The Hurricanes are the unwitting sacrificial lambs of the Super Rugby finals. Photo / Photosport
The Hurricanes are the unwitting sacrificial lambs of the Super Rugby finals. Photo / Photosport
COMMENT:
This week the Super Rugby final arrives early in Christchurch.
Such a statement is not intended to slight the Jaguares, well deserving of their historic place in the semifinals.
The reality, though, is the Argentinians should be travelling to Wellington, rather than enjoying the undeniable swing home advantage providesin welcoming the Brumbies to Buenos Aires.
Super Rugby's shambolic conference system must be stomached for one more year yet before the Sunwolves' exit paves the way for a 14-team round robin and, importantly, a much more equitable finals format from 2021.
And if there's one team that will embrace that change more than anyone, it's the Hurricanes.
The ridiculous quirk, if you could call it that, of the current format that alters overall seedings to guarantee each conference winner a top three placing has irreparably hurt the Hurricanes' chances in recent years.
Since claiming their maiden title in 2016, the Hurricanes have been consistently pushed down the ladder, and out of Westpac Stadium, purely to satisfy the Sanzaar alliance.
Lesser teams with fewer points on the log have hosted knockout matches the Hurricanes earned – purely to ensure a spread of revenue through ticket sales and broadcast eyeballs.
Ardie Savea of the Hurricanes fends off Warrick Gelant of the Bulls during their quarter-final clash. Photo / Photosport
For the Hurricanes, it's meant a cut-throat case of top the New Zealand conference or be twice robbed of home semifinals.
That they are again forced to travel to Christchurch, where no visiting team has won since the final round of the 2016 season, makes this scenario all the more galling.
Two years in a row, this has been the sad story of Super Rugby's semifinals.
The Hurricanes were that last team to win in Christchurch but it doesn't make their task any easier this week.
In 2017 the Hurricanes finished third but were shunted to fifth. A year later they were good enough for second but then pushed to fourth. Ditto this season. Despite boasting two more points and one more win than the Jaguares, the Hurricanes again find themselves with the dud deal and no chance of repeal.
Suck it up and move on will, of course, be their approach. But unfortunately this finals format undermines the credibility of the whole competition, leaving the door ajar for questions about rightful finalists and, potentially, winners.
No one can dispute the Crusaders are worthy of their home semifinal but it should be the Brumbies, not the Hurricanes, trekking to Christchurch at this juncture.
That would be the case if Super Rugby operated a fair and equitable system but failed expansion has rendered us this crocked finals format.
Just because it's been this way for some time doesn't make it right.
The Jaguares upset the Hurricanes in Wellington earlier this season and have since become one of the form forces.
We should now be awaiting that rematch to see if the Jaguares can repeat the dose, only this time in a knockout match away from home. It would be a doozy match up.
Instead, the two teams who finished this regular season with the most points will again square off in Christchurch, just as they did last year when they Crusaders comfortably prevailed.
The other point to note is how will Crusaders fans feel should the Hurricanes pull off an unlikely upset?
Only in that context may the penny drop that they, too, are being duped.
Usyk coming for the heavyweights
Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine. Photo / Getty
Without throwing a punch, Oleksandr Usyk has wasted no time shaking up the heavyweight division.
Andy Ruiz stunned most by flooring Anthony Joshua but, whoever emerges from that rematch later this year, may now face a daunting task in Usyk.
Before stepping into the ring with the heavyweights, the Ukrainian unified cruiserweight champion (16-0) has been installed WBO mandatory challenger.
That such a swift path has been carved for Usyk shows the influence Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing commands.
Usyk, with his menacingly evil eyes, will immediately rival Tyson Fury for the best technical boxer in the heavyweights. His first fight is expected to be against Carlos Takam and, should he win that as expected, Usyk is now first in line to challenge the Joshua-Ruiz victor.
By mid-next year, after two fights in the division of giants, Usyk could be a four-belt heavyweight champ.
Cricket drama takes the cake
Maybe it's just the Black Caps' way but, these past three weeks, cricket has been hard to beat for drama. Hopes have fluctuated more than Israel Folau's legal funding campaign.
Momentum swings in cricket are nothing new but it does feel as though the Black Caps are taking this element to new heights at the World Cup.
Lose both openers in the first over, recover, no worries. Take two early wickets, drop Chris Gayle three times, get back on top, concede 25 runs in one over, somehow escape.
You can't script it. And this was only one instance this tournament.
