Hurricanes in crowded playoff race
The table-topping Crusaders would need a catastrophe greater than Daniel Carters badly sprained ankle to stop their stampede to the semifinals as the six-times champions are already only two wins away from securing a berth.
The Blues are also looking good after another cliffhanger win, this time needing a Nick Evans dropped goal to steal a 23-21 win against the Bulls. The tough trip to South Africa is behind the Blues and with the Reds and Highlanders to come, they should stay in the top four.
The second-placed Sharks, who beat the Reds 22-10 yesterday, have a tougher road.
They left South Africa last night and play the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday night, the first of five away games that will also take them to Dunedin, Canberra, Sydney and Christchurch.
Its a schedule that would have New Zealand coaches squealing but is par for the course for the South African sides. With their last two games in Durban, the Sharks should finish in the top four.
But there is nothing certain about the final playoff place.
The Hurricanes are fourth with 19 points after they picked up a bonus point in their 20-13 loss to the Crusaders.
They are level with the Force, and only one point ahead of the rapidly improving Stormers and Chiefs, who secured a four-try bonus point for the second week in a row after they smacked the winless Highlanders 39-24.
The Waratahs and Brumbies are also not out of the race and even the defending champions Bulls have a mathematical hope. They would need to win all their remaining games and pick up bonus points. Four of the six matches are in Pretoria, but it is still a huge task.
For now the Hurricanes are well placed, especially as they have a game in hand over the Blues, Force, Stormers and Chiefs. However, a loss to the Sharks in Wellington on Saturday could derail their campaign.
They leave on Sunday for three weeks in South Africa and though one of those matches is against the winless Cheetahs, its in Kimberly, whose greatest claim to fame is a giant hole. Enough said.
After the Sharks, the Hurricanes play the Bulls who will have had an easier trip home from Perth, and then the fast-improving Stormers who return to Cape Town this week with the comfort of the bye, followed by a home game against the Cheetahs.
Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper acknowledged it was a cliche, but said his team had to try to focus on one game at a time.
We cant get caught up worrying about the trip to South Africa or where other teams are on the ladder. We just have to worry about ourselves.
Weve got the ability to make the top four and thats certainly our goal, but this game [against the Sharks] is huge for us.
If we can take the second 40 [from the Crusaders match] into the Sharks game, Im confident well do well.
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Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 at 1:29 am under