Who has the best run to make the finals?

Of the top six teams this is there draw to the end of the tourney, it makes good reading and may actually sound out where or who will be best placed. Based upon this draw the Sharks are strongly placed to get above the Bullls and depending on how the Stormers finish they could even finish the top of the SA conference.

The Chiefs have a very tough draw going out and could easily lose 3 of there last 4 games against the Crusaders, Highlanders and the erractic but explosive Hurricanes - this will be interesting

The Stormers have two touggies against the Bulls and the Cheetahs. I wont waste my time with the Ozzie conference as I dont think either the Brumbies or the Reds will make the finals

The Crusaders also have a bad draw against all the top 4 kiwi teams so they could also go downhill quickly.........

I am confident that the top 3 Bok teams will get into the top six with the Chiefs, Crusaders and possibly the Highlanders????? 

Chiefs play:

 Blues

Highlanders

 Crusaders

Hurricanes

Stormers play:

Bulls

Lions

Cheetahs

Rebels

Brumbies play:

Rebels

Force

Warratahs

Blues

Bulls play:

Stormers

Cheetahs

Sharks

Lions

Crusaders play:

Highlanders

Hurricanes

Chiefs

Force

Sharks play: - they also have a bye so have been gauranteed 4 points

Lions

Bulls

Cheetahs

highlanders:
crusaders
chiefs
reds
bye

highlanders will prob lose to the crusaders and chiefs, but will take a lot of heart out of the fact they have beaten them both already this year when they first met in the early rounds.

i think the sharks will lose to the bulls, but beat the cheetahs and lions, so the highlanders need to win against the reds in suncorp (big ask) and beat both the chiefs or crusdaers. i doubt they will beat either the chiefs or crusaders, but if they can manage one, then they will need the cheetahs to pull a big one and beat the sharks, very hard run and one i dont think they can do, but i hope im wrong.

the brumbies have the easiest run into the finals. playing teams who are 10th, 11th, 13th and 14th, they are so fu*king lucky to be involved in the aussie confence, cos thats the rugby equivilent of the special olympics.
 

final 6

1 chiefs

2 stormers

3 brumbies

4 bulls

5 crusaders

6 sharks

Yeah pretty good take on the situation but even if the Brumbies make it in I doubt they will pose any threat to the big players...........The Cheetahs may just spoil a few hearts and the Highlanders do have a tough draw but you never know what other crazy things may happen the Rebels beat theCrusaders two weeks ago and then looked like a bunch of idiots last night WTF?....So based on that theory who knows.....

i agree, brumbies wont do jack against the top 6 i predict to make it, but it also raises a new question, wouldnt it be better to finish 6th and play the brumbies in canberra, then to finish 5th and play the bulls in loftus???

will kind of depend on this week though, cos if the stormers beat the bulls and crusaders beat the highlanders, saders jump to 4th place.
bloody hell, some great rugby heading into the test week, luckily the reds and force have a bye this week, thats two aussie teams less to bore the living sh!t out of us.

reigning Super XV champions reds may struggle as couple of games mid-season determined but corrupt officials didnt help - but count the brumbies out at your own peril...

I do agree somewhat though that Aussie conference is a bit boring as Rugby league & AFL are predominant codes here there just arent enough people interested in Rugby simple as that...

For the record I preferred the old format rather than conferences -

From here I'd say bulls @ home would be very hard for any team to beat - 

Maybe replay of last week's game cheifs v bulls... one thing for sure Crusaders havent got nothing this year as finally the source of all their success has been found out - Bryce the cheat Lawrence...   

Hi Red,

Agree that the Crusaders are looking very loose this year and even though they have come back of late they appear to be beatable........Richie MaCaw looks way out of sorts and based on his form he would be dominated completely by the likes of Pocock and Brusso.

Enough said about the name we cant repeat "B,,, L,,,,". The old format was way better, however my mind wont change on the Brumbies but happy to eat humble pie 

@redsman,

"I do agree somewhat though that Aussie conference is a bit boring as Rugby league & AFL are predominant codes here there just arent enough people interested in Rugby simple as that..."

FYI, australia have more then 20,000 male adult rugby players then NZ and in total, OZ double the number of players that NZ has.

If your stats are correct which dont seem too accurte - of those - how many are kiwis living here??

Rugby is only played at elitest private schools in two states - Qld / NSW - which prbly account for ~5% of kids in these two states.

If Australian rugby didnt have League to compete against - we would smash you all infinitely as this code is full of talented young players from over NSW  / QLD. There's prbly 15 NRL players that could walk straight into wallabies.

Anyway it is what it is and Rugby in Australia will likely always be 4th string winter football code...... and considering the success of the Wallabies (current tri-nations champs) thats not too bad for a 4th string code played in about 5% of two states in Australia... 

v NZ only code of any sport...

@redsman,

u seem to forget the heavy population that OZ have over NZ, nearly 20 million more people. if OZ didnt have league to contend with we would still destroy u. NZ rugby is stronger then australian league and even if NZ had league and australia had no league, any comment would still be an assumnption, but IMO we would still smash u.

OZ league - registered players 466,182, - registered adult players 51, 540

NZ league - registered players 24,000, - registered players 3419

while i will concede that OZ definately get the better of NZ in league, we do more then punching above our weight, the fact that were the RWLC champions and former 4nats champions, despite the glaring overwhelming numbers OZ has invested in the sport. so meh to ur u would smash us if not for league comment, considering the success of NZ in the sport.
 

i will also give u the links for registered rugby players for u to look at, it dosent say how many are kiwis, but im sure both kangaroos and wallabies having players who have played for the codes like quade cooper, james tamou and karmicheal hunt to name but a few.

http://www.irb.com/unions/union=11000007/index.html

http://www.irb.com/unions/union=11000008/index.html