NZ's dominance over Australian Super Rugby teams

NZ Herald·

11 Jul, 2016 09:17 PM3 mins to read

The Blues thrashed the Brumbies as New Zealand teams completed a four-game sweep over Australian teams last week. Photo / Getty

Lucky the Reds aren't in the Super Rugby playoffs.

They are the biggest trans-Tasman threat to the impressive New Zealand sides but are languishing in 15th place in the competition and won't make the playoffs.

On their home patch the Reds beat the fast-finishing Highlanders and drew with the Blues but have only won two other games in the tournament.

The other four Aussie sides can only muster two wins between them against New Zealand teams, both on Aussie soil-the Waratahs victory against the Chiefs and the Brumbies opening 52-10 slaughter of the Hurricanes.

That's the same Brumbies team which has added another eight wins, leads the Australian conference but is 7th= on a combined points table and was thumped 40-15 last round by the Blues.

There's one trans-Tasman duel to go with the Blues hosting the Waratahs on Friday but the current results chart is remarkably lop-sided.

Is it a pointer to the Bledisloe Cup battles ahead, a reflection of the growing split in coaching and playing standards between the two nations or part of sport's cyclical nature?

Whatever your view it is a tasty stat to drop into conversation.

Played 24, NZ wins 20, one draw, three losses. Adding insult to mediocrity 13 of those 20 New Zealand wins were by more than 13 points.

The Rebels and Force have both lost their five games against NZ teams.

Listen: Ian Jones on the Australian teams

The closest contest was in Perth where the Force were edged out 20-19 by the Crusaders while the worst was last weekend when the Crusaders pounded the Rebels 85-26.

Last year New Zealand won the head-to-head 15-7. In 2001 Australia won the head-to-head 7-8, the only season New Zealand failed to have a side in the Super 12 semifinals. The Brumbies won the title that year after defeating the Reds in the semifinals before beating the Sharks in the final.

A further damning statistic is Australian teams on New Zealand soil - 0 wins this year. The last Aussie side to win across this side of the Tasman was the Waratahs against the Hurricanes in round 10 last season. They are the last chance to end Australia's drought in New Zealand this year. The Rebels won in Christchurch in round one in 2015 as the only other Aussie win in New Zealand.

It happened three times in 2014 (Waratahs over Chiefs, Force over Highlanders and Brumbies over Hurricanes). Surprisingly the Blues are the only New Zealand franchise to go unbeaten at home against Australian sides since 2014.

Just how dominant

New Zealand teams v Australian teams
Crusaders - 5 wins, 0 defeats
Hurricanes - 4 wins 1 defeat
Chiefs - 4 wins 1 defeat
Highlanders - 4 wins 1 defeat
Blues - 3 wins, 1 draw (still to play Waratahs)
Totals record - 20 wins, 1 draw, 3 defeats.

Totals points: New Zealand teams 827 Australian teams 445
Average score: New Zealand teams 34 Australian teams 18

NZ wins by 13+ 13 of 24
NZ wins by 30+ 5 of 24

Aussie wins by 13+ 2 of 24
Aussie wins by 30+ 1 of 24

Team Rankings Via Rugby Herald Stats Centre

- Additional research by Cameron McMillan