The Sharks beat the Bulls, the Stormers beat the Cheetahs, the Waratahs beat the Brumbies, the Blues won and the Crusaders won, so the Play-offs are confirmed. Now who goes where?
Both the play-offs will take place in New Zealand this coming weekend. The Sharks will travel to Nelson to see if they can put one over the Crusaders. In the other play-off the Blues will host the Waratahs in Auckland.
Date: Friday 24 June 2011
Teams: Blues (4th) vs Waratahs (5th)
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-Off: 19h35 (08:35 RSA Time)
Date: Saturday 25 June 2011
Teams: Crusaders (3rd – NZ Conference winners) vs Sharks (6th)
Venue: Trafalgar Park, Nelson
Kick-Off: 19h35 (08:35 RSA Time)
The Reds and Stormers will have an additional bye weekend courtesy of being the top two teams in the combined log. Who they will face will only be determined next week. It is not as simple as the winner of game A will play the Reds or the winner of game B playing the Stormers. The Reds will host whichever is the lowest ranked team from the four teams in the play-offs in Brisbane on Saturday 2 July at 19h40 (11:40 RSA Time), which will then leave the Stormers to host the highest ranked qualifier in Cape Town, also on Saturday 2 July at 17h05.
Congratulations to the 6 teams who have made it through to the play-off stages and having two teams from each conference is actually a good result for the tournament organizers.
As soon as we have the kick-off times they will be confirmed here and on our Fixtures page.
http://www.sharksworld.co.za/super-rugby-fixtures-results-2011-2/
Thanks ksa. In other words, if we win, we’re heading to BrisVegas!
I wonder if the fat opel will go support our boys…
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : Scrap that comment. Kick-off times and dates confirmed. as above and on our fixtures page.
@robdylan (Comment 2) : he’s such a sourpuss he probably supports whichever team will makes him more miserable.
i got this crazy feeling the SHARKS is going win the final at newlands
@juba_fan (Comment 5) : that would be great! I dont wanna start looking too far ahead just yet, but i did notice the odds were 1 – 37 for the sharks to win the tournament
I do not like the stormers but they have a big chance to win this super 15 comp even schalk burger was smiling he knows they have a BIG opportunity to win the whole damn comp…home ground advantage counts…
The Sharks are definitely the dark horses. If they can beat the Saders I would be VERY weary of facing them.
In fact, I’d go as far as to say they will beat us if we played each other in the final.
I’m holding my breath to see who get to referee these matches.
Go Sharks
@KSA Shark © (Comment 3) : Supersport contradicts your semi-f fixtures, but I do think you are right.
For the Sharks to walk away with the spoils, they need to win in Nelson, Brisbane and Cape Town/Auckland/Sydney on succesive weekends. And what happens if the South American ash cloud REALLY messes up flight schedules? If we win it after all that, this would be the greatest team in Shark history. (Nothing like a bit of optimism on a Sunday morning
)
@catfish (Comment 11) :
I’m glad you have learnt to trust me. 
We have a saying here that when someone gets some important information completely arse about face the should send their CV to Supersport. We have that saying for a good reason.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 13) : For the big proffesional channel they are, they certainly sometimes do not seem to want to go the extra yard to get the correct info.
Oh good. Supersport cocked up the rankings AGAIN. Last night they basically said that the winner of the Sader/Sharks game would play the Stormers the following week. Which would mean that the Sharks playoffs run would have been Durban->Nelson->Cape Town->Brisbane. Which would have been a nightmare. Thankfully they’re wrong, which means it’s Durban->Nelson->Brisbane->Cape Town. Much more managable.
@juba_fan (Comment 5) : We’re playing in the final mate. Hope the Blues beat the Stormers in the semi so that they also do a bit of traveling..would balance things out.
@klempie (Comment 15) : Durban, Nelson, Brisbane, Auckland…much better.
SANZAR has named the match officials for the Super Rugby Finals Series qualifiers
Friday 24 June: Blues vs Waratahs, Eden Park, Auckland at 19h35 (17h35 EST,0935 SA)
Referee: Chris Pollock
AR 1: Stuart Dickinson
AR 2: Glen Jackson
TMO: Vinny Munro
Saturday 25 June: Crusaders vs Sharks, Trafalgar Park, Nelson at 19h35 (17h35 EST,0935 SA)
Referee: Bryce Lawrence
AR 1: Keith Brown
AR 2: Vinny Munro
TMO: Garratt Williamson
@McLovin (Comment 18) : Thanks.
Not bad I can live with that.
@klempie (Comment 15) : Supersport!
Bryce Lawrence?
So the Stormers will face the Saders in the semis then!!
@McLovin (Comment 18) : Brycey
he may be our lucky charm
i can’t believe that we lost to Tahs on points difference
I was really getting excited about us beating the Blues with Saders ourt record not too great…
@rekinek (Comment 23) : good morning, I’m exited to beat the best teams 2weeks in a row, the end off the sadersa is 5 days away
Ok, so John Plumtree can coach a rugby team. Who knew? Well I am enjoying my humble pie, while wiping egg off my face. The Sharks played brilliantly. And considering they played against 17 men on Saturday and won, it shows great character and resolve from the team.
KSA as a referee defender, you must have found it hard to understand Kaplan’s decisions on Saturday. If this is what the best referee in the world can offer, the RWC is going to be full of controversy again this year.
@franshark (Comment 24) :
forever optimist! Let’s make it 3 weeks in the row Saders, Reds and Stormers 
@rekinek (Comment 26) : Ola Ola!
Hope we can do it!
@Ben (Comment 27) : Hehehehehehehehe. Bwhaha.
VERY clever.
@Ben (Comment 27) :
note to self : getting out may be tricky.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) :
@rekinek (Comment 29) :
I work it out as next weeks semi finals will be:
Stormers vs Crusaders / Blues / Waratahs (Cape Town)
Reds vs Sharks / Blues / Waratahs (Brisbane)
That correct?