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It’s simple - win derby and make play-offs

rugby09 June 2019 12:28| © Cycle Lab
By:JJ Harmse
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Bulls © Gallo Images

You don’t have to have a degree in mathematics to figure it out - the South African teams currently in the top eight of the combined Vodacom Super Rugby log will stay there and qualify for the play-offs if they win their last league game.

At the moment that means that the Vodacom Bulls, the Emirates Lions and the DHL Stormers can all be sure of qualifying if they do just one thing, and that is win. There are no teams hovering on the fringes who can still upset that equation if two of those three teams win. And with the Bulls and the Lions playing each other, that means whoever wins that game will join the Stormers in the play-offs.

But the caveat of course is the Stormers have to win too, and they play the Sharks. The Durbanites are currently ninth and can still leapfrog the Stormers if they beat the Cape team at Newlands on Saturday. A Sharks win, regardless of whether it is with a bonus point or not, will be enough as the Stormers will drop out and they will just replace their fellow coastal team in the top eight.

The eighth placed Rebels face a similar scenario to the other teams mentioned. If they win, they will make it. Read it as if you in the top eight right now then a win is enough. But they also face an eliminator in that the Chiefs team could find themselves in the top eight if they beat the Rebels this weekend. They would fancy their chances after the Rebels lost so heavily (66-0) to the Crusaders.

But the Chiefs’ chances will depend on how the Highlanders go in their last game. The Highlanders being held to a draw by the Bulls certainly helped the Chiefs this weekend. Both teams have 31 points, two behind the Sharks and three behind the Rebels and Stormers, but the Chiefs are ahead on points difference.

Theoretically only one of those two teams can make it if they reach 36 points. Although the Waratahs are only one point further back, they are no longer in contention.

Points and positions going into the final week of league play for teams in contention:

1. Crusades Played 16 Points 58
2. Jaguares Played 15 Points 46
3. Brumbies Played 15 Points 43
4. Hurricanes Played 15 Points 49
5. Vodacom Bulls Played 15 Points 36
6. Emirates Lions Played 15 Points 35
7. DHL Stormers Played 15 Points 34
8. Melbourne Rebels Played 15 Points 34
9. Cell C Sharks Played 15 Points 33
10. Chiefs Played 15 Points 31
11. Highlanders Played 15 Points 31

Last round fixtures

Highlanders v Waratahs
Rebels v Chiefs
Jaguares v Sunwolves
Hurricanes v Blues
Brumbies v Reds
DHL Stormers v Cell C Sharks
Vodacom Bulls v Emirates Lions

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