version 1.0
10 weeks down, eight to go and the wheat's now sorted out from the chaff. I've listed the teams in strict points order as there's little point in adjusting it for conference leaders at this stage. Also, away fixtures are highlighted in italics. The numbers after the teams are: competition points/games played/wins/points difference and bonus points.
Hurricanes (33/played 8/7 wins/+85/5 bp) Reds, Saders, Sharks, Chiefs, Blues, Saders, Clan, Chiefs
Chiefs (32/played 9/7 wins/+70/4 bp) Force, Rebels, bye, Canes, Bulls, Clan, Reds, Canes
Bulls (28/played 9/6 wins/+48/4 bp) Stormers, Lions, bye, Blues, Chiefs, Ponies, Rebels, Cheetahs
Highlanders (28/played 8/6 wins/+33/4 bp) Ponies, Sharks, Lions, Cheetahs, Force, Chiefs, Canes, Blues
Brumbies (26/played 9/5 wins/+83/6 bp) Clan, Tahs, Stormers, Lions, bye, Bulls, Force, Saders
Stormers (26/played 9/6 wins/+31/2 bp) Bulls, Cheetahs, Ponies, bye, Rebels, Cheetahs, Lions, Sharks
Waratahs (23/played 8/5 wins/+27/3 bp) Rebels, Ponies, Force, Sharks, Saders, Lions, Cheetahs, Reds
Sharks (21/played 10/4 wins/-40/5 bp) bye, Clan, Canes, Tahs, Reds, Rebels, bye, Stormers
Lions (21/played 9/5 wins/-48/1 bp) Cheetahs, Bulls, Clan, Ponies, Cheetahs, Tahs, Stormers, bye
Crusaders (20/played 9/4 wins/+51/4 bp) Blues, Canes, Reds, bye, Tahs, Canes, Blues, Ponies
Rebels (19/played 8/4 wins/-16/3 bp) Tahs, Chiefs, Blues, Reds, Stormers, Sharks, Bulls, Force
Cheetahs (14/played 9/3 wins/-91/2 bp) Lions, Stormers, bye, Clan, Lions, Stormers, Tahs, Bulls
Blues (11/played 9/1 win/-50/7 bp) Saders, Force, Rebels, Bulls, Canes, bye, Saders, Clan
Reds (11/played 9/2 wins/-115/3 bp) Canes, bye, Saders, Rebels, Sharks, Force, Chiefs, Tahs
Force (9/played 9/1 win/-68/5 bp) Chiefs, Blues, Tahs, bye, Clan, Reds, Ponies, Rebels
Canes: playing very well and with only one trip out of NZ and four home matches left look a monte for the top spot. The only fly in the ointment here is the fact six of their remaining eight games are against fellow Kiwis.
Chiefs: if they beat the Canes twice (unlikely) top spot beckons. Only three home games left, but this is countered with away matches against weaker teams, Rebels and Reds. Definite finalists.
Bulls: beat the Stormers in Cape Town this weekend and the top Saffer spot's theirs. Australasian tour looks a bit tricky; however, they should aim for two wins.
Clan: are they over-achieving? Only three Kiwi games left, looking good for the finals.
Ponies: MMmmm.....? Are the wheels starting to fall off due to their butcher's bill? Have they peaked too early? Bonus points and PD are somewhat skewed after their two Reds matches. If they don't beat the Tahs next week they won't be playing come late June.
Stormers: five home matches to go allied with only two games against higher teams (one at home), looking good for the finals.
Tahs: look to be hitting their straps, but I said that after the Rebels match in round 2 and again after the round 6 Ponies victory. Season to date is LWWLWWLW so they're due for a win this weekend. Next week's encounter in Canberra is season-defining for both teams.
Wobbegongs: the only team to've played 10 matches to date, and, with the Bulls, the only teams with two home games to go. Allied with their abominable disciplinary record I'd say the Sharks are pretenders in eighth spot.
Lions: doing very well for a side picked by most to finish last, outstanding tour east with three wins. Could end up third in the Saffer conference.
Saders: underperformed these last seven years, can't see them threatening the three better-performing NZ sides this year. Some slack has been cut for Blackadder after the Chch earthquake, but it's not going to last much longer. Should finish higher than 10th.
Rebels: all I'd like to see from the two new Oz teams is gradual improvement, the Rebels ARE showing improvement this year. But, please, I don't want to see it this weekend.....
Cheetahs: performing reasonably well after being ravaged by the Bulls in the off season. At least they're not coming last, and probably won't come season's end.
Blues: talk about a nearly year, six losses less than eight points/the most BPs, 7/only -50 PD. One could almost justify retaining Surgeon Kirwan's services. Cue explosion from Dismal Pillock.....
Reds: it would be unseemly of me to kick a fellow Australian when he's down, but, the Reds have been woeful this year. And last year. And disappointing the year before. We desperately need the three senior Australian sides to be playing well at all times, I can't help feeling the Reds are letting Oz rugby down.
Force: the Force showed some improvement last year but have gone backwards in 2015. WTF's happening?
Taking a macro look at the table today these points stand out:
1. The teams who've played eight matches so far are the Canes, Clan, Tahs and Rebels while the Sharks are the only side who've played 10. I can't see the Sharks threatening for a finals spot.
2. The intra-Kiwi fixtures make for a fascinating finish to their conference. The Canes have six iK matches to go, the Chiefs and Clan three each and the Saders four. The Saders are shaping like spoilers here.
3. It's difficult to see any finalist coming from outside the current top seven. The Ponies have four matches left against fellow finals aspirants, the highest of that group, while the Tahs have only one.
