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Martin Devlin: We don't need a final to know Crusaders are the best

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 10 Aug 2020, 3:56PM

Martin Devlin: We don't need a final to know Crusaders are the best

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 10 Aug 2020, 3:56PM

Does Super Rugby Aotearoa need a final? Or maybe the question should be, do you need a final? Because I don't. 

Congrats to the Crusaders. They are the best team in Southern Hemisphere rugby and, let's be honest, no-one is surprised.

That's four in a row people. Unprecedented, history making, previous to yesterday no team had won more than three on the trot - and the only team to ever do that is also the Crusaders. Twice. They are the stand-out team and I for one don't need a final to provide final proof of what I already know.

The Hurricanes gave everyone a glimmer of false hope that they could be beaten. In a one-off game, any team can be. But in a round-robin, where everyone plays everyone winner-take-all, they were always going to win.

And I don't have a single problem with that. I can understand the attraction of a last match trophy-winning grand final. The gratification of that winning presentation etc. And if it was practical and possible I would've looked forward to it just like I have every match of this magnificent comp.

But it's not and never was for reasons best explained by those responsible for the administration and implementation of everything we've seen so far. So please direct all such

questions towards NZR and I'm sure they'll be happy to provide the appropriate answers.

I just can't let myself dive too deep into the debate because, in the grand scheme of things, it feels nothing but unnecessary.

Yes a final would've been great but it doesn't make the comp any less of anything by not having one. I also wish there were crowds at all sport across the world but that isn't happening either.

I like, in this Covid climate, to look at what we have and what we've had is so well worth having. We don't need a final, we need a winner.

And that's what we've got.

 

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