2008 Super 14 season

Introduction of Experimental law variations

The 2008 competition is currently the highest level competition to trial any of the International Rugby Board's (IRB) Experimental law variations (ELVs). The laws had been trialled in various competitions in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. The highest level competition the laws had previously been introduced to was the 2007 Australian Rugby Championship. The introduction of the laws for the 2008 season was approved by the competition's governing body, SANZAR, at a meeting on 4 December 2007.

SANZAR decided not to adopt all the ELVs, and decided to adopt the following:

• The corner posts are moved so that they are outside the junction of the touchline and goal-line. A player will also not be in touch if they are touching the corner post unless they are also touching either the touchline, or ground over the touchline.
• A ball can be thrown backwards on a quick throw-in rather than having to be thrown straight.
• The offside line will now occur immediately once a tackle is made.
• At the breakdown the Scrum-half (half-back) cannot be touched unless they are touching the ball.
• During a scrum, with the exception of forwards in the scrum, and each team's scrum-half, the offside line will now be 5 metres behind the hindmost foot of a scrum.
• With the exception of offside, not entering the breakdown through the gate, and foul-play, the punishment will be a free kick.

Table

Results

Round 1

Con: Dan Carter (4) Pen: Dan Carter (2)

Con: Clinton Schifcofske (2) Pen: Clinton Schifcofske Con: Mike Delany Pen: Paul Williams (2), Daniel Bowden

Con: Ruan Pienaar (2) Pen: François Steyn Con: Matt Giteau Pen: Cameron Shepherd

Con: Nick Evans (3) Pen: Nick Evans (2) Pen: Stephen Donald (3)

Con: Kurtley Beale Pen: Kurtley Beale

Con: Derick Hougaard Pen: Derick Hougaard (3)

Con: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (2) Pen: Jacques-Louis Potgieter Con: Louis Strydom, Earl Rose Pen: Louis Strydom (2), Earl Rose

Round 2

Con: Jimmy Gopperth (2) Pen: Jimmy Gopperth (3) Con: Clinton Schifcofske Pen: Clinton Schifcofske (2)

Con: Jacques-Louis Potgieter Pen: Conrad Barnard Con: Matt Giteau Pen: Matt Giteau (3)

Con: Morné Steyn Pen: Derick Hougaard (4) Con: Dan Carter (5) Pen: Dan Carter (3)

Con: Stephen Donald Pen: Stephen Donald Con: Kurtley Beale Pen:

Con: Julian Huxley (2) Pen: Julian Huxley Con: James Wilson (2) Pen: James Wilson (2)

Con: Peter Grant Pen: Peter Grant

Con: Chris Jonck Pen: Louis Strydon Con: Nick Evans (7) Pen: Nick Evans (2)

Round 3

Con: Jimmy Gopperth (3) Drop: Tane Tuʻipulotu Con: Stephen Donald (2)

Con: Louis Strydom Pen: Louis Strydom (3) Con: Matt Giteau Pen: Matt Giteau, Cameron Shepherd

Pen: Dan Carter (4)

Con: James Wilson Pen: Con: Kurtley Beale Pen: Kurtley Beale

Con: Mark Gerrard (5) Pen: Mark Gerrard Pen: Clinton Schifcofske (2)

Con: Conrad Barnard (2), Meyer Bosman Con: Nick Evans (6) Pen: Nick Evans

Drop: Morné Steyn Con: Rory Kockott (3) Pen: Rory Kockott

Round 4

Con: Jimmy Gopperth (1) Pen: Jimmy Gopperth (1)

Con: Kurtley Beale (3) Pen: Kurtley Beale Con: Mark Gerrard (2) Pen: Mark Gerrard

Pen: Derick Hougaard (6) Drop: Derick Hougaard Con: Jano Vermaak

Con: Stephen Donald (2) Pen: Stephen Donald Con: Conrad Barnard (2) Pen: Conrad Barnard (2)

Drop: Berrick Barnes (2) Con: Peter Grant (4) Pen: Peter Grant (2)

Con: Rory Kockott (2) Pen: Rory Kockott Con: Nick Evans (2) Pen: Nick Evans

Con: Matt Giteau (2) Con: Dan Carter (7)

Round 5

Con: Stephen Donald (2) Pen: Stephen Donald (4) Con: Peter Grant (3) Pen: Peter Grant (3)

Con: Mark Gerrard Pen: Mark Gerrard Con: Jimmy Gopperth (3), Willie Ripia

Con: Nick Evans, Ben Atiga Pen: Ben Atiga Con: Matt Giteau (3) Pen: Matt Giteau (2)

