2015 Super Rugby final

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The 2015 Super Rugby Final, was played between the Hurricanes and the Highlanders. It was the 20th final in the Super Rugby competition's history and the fifth under the expanded 15-team format. This was the first Super Rugby final between two New Zealand teams since 2006 when the Hurricanes were beaten by the Crusaders.

2015 Super Rugby Final
Event2015 Super Rugby season
Date4 July 2015
VenueWestpac Stadium, Wellington
RefereeJaco Peyper (South Africa)
Attendance36,000
2014
2016

The match was won by the Highlanders who beat the Hurricanes by seven points. Upon winning the match, the Highlanders became the first team to win the competition having failed to win a conference. They also became the first team to win the competition having played in the qualifiers round. It was the Highlanders first Grand Final appearance since 1999, and the Hurricanes first Grand Final appearance since 2006.

In New Zealand, 583,620 people tuned in to watch

Road to the Final

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Finals Series qualifying teams
Conference leaders
Pos Team W D L PD BP Pts
1   Hurricanes 14 0 2 +170 10 66
2   Waratahs 11 0 5 +96 8 52
3   Stormers 10 1 5 +50 3 45
Wildcard teams
4   Highlanders 11 0 5 +117 9 53
5   Chiefs 10 0 6 +73 8 48
6   Brumbies 9 0 7 +108 11 47
Source: SANZAR [1]

The 2015 Super Rugby competition involved fifteen teams, five each from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.[2] The 2015 season was the fifth year of an expanded 15 team format (12 teams competed between 1996 and 2005, before increasing to 14 between 2006 and 2010).[2]

The competition began on 13 February with the regular season consisting of 120 matches over eighteen weeks. Each team played the others from their own conference (both home and away), plus four out of five teams from the other two countries (two at home and two away in each case). The top six teams after the regular season advanced to the finals.[2]

The Hurricanes finished top of the New Zealand conference and topped the overall standings, with fourteen wins and just two losses during the season (one being to the Australian conference winner, the Waratahs). The South African conference winner was the Stormers, and the three wildcard teams making the playoffs were the Highlanders, Chiefs, and Brumbies.

The play-off fixtures were as follows:

First roundSemifinalsFinal
27 June 2015
20 June 20151  Hurricanes29
3  Stormers196  Brumbies94 July 2015
6  Brumbies39  Hurricanes14
27 June 2015  Highlanders21
20 June 20152  Waratahs17
4  Highlanders244  Highlanders35
5  Chiefs14

Qualifiers

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20 June 2015 Highlanders 24–14 Chiefs Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin  
19:35 Try: Waisake Naholo   24'43'
Con: Lima Sopoaga   44' (1/2)
Pen: Lima Sopoaga   6', 57', 66', 80' (4/4)
Drop: Waisake Naholo (0/1)
Report[3]
Scoreboard[4]
Try: Brodie Retallick   60'
Con: Andrew Horrell (0/1)
Pen: Andrew Horrell   8', 28', 40' (3/5)
Attendance: 22,500
Referee: Chris Pollock


20 June 2015 Stormers 19–39 Brumbies Newlands Stadium, Cape Town  
17:05 Try: Cheslin Kolbe   45'
Con: Demetri Catrakilis   46' (1/1)
Pen: Demetri Catrakilis   13', 34', 49', 60' (4/4)
Report[5]
Scoreboard[6]
Try: Joe Tomane   4'15'25'
Scott Sio   40'
Ita Vaea   63'
Jesse Mogg   79'
Con: Christian Lealiifano   26', 40', 64' (3/6)
Pen: Christian Lealiifano   51' (1/1)
Cards: Henry Speight   74'
Scott Fardy   75'
Referee: Jaco Peyper

Semi-finals

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27 June 2015 Hurricanes 29–9 Brumbies Westpac Stadium, Wellington  
19:35 Try: Julian Savea   21'
TJ Perenara   28'
Ardie Savea   43'
Matt Proctor   74'
Con: Beauden Barrett   29' (1/2)
James Marshall   44', 75' (2/2)
Pen: Beauden Barrett (0/1)
James Marshall   66' (1/2)
Report[7]
Scoreboard[8]
Pen: Jesse Mogg   40' (1/1)
Christian Lealiifano   50', 57' (2/2)
Attendance: 34,500
Referee: Glen Jackson


27 June 2015 Waratahs 17–35 Highlanders Allianz Stadium, Sydney  
19:55 Try: Rob Horne   11'
Con: Bernard Foley (0/1)
Pen: Bernard Foley   23', 31', 37', 51' (4/4)
Cards: Jacques Potgieter   58' to 68'
Report
Scoreboard[9]
Try: Aaron Smith   19'
Richard Buckman   33'
Waisake Naholo   53'
penalty try   58'
Patrick Osborne   78'
Con: Ben Smith (0/1)
Lima Sopoaga   34', 59' (2/4)
Pen: Lima Sopoaga   5' (1/3)
Drop: Lima Sopoaga   75' (1/2)
Attendance: 32,632
Referee: Craig Joubert

Final

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4 July 2015
19:35
Hurricanes14–21Highlanders
Try: Ma'a Nonu   36'
Con: Beauden Barrett (0/1)
Pen: Beauden Barrett   42', 54', 67' (3/5)
Report[10]
Scoreboard[11]
Try: Elliot Dixon   40'
Waisake Naholo   47'
Con: Lima Sopoaga   40' (1/2)
Pen: Lima Sopoaga   5', 29' (2/3)
Drop: Lima Sopoaga (0/1)
Marty Banks   78' (1/1)
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Attendance: 35,896
Referee: Jaco Peyper


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hurricanes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Highlanders

References

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  1. ^ "Super Rugby - Official SANZAAR Site". SANZAR. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "About Super Rugby". SANZAR. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Highlanders move on to semi-finals". SANZAR. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  4. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Highlanders 24–14 Chiefs". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Six-try Brumbies stun the Stormers". SANZAR. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – DHL Stormers 19–39 Brumbies". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Hurricanes surge into Super Rugby Final". SANZAR. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  8. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Hurricanes 29–9 Brumbies". South African Rugby Union. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  9. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Waratahs 17–35 Highlanders". South African Rugby Union. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Highlanders stun the 'Canes to claim title". SANZAR. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  11. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Hurricanes 14–21 Highlanders". South African Rugby Union. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
Preceded by Super Rugby Final
2015
Succeeded by