His usual position is at fullback or wing.-Biography:... |
7 | 13 | Force Western Force Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th... |
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| Rico Gear Rico Gear Rico Levi Gear is a New Zealand rugby union international player. He is a specialist right wing but can also cover midfield positions. He currently plays for Kintetsu Liners in the Top League.... |
7 | 14 | Crusaders | |||||
Leading point scorers
| Top 3 overall point scorers (Stats) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Name | Points | Pld | Team | ||||
| 1 | Stephen Donald Stephen Donald Stephen Donald is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays at First five-eighth or Second five-eighth. Despite an international career that had not lived up to expectations, Donald, aka 'The Beaver', kicked the winning penalty in the IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 for New Zealand... |
164 (2T, 26C, 34P) | 13 | Chiefs Chiefs (Super rugby franchise) The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys... |
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| 2 | Derick Hougaard Derick Hougaard Derick Hougaard is a South African rugby union player who plays for Saracens in England. He normally plays at flyhalf... |
161 (0T, 28C, 33P, 3DG) | 15 | Bulls | ||||
| 3 | Peter Hewat Peter Hewat Peter Hewat is an Australian rugby union player now playing in Japan's Top League for Suntory Sungoliath. He previously played for the NSW Waratahs and London Irish... |
156 (2T, 19C, 36P) | 13 | Waratahs New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition... |
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