1997 Super 12 season

1997 Super 12
Countries  Australia
 South Africa
 New Zealand
Tournament format(s) Round-robin and knockout
Champions New Zealand Auckland Blues (2nd title)
Matches played 69
Top point scorer(s) South Africa Gavin Lawless (170)
( Sharks]])
Top try scorer(s) Australia Joe Roff (16)
(ACT Brumbies)
1996 (Previous) (Next) 1998

The 1997 Super 12 season was the second season of the Super 12, contested by rugby union teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from 28 February to 31 May 1997, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals, with the first placed team playing the fourth and the second placed team playing the third. The winner of each semi final qualified for the final, which was contested by the Auckland Blues and the ACT Brumbies at Eden Park, Auckland. The Auckland Blues won 23 7 to win their second Super 12 title.

While the three Australian and five New Zealand teams remained the same as the 1996 season, the South African teams made changes. Transvaal, after the changes of the political landscape of South Africa, became known as the Gauteng Lions, while Western Province, after not making the top four of the 1996 Currie Cup, were replaced by Free State of Bloemfontein.

Table

     Top four teams advance to playoffs.
Pos. Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1 New Zealand Auckland Blues 111010435283152850
2 Australia ACT Brumbies 11803406291115941
3 New Zealand Wellington Hurricanes 116054163141021034
4 South Africa Sharks 1152432135029630
5 South Africa Gauteng Lions 1151530234644628
6 New Zealand Canterbury Crusaders 1151527223537426
7 South Africa Free State 1150630132726525
8 South Africa Northern Transvaal 1133526434278422
9 Australia NSW Waratahs 1140725529641420
10 Australia Queensland Reds 1140726331855420
11 New Zealand Waikato Chiefs 1140727229523319
12 New Zealand Otago Highlanders 11308299409110517

Points breakdown:

  • 4 points for a win
  • 2 points for a draw
  • 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less
  • 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match

The play offs follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system with the highest placed team at home

Regular season

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Finals

Semi finals


Grand final

31 May 1997
Auckland Blues New Zealand 23 7 Australia ACT Brumbies
Try: Dowd, Jones
Con: Cashmore (2)
Pen: Cashmore (3)
Try: Roff
Con: Roff
Eden Park, Auckland
Referee: Tappe Henning South Africa
Auckland Blues
15Adrian Cashmore
14Brian Lima
13Eroni Clarke
12Lee Stensness
11Joeli Vidiri
10Carlos Spencer
9 Ofisa Tonu'u
8 Zinzan Brooke (c)
7 Michael Jones
6 Mark Carter
5 Robin Brooke
4 Leo Lafaiali'i
3 Craig Dowd
2 Sean Fitzpatrick
1 Olo Brown
Replacements:
16 Jeremy Stanley
17 Michael Scott
18 Dylan Mika
19 Charles Riechelmann
20 Paul Thomson
21 Andrew Roose
Coach:
New Zealand Graham Henry
ACT Brumbies
15Stephen Larkham
14Mitch Hardy
13James Holbeck
12Pat Howard
11Joe Roff
10David Knox
9 George Gregan
8 Troy Coker
7 Brett Robinson (c)
6 Owen Finegan
5 John Langford
4 David Giffin
3 Patricio Noriega
2 Marco Caputo
1 Ewen McKenzie
Replacements:
16 Rod Kafer
17 Geoff Logan
18 Justin Harrison
19 Ipolito Fenukitau
20 Dean Zammit
21 Timote Tavalea
Coach:
Australia Rod McQueen

Notes and references

Further reading

  1. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Wellington Hurricanes 18-23 The Chiefs". South African Rugby Union. 28 February 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  2. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Queensland Reds 19-24 Australian Capital Territories Brumbies". South African Rugby Union. 1 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  3. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 40-40 Auckland Blues". South African Rugby Union. 1 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  4. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State 20-24 Gauteng Lions". South African Rugby Union. 2 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  5. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State 15-24 Auckland Blues". South African Rugby Union. 7 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  6. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Canterbury Crusaders 19-17 Wellington Hurricanes". South African Rugby Union. 7 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  7. "SA Rugby Match Centre – New South Wales Waratahs 26-33 The Chiefs". South African Rugby Union. 8 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  8. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Natal Sharks 75-43 Otago Highlanders". South African Rugby Union. 8 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  9. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 14-3 Queensland Reds". South African Rugby Union. 8 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  10. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Gauteng Lions 44-36 Australian Capital Territories Brumbies". South African Rugby Union. 9 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
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