A basic guide to the Super 15 semi-finals

IT’S a massive weekend for Australian rugby. Here’s everything you need to know about both semi-finals.

2015 Super Rugby Qualifying Final: DHL Stormers v Brumbies

WITH the 2015 Super Rugby season coming to an end, we are two short weeks away from finding out who will be crowned champions.

Will the Waratahs take down the Highlanders in a home semi to give themselves the chance to retain their title for the first time in Super Rugby history?

And can the first placed Hurricanes continue their dream year on track to win their first ever championship?

We broke down the stats and took to the history books to give you a better understanding of exactly what the semi-finals have in store.

HURRICANES V BRUMBIES — WESTPAC STADIUM, 5.35pm SATURDAY

Head to Head

The Brumbies and Hurricanes will face each other for the first time in the 2015 season in this week’s semi-final, having not met since March last year.

These two sides have come up against each other 20 times in the regular season since the first year of the competition in 1998, with the Brumbies coming out on top on 12 of those occasions. The history books show the Brumbies as the dominant favourites in this match-up, having defeated the men from Wellington every year for the last four Super seasons. Yet with the Hurricane’s current red-hot form it may be time for the ’Canes to get one up.

Hurricanes (Wellington, NZ)

Clear favourites to take out this season’s title, the Hurricanes will be quietly confident heading into their home semi-final having only been beaten twice this year. Currently leading the competition in most tries scored, defenders beaten, clean breaks and metres made, the Hurricanes have turned themselves into the competition’s offensive juggernaut. Although it is hard to find flaw in a team that finished the regular season 14 points ahead of any other franchise, the Hurricanes line-out has been one of the only chinks in their armour this season with the third lowest completion rate — an area they will need to be tight on to compete with the Brumbies’ set piece. The Hurricanes have dedicated their season to the late Jerry Collins and will be eager to honour him in this week’s semi-final.

Player to watch

Having missed out on selection for the first All Blacks squad of the year, young-gun flanker Ardie Savea will have a point to prove after the Hurricanes’ week off. Filling in on the wing in the final minutes of his team’s last regular season game, the versatile former New Zealand Sevens player has proven this year he is capable of being a dominant force on the Super Rugby stage.

ACT Brumbies (AUS)

The Brumbies will have to travel again this Saturday to take on the Hurricanes in Wellington. Coming off the back of a dominant win against the Stormers in South Africa, the Brumbies will test the Hurricanes defence for the full 80 minutes. Key for ACT will be the execution of their driving maul, which has been a competition leader all season. The men from the Aussie capital will be hungry to once again experience a Super Rugby final, having narrowly missed out on securing the title in 2013 when they lost to the Chiefs in the dying minutes.

Player to watch

After scoring a hat-trick against the Stormers last week and demonstrating a series of bone-crunching tackles in defence, the Brumbies player to watch can be no other than lightning winger Joe Tomane. Currently sitting equal fourth on the competition’s leading try-scorer list, the 101kg winger will be looking to stake his claim for Wallabies selection by backing up again this week with another exhilarating performance.

WARATAHS V HIGHLANDERS — ALLIANZ STADIUM, 7:55pm SATURDAY

Head to head

The closer of the two semis, the Waratahs and Highlanders go into this match-up with near identical regular season records, having both won 11 of their 16 matches and the Highlanders finishing just one point above the ’Tahs on the competition ladder. Historically these two franchises have not been so close in comparison. Of the 19 times they have faced each other, the Waratahs have won 13 of those games, notably thrashing the Highlanders 44-16 at the end of the 2014 season.

NSW Waratahs (AUS)

Coming off the back of a week off, the Waratahs will go into their home semi-final with a fresh squad, free of any notable injury. Chasing their first ever back-to-back Super Rugby title, the ’Tahs will be eager to become the first Australian franchise to ever achieve such a feat. Currently ranked second for the most defenders beaten and successful offloads in the competition, Michael Cheika’s men are clearly dangerous when they get a roll on in attack. However, with 10 yellow cards already for the season, discipline in both attack and defence will be vital if NSW is to progress to the grand final.

Player to watch

Coming into the starting lineup to replace the suspended Rob Horne, Matt Carraro was impressive in the Waratahs’ round 18 defeat of the Queensland Reds. Having played in top leagues in both France and England, the 30-year-old winger brings a wealth of experience to the Waratahs line-up.

Highlanders (Dunedin, NZ)

Similar to the Hurricanes, the Highlanders are chasing their first ever Super Rugby title, having not experienced semi-finals footy since 2002. The Highlanders have only ever appeared in one Super Rugby grand final, which saw them go down to the Crusaders 24-19 in 1999. With arguably their best season ever in the competition, the Highlanders are expected to give the Waratahs’ defence plenty to work for. The Dunedin side will be without versatile back-rower Dan Pryor who dislocated his elbow in their qualifying finals win over the Chiefs.

Player to watch

Currently just two points behind the competition leading point-scorer, NSW Waratahs’ Bernard Foley, Lima Sopoaga has been pivotal in directing the Highlanders attack all season. Currently holding 173 points for the 2015 season, the Wellington-born fly-half is just five points shy of the Highlanders’ all-time points record for a single season.

Originally published as A basic guide to the Super 15 semi-finals