All Australian Super Rugby final? Big questions answered ahead of semi-finals

THERE are four teams left in the 2015 Super Rugby play-offs and four questions that need to be answered.Will we see an all-Australian final for the first time?

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 02: Kurtley Beale (C) and Waratahs players celebrate victory and hold the Super Rugby trophy during the Super Rugby Grand Final match between the Waratahs and the Crusaders at ANZ Stadium on August 2, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

THERE are four teams left in the 2015 Super Rugby play-offs and four questions that need to be answered.

Foxsports.com.au rugby writers Sam Worthington and Christy Doran go head-to-head in the countdown to this weekend’s blockbuster semi-finals.

Will we see an all-Australian Super Rugby final for the first time?

1) Hurricanes v Brumbies - who wins and why?

Sam Worthington: The Canes, and for obvious reasons.

History shows it is simply too difficult to trek back from South Africa and get up the following weekend in Australia, let alone after the extra travel to New Zealand.

The Brumbies were magnificent in belting the Stormers in Cape Town, probably their best performance of the season.

But while their competition-best defence will put up plenty of resistance in Wellington, the well-rested Hurricanes have enough firepower to pull away from the weary Brumbies in the final 20 minutes.

The Hurricanes’ one Achilles heel is their misfiring lineout and if the Brumbies can cause disruptions in this area then they can at least keep it close.

Christy Doran: While the Hurricanes deserve to start as favourites, their semi-final clash with the Brumbies won’t be as easy as first thought.

The Brumbies are hoping to reach the Super Rugby final for the second time in three seasons and will draw upon the experience of finals football as they prepare for Saturday’s clash. The Brumbies have the best defence in the competition, having conceded just 280 points from 17 matches and over the weekend easily accounted for the Stormers in Cape Town. They’ve also beaten the Hurricanes in their last four meetings — albeit they haven’t met in 2015.

To win, the Brumbies will look to slow the game down and restrict the space and time that the Hurricanes’ dynamic back three have in possession. In the process they will attempt to kick for touch, using their strong line-out and rolling-maul to get them across the line.

Former Wallaby Tim Horan said after the Brumbies’ bonus-point win in Perth three weeks ago that the Brumbies needed to show more than a strong line-out during the finals if they wished to progress further — they did so in the most emphatic way possible last weekend against the Stormers scoring six tries; none from the rolling-maul.

2) Waratahs v Highlanders - who wins and why?

SW: The Waratahs will just sneak past Super Rugby’s Cinderella story.

The free-wheeling, fun loving Highlanders have been wonderful to watch in 2015 but you get the feeling the wealth of Wallabies and big-match temperament of the defending champions will get them over the line in front of their Sydney home crowd.

It should be a fine spectacle, with both teams intent on attack at all costs.

But the Waratahs’ defence has been excellent in recent times and that may well prove the difference.

Israel Folau versus Ben Smith at fullback is just one of many mouth-watering match-ups.

CD: The Highlanders fly to Sydney after beating the Chiefs by 10 points last Saturday in an open game in Dunedin. During that game All Blacks’ halfback Aaron Smith was at his probing best and his battle in the halves with Nick Phipps will be crucial to his side’s fortunes.

Having beaten the Waratahs at home already this season, the Highlanders will be confident of upsetting the home side once more. During their last meeting, Waisake Naholo announced himself to the Waratahs when he had too much speed for Matt Carraro and Kurtley Beale, scoring just before halftime, and the Waratahs will once again have to watch the New Zealand squad member, after he grabbed a brace of tries last week against the Chiefs.

The Highlanders have had to take a backseat this season in the New Zealand conference with the Hurricanes dominating the standings from start-to-finish, but the Highlanders are ready to announce themselves.

Dave Dennis scores for NSW Waratahs against the Reds.

3) Which Wallabies contender has the most to play for this weekend?

SW: Dave Dennis. Following a painstaking rehab from an ACL tear, the Waratahs captain has successfully converted himself to a lock this season in a bid to improve his Rugby World Cup selection prospects.

He’s a consistent, reliable performer in Super Rugby yet he rarely rates a mention when it comes to potential Wallabies squads.

Dennis has played 18 Tests but only two as a lock.

Michael Cheika is already well aware of his capabilities and has been happy to play him in the second-row despite his relative lack of height at 1.92m.

But will Cheika be willing to take a leap of faith in the cut-throat Test arena?

Dennis’ versatility and leadership qualities could be invaluable at the Rugby World Cup and a strong showing in the Super Rugby finals may well get him over the line.

The Brumbies’ Christian Lealiifano fends the Stormers’ Damian de Allende over the weekend.

CD: Having played in every match of the Brumbies’ 2015 Super Rugby campaign, Christian Lealiifano is one of a number of playmakers gunning for a place in Michael Cheika’s Wallabies squad.

Lealiifano will face strong competition from Wallabies incumbents Bernard Foley and Matt Toomua, but with Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale and Matt Giteau also in the reckoning, a big game from the Brumbies’ back this weekend against the Hurricanes will put pressure on the Wallabies coaching staff to pick him — especially with his club coach and Wallabies assistant coach, Stephen Larkham, in the stands watching over him.

Lealiifano started the season for the Brumbies at inside-centre, but an injury to Matt Toomua forced Larkham to shift him from the centres to fly-half — a position Leallifano is equally versed in. The move paid immediate dividends for the Brumbies with Lealiifano straightening the line of attack for the Brumbies.

4) What now for Quade Cooper?

SW: Volleyball? Badminton? Parramatta Eels?

Nothing would surprise in this age of code hopping and contract backflips.

But the Australian Rugby Union appears to be very keen on having the Wallabies fly half spearhead their sevens campaign at the 2016 Olympics.

It would be an ideal fit but Cooper still needs to sort out his next club home after the Reds and Waratahs closed the door.

With his model girlfriend living in Sydney, Cooper seems willing to stump up the reported $200,000 to extricate himself from his contract with Toulon.

But would he be willing to play for the hapless Force – Australia’s only Super Rugby team in need of a quality No 10.

CD: After the Queensland Reds withdrew their offer to retain Quade Cooper’s services and the Waratahs ruled themselves out of in signing him in the immediate future, should another Australian Super Rugby club look at him?

Cooper, 27, is still one of Australia’s best playmakers. Every time he touches the ball he creates interest, which is why the Western Force should look at him.

The Force know how influential he can be with ball in hand, after all he scored two tries and scored 22 points against them in just his second match of the season less than a month ago. On that night, Tim Horan said that the Force needed to invest in a new playmaker and a player of the class of Cooper would undoubtedly help their stocks and interest.

Originally published as All Australian Super Rugby final? Big questions answered ahead of semi-finals