10 weeks down, eight to go and the wheat's now sorted out from the chaff. I've listed the teams in strict points order as there's little point in adjusting it for conference leaders at this stage. Also, away fixtures are highlighted in italics. The numbers after the teams are: competition points/games played/wins/points difference and bonus points.
Hurricanes (33/played 8/7 wins/+85/5 bp) Reds, Saders, Sharks, Chiefs, Blues, Saders, Clan, Chiefs
Chiefs (32/played 9/7 wins/+70/4 bp) Force, Rebels, bye, Canes, Bulls, Clan, Reds, Canes
Bulls (28/played 9/6 wins/+48/4 bp) Stormers, Lions, bye, Blues, Chiefs, Ponies, Rebels, Cheetahs
Highlanders (28/played 8/6 wins/+33/4 bp) Ponies, Sharks, Lions, Cheetahs, Force, Chiefs, Canes, Blues
Brumbies (26/played 9/5 wins/+83/6 bp) Clan, Tahs, Stormers, Lions, bye, Bulls, Force, Saders
Stormers (26/played 9/6 wins/+31/2 bp) Bulls, Cheetahs, Ponies, bye, Rebels, Cheetahs, Lions, Sharks
Waratahs (23/played 8/5 wins/+27/3 bp) Rebels, Ponies, Force, Sharks, Saders, Lions, Cheetahs, Reds
Sharks (21/played 10/4 wins/-40/5 bp) bye, Clan, Canes, Tahs, Reds, Rebels, bye, Stormers
Lions (21/played 9/5 wins/-48/1 bp) Cheetahs, Bulls, Clan, Ponies, Cheetahs, Tahs, Stormers, bye
Crusaders (20/played 9/4 wins/+51/4 bp) Blues, Canes, Reds, bye, Tahs, Canes, Blues, Ponies
Rebels (19/played 8/4 wins/-16/3 bp) Tahs, Chiefs, Blues, Reds, Stormers, Sharks, Bulls, Force
Cheetahs (14/played 9/3 wins/-91/2 bp) Lions, Stormers, bye, Clan, Lions, Stormers, Tahs, Bulls
Blues (11/played 9/1 win/-50/7 bp) Saders, Force, Rebels, Bulls, Canes, bye, Saders, Clan
Reds (11/played 9/2 wins/-115/3 bp) Canes, bye, Saders, Rebels, Sharks, Force, Chiefs, Tahs
Force (9/played 9/1 win/-68/5 bp) Chiefs, Blues, Tahs, bye, Clan, Reds, Ponies, Rebels
Canes: playing very well and with only one trip out of NZ and four home matches left look a monte for the top spot. The only fly in the ointment here is the fact six of their remaining eight games are against fellow Kiwis.
Chiefs: if they beat the Canes twice (unlikely) top spot beckons. Only three home games left, but this is countered with away matches against weaker teams, Rebels and Reds. Definite finalists.
Bulls: beat the Stormers in Cape Town this weekend and the top Saffer spot's theirs. Australasian tour looks a bit tricky; however, they should aim for two wins.
Clan: are they over-achieving? Only three Kiwi games left, looking good for the finals.
Ponies: MMmmm.....? Are the wheels starting to fall off due to their butcher's bill? Have they peaked too early? Bonus points and PD are somewhat skewed after their two Reds matches. If they don't beat the Tahs next week they won't be playing come late June.
Stormers: five home matches to go allied with only two games against higher teams (one at home), looking good for the finals.
Tahs: look to be hitting their straps, but I said that after the Rebels match in round 2 and again after the round 6 Ponies victory. Season to date is LWWLWWLW so they're due for a win this weekend. Next week's encounter in Canberra is season-defining for both teams.
Wobbegongs: the only team to've played 10 matches to date, and, with the Bulls, the only teams with two home games to go. Allied with their abominable disciplinary record I'd say the Sharks are pretenders in eighth spot.
Lions: doing very well for a side picked by most to finish last, outstanding tour east with three wins. Could end up third in the Saffer conference.
Saders: underperformed these last seven years, can't see them threatening the three better-performing NZ sides this year. Some slack has been cut for Blackadder after the Chch earthquake, but it's not going to last much longer. Should finish higher than 10th.
Rebels: all I'd like to see from the two new Oz teams is gradual improvement, the Rebels ARE showing improvement this year. But, please, I don't want to see it this weekend.....
Cheetahs: performing reasonably well after being ravaged by the Bulls in the off season. At least they're not coming last, and probably won't come season's end.
Blues: talk about a nearly year, six losses less than eight points/the most BPs, 7/only -50 PD. One could almost justify retaining Surgeon Kirwan's services. Cue explosion from Dismal Pillock.....
Reds: it would be unseemly of me to kick a fellow Australian when he's down, but, the Reds have been woeful this year. And last year. And disappointing the year before. We desperately need the three senior Australian sides to be playing well at all times, I can't help feeling the Reds are letting Oz rugby down.
Force: the Force showed some improvement last year but have gone backwards in 2015. WTF's happening?
Taking a macro look at the table today these points stand out:
1. The teams who've played eight matches so far are the Canes, Clan, Tahs and Rebels while the Sharks are the only side who've played 10. I can't see the Sharks threatening for a finals spot.
2. The intra-Kiwi fixtures make for a fascinating finish to their conference. The Canes have six iK matches to go, the Chiefs and Clan three each and the Saders four. The Saders are shaping like spoilers here.
3. It's difficult to see any finalist coming from outside the current top seven. The Ponies have four matches left against fellow finals aspirants, the highest of that group, while the Tahs have only one.
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