Lions v Crusaders - The Hard Numbers
The Lions host the Crusaders in this weekend’s Super Rugby Final at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Both sides will enter the fray having only dropped a single match all season and the numbers all point to this one being really tight.
Much has been made of the fact that the Lions didn’t face any New Zealand sides during the regular season, but having seen off the defending champs last weekend no one will be under any illusions about their capabilities.
Read on for all the key stats…
- The Lions ran out to a 42-25 win when they last met the Crusaders (2016 QF), snapping a seven-game losing streak against the Christchurch club.
- The last time a team won a Super Rugby final played outside their own home country was the Crusaders in 2000, who did so after traveling to Australia to face the Brumbies in the big dance.
- The Crusaders have been crowned Super Rugby champions on seven occasions previously and featured in 11 finals in total, both records in the competition.
- However, the Christchurch based side have lost each of their last two finals, only the Sharks (L4) have lost more than two in a row when reaching the Grand Final.
- Three of the previous four Grand Finals to be contested by a side from New Zealand and a side from South Africa have been won by the New Zealand outfit (L1), however the one defeat in that run was the heaviest ever in a final (Bulls 61-17 Chiefs).
- Eight of the last 11 Super Rugby Grand Finals have been decided by margins of eight points or fewer, however the three exceptions in that run were all games between a South African side and a team from New Zealand.
- The Lions head into this fixture on the back of a 14-game winning streak; the Crusaders are the only team in Super Rugby history to have won more games in succession, which they’ve done twice (15 straight in 2002-03; 16 straight in 2005-06).
- The Crusaders won each of their five games outside New Zealand this season, scoring an average of 43 points per game across those fixtures.
- South African teams have won nine of their last 12 Finals fixtures at home against New Zealand opposition; in fact, the Stormers are the only team in Super Rugby history to have lost such a fixture (4 instances).
- Only once in Super Rugby history has a team contested consecutive finals without winning at least one of them (Crusaders in 2003 & 2004).
- The Lions (572m) and Crusaders (513m) are two of only three teams (Hurricanes, 520m) to have gained an average of 500+ metres per game this season.
- The Lions have scored 30 tries in the final quarter of games so far this season, more than any other team, while they also conceded just five in the same time frame, fewer than any other team.
- Wyatt Crockett and Kieran Read are the only current Crusaders players to feature the last time the Canterbury side won the Grand Final, in 2008 against the Waratahs.
- Andries Coetzee gained 169m last week, the most of any player across either of the semi-finals, and has made a season total of 1,323m which is the third most of any player across the entire competition.
- Ryan Crotty has crossed for five tries in his last four games against the Lions, all five of those tries coming at Emirates Airlines Park.
Comments on RugbyPass
Confirmed conclusively that 1. the Chiefs are a one man band 2. DMac is THE vital cog for Robertsons success with the ABs.
1 Go to commentsWrong again Nick! Shoch horror….. This article aged very quickly didnt it.
79 Go to commentsFunny how between 2008-2018 the crusaders did not win the majority of titles… it was spread evenly amongst NZ.
79 Go to commentsThe same might be happening in NZ soon. What is the point of changing the setup to englands Championship?
3 Go to commentsSack the coach.
4 Go to commentsDon’t worry about the Crusaders they have some great talent coming through.
1 Go to commentsThe Crusaders terminally ill team missing 8-9 projected starters at the beginning of the season manhandle a Chiefs team missing just DMac.
79 Go to commentsBig difference from the Crusaders last night. Hotham and McNicoll were sparks but everyone seemed dialed in. Young lock Hannah has no stop and Kellow deserves more game time based on his performance. Being captain seemed to lift Christie’s game and with Strange running the lineout there was a big improvement from Bell (including his brilliant individual try). Good to see Reihana running freely and making a solid contribution from the bench. In the absence of Burke, he makes that backline more potent. Also, good to see Aumua with more of a role. If they can back this up, they could move up the table as some of their “names” return (Barrett, Blackadder, Burke, Taylor, Williams, etc).
10 Go to commentsI think this is unduly harsh. I agree that we must hold them to high standards and that is what they produced in the second half against Italy with 14 men in their first run out for nearly 6 months trying to play an expanded game. Admittedly, the first half was at best disjointed but they worked it out sufficiently to blow Italy out of the water. No other team appears to be able to live with them over 80 minutes at the moment and they still have a huge amount of improvement to make. Their match in France will be the next acid test. That is the next real yardstick.
1 Go to commentsNot sure 700k is worth it. He’ll be coming on for the Hail Mary plays. Cannon fodder.
10 Go to commentsBest situation in the world for the potential of his success in the NFL. Cutthroat, we’ll yeah little buddy, that’s one of the reasons why, at least in the States, it is by far and away the best sports draw. The point is: It’s not only that he’d have Mahomes as his QB, and all the T. Kelce blocking bullshit needs to stop (he’s not a prototypical blocking TE ya numb nuts), it’s that he will have arguably one of the greatest football minds in Andy Reid scheming for him. In the NFL, the most important thing is situation. If the ignoramus Jets signed him, then he’d be screwed from go.
10 Go to commentsWe’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
3 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
10 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
4 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
4 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
4 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
79 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
10 Go to comments