Con: Dan Carter (5) Pen: Con: Conrad Barnard

Con: Clinton Schifcofske (3) Pen: Clinton Schifcofske (3) Pen: Derick Hougaard

Pen: Jaco van Schalkwyk Con: Rory Kockott Pen: Rory Kockott (3)

Round 6

Con: Dan Carter (4) Pen: Dan Carter (2) Con: Kurtley Beale

Con: Mark Gerrard (3) Pen: Mark Gerrard Con: Conrad Barnard, Jacques-Louis Potgieter Pen: Conrad Barnard (2), Jacques-Louis Potgieter

Con: Daniel Bowden (2) Pen: Daniel Bowden (3) Con: Matt Giteau (3) Pen: Matt Giteau (3), Cameron Shepherd (2)

Pen: Ben Atiga (4) Pen: Peter Grant (3)

Con: Stephen Donald (5) Pen: Stephen Donald Con: Derick Hougaard (3) Pen: Derick Hougaard Drop: Derick Hougaard

Con: Jano Vermaak Pen: Jano Vermaak (3) Drop: Jano Vermaak Con: Clinton Schifcofske (3) Pen: Clinton Schifcofske

Round 7

Con: Jimmy Gopperth Pen: Jimmy Gopperth, Piri Weepu Con: Dan Carter (2) Pen: Dan Carter (2)

Con: Kurtley Beale (2) Pen: Kurtley Beale (3) Con: Meyer Bosman (2)

Pen: Matt Giteau (2) Con: Peter Grant (3) Pen: Peter Grant (2)

Con: Stephen Donald (3) Pen: Stephen Donald Con: Daniel Bowden (2)

Con: Nick Evans (2) Pen: Nick Evans (2) Drop: Nick Evans Con: Derick Hougaard (3)

Con: Ruan Pienaar, Rory Kockott Drop: Stefan Terblanche Con: Clinton Schifcofske Pen: Clinton Schifcofske

Round 8

Con: James Wilson (3) Pen: James Wilson Con: Jaco van Schalkwyk Pen: Jaco van Schalkwyk

Con: Stirling Mortlock (4) Con: Stephen Donald (5), Callum Bruce

Con: Cameron Shepherd Pen: Cameron Shepherd Con: Derick Hougaard (2)

Con: Jimmy Gopperth Pen: Jimmy Gopperth (2) Con: François Steyn Pen: François Steyn, Ruan Pienaar

Con: Kurtley Beale (3) Pen: Kurtley Beale (2) Pen: Nick Evans (2)

Con: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3) Drop: Jacques-Louis Potgieter Con: Clinton Schifcofske (2)

Round 9

Con: James Wilson (2) Pen: James Wilson Pen: Ruan Pienaar (2), François Steyn

Con: Hamish Gard (2) Pen: Hamish Gard (2)

Pen: Nick Evans (2) Con: Stirling Mortlock Pen: Stirling Mortlock (2), Mark Gerrard

Con: Kurtley Beale (2) Pen: Kurtley Beale

Con: Peter Grant (3) Pen: Peter Grant Con: Conrad Barnard (2) Pen: Jacques-Louis Potgieter

Con: Derick Hougaard, Morné Steyn Pen: Derick Hougaard Con: Jimmy Gopperth (5), Piri Weepu Pen: Jimmy Gopperth

Round 10

Con: Stephen Donald Pen: Stephen Donald (2)

Con: Clinton Schifcofske Pen: Clinton Schifcofske (3), Berrick Barnes

Con: Kurtley Beale (3)

Con: Mark Gerrard (3) Pen: Mark Gerrard (2) Con: Rory Kockott Pen: Rory Kockott, Ruan Pienaar Drop: François Steyn

Con: Morné Steyn (4) Pen: Morné Steyn (3) Con: James Wilson (2) Pen: James Wilson

Con: Peter Grant (2) Pen: Peter Grant (2) Con: Jimmy Gopperth

Round 11

Con: Stephen Brett (3) | away score

Con: Stirling Mortlock, Mark Gerrard Pen: Stirling Mortlock (2), Mark Gerrard Con: Earl Rose (3)

Con: Stephen Donald (3) Pen: Stephen Donald (2) Con: Clinton Schifcofske Drop: Berrick Barnes

Con: Kurtley Beale Pen: Lote Tuqiri Con: Rory Kockott Pen: François Steyn

Con: Conrad Barnard Pen: Conrad Barnard Con: Piri Weepu (3), Willie Ripia

Con: Peter Grant (2), Pen: Tony Brown (3), Peter Grant Con: Blair Stewart Pen: Mike Delany (3)

