The Aussie road to the Super Rugby summit

Mon, Jun 15, 2015, 2:00 AM
AAP
by AAP

In 2014 the Waratahs sat comfortably atop the Asteron Life Super Rugby Ladder, with the Brumbies closely behind in fourth position.

This year the regular season results were a little different and the road to the final is as well.

Here are the scenarios..

The Brumbies:

Finishing in sixth position the Aquis Brumbies’ road to the Super Rugby Final is improbable but not impossible.

Travelling to Cape Town to take on the Stormers, Steve Larkham’s men will be confident knowing that they finished with more points in the regular season.

The Brumbies went down by a solitary point the last time they were at Newlands (just over a month ago) and with Henry Speight firing and Matt Toomua back from injury, the men from Canberra are looking strong.

If they beat the Stormers, the Brumbies will be on the plane straight to Wellington to face the top of the table Hurricanes.

The two sides have not faced each other in 2015, and while Conrad Smith and co. have been strong at home, the Brumbies possess the style of game that the Canes’ hate.

A win there, and they are in the Super Rugby Final.

The Waratahs:

Seven wins from their last nine games guaranteed the Waratahs top spot in the Australian Conference and second overall on the ladder, with Michael Cheika’s men now just 80 minutes from back-to-back Super Rugby finals.

Depending on this weekend’s results, the Tahs will either face the Stormers, Highlanders or Chiefs.

The Waratahs haven’t beaten any of these sides this year but given their current form, the week off and a some vocal home crowd support, a place in the Final is very much on the cards.

Who they will potentially face in the Final is up to fate but there is a chance of an all-Australian Super Rugby Final.

If the Brumbies manage to win in Cape Town and Wellington, and the Waratahs win their semi-final, the Super Rugby Final will be played between the two sides at ANZ Stadium.

In the history of Super Rugby there has never been an all Aussie decider, and in a World Cup year it would be the perfect platform for a successful raid on English soil later this year.

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