Round 12

Con: Stephen Brett Pen: Stephen Brett (2) Con: Rory Kockott Pen: Rory Kockott

Con: Clinton Schifcofske (2) Pen: Clinton Schifcofske Con: Nick Evans (3) Pen: Nick Evans (2)

Con: Conrad Barnard (2), Meyer Bosman (2) Con: Mike Delany (2) Pen: Mike Delany (4)

Con: Willie Ripia, Jimmy Gopperth Pen: Willie Ripia (3) Con: Earl Rose

Con: Matt Giteau (2) Pen: Matt Giteau Con: Stephen Donald Pen: Stephen Donald (2) Drop: Callum Bruce

Con: Morné Steyn Pen: Morné Steyn Drop: Morné Steyn, Derick Hougaard Con: Kurtley Beale Pen: Kurtley Beale Drop: Kurtley Beale

Con: Peter Grant (2) Pen: Peter Grant (2)

Round 13

Con: Piri Weepu Pen: Piri Weepu (3) Con: Matt Giteau Pen: Matt Giteau

Con: Morné Steyn (2) Pen: Morné Steyn (3) Con: Stirling Mortlock (2) Pen: Stirling Mortlock

Con: Mike Delany Pen: Mike Delany Con: Nick Evans (2), Ben Atiga Pen: Nick Evans (3)

Con: Clinton Schifcofske (3) Con: Dan Carter (6) Pen: Stephen Brett

Con: Rory Kockott (4) Con: Conrad Barnard, Tewis De Bruyn

Con: Earl Rose (3) Pen: Earl Rose (4) Con: Stephen Donald (3) Pen: Stephen Donald (2)

Pen: Tony Brown Con: Kurtley Beale Pen: Kurtley Beale (2)

Round 14

Con: Nick Evans Pen: Nick Evans (4) Con: Piri Weepu (2) Pen: Piri Weepu

Con: Matt Giteau (3) Pen: Matt Giteau Con: Stirling Mortlock

Pen: Dan Carter (6) Con: Mike Delany Pen: Mike Delany (3)

Pen: Clinton Schifcofske (2) Con: Kurtley Beale Pen: Kurtley Beale (2)

Pen: Earl Rose Con: Peter Grant (2) Pen: Peter Grant

Con: Tewis de Bruyn Pen: Tewis de Bruyn Con: Morné Steyn (7) Pen: Morné Steyn **Drop:**Morné Steyn

Con: Rory Kockott (6) Con: Stephen Donald (2) Pen: Stephen Donald

Finals

Semi finals

Con: Dan Carter (3) Pen: Dan Carter (4) Con: Jimmy Gopperth, Jerry Collins Pen: Piri Weepu

Con: Kurtley Beale Pen: Kurtley Beale Drop: Kurtley Beale Con: Rory Kockott Pen: Ruan Pienaar Drop: Ruan Pienaar

Grand final

The final of the 2008 Super 14 season took place on 31 May 2008 at AMI Stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. The match was hosted by the Crusaders who defeated the New South Wales Waratahs by 20 points to 12.

Summary

First half The Crusaders scored the first points of the game when fly-half Dan Carter kicked a penalty in the fourth minute, giving the Crusaders a 3–0 lead. The Waratahs scored their first points of the match when Kurtley Beale kicked the ball across field, and Waratah's winger Lachlan Turner caught the ball to score a try. The attempted conversion by Beale was unsuccessful, leaving the Waratahs with a 5–3 lead.

The next score occurred in the 25th minute when Waratahs flanker Phil Waugh intercepted a pass from Dan Carter. Waugh passed to Turner who chipped the ball and then collected to score his second try. Beale's conversion was successful and the Waratahs extended their lead to 12–3. Carter kicked a penalty in the 32nd minute to reduce the Waratahs lead to 12–6. The final score before half time came in the 38th minute when Crusaders No. 8 Mose Tuiali'i scored in the right hand corner. Carter's conversion was unsuccessful, and the half ended with the Waratahs leading by 12 points to 11.

Second half In the 46th minute the Crusaders took the lead again by 14 points to 12 via a Dan Carter penalty. The Crusaders looked to have scored their second try in the 56th minute when prop Wyatt Crockett landed on a loose ball in the Waratahs in-goal area, but play was taken back 60 metres after touch judge Cobus Wessels reported that Crusaders lock Brad Thorn had thrown a punch. The try was disallowed and the Crusaders penalised. Thorn was given a yellow card and sent to the sin bin for ten minutes.

Despite having an extra man for the next ten minutes, the Waratahs were unable to score, and were further hampered by the loss of Kurtley Beale to injury. In the 70th minute Carter kicked a drop-goal to take the Crusaders lead to 17–12, and four minutes later kicked a penalty to further extend the lead to 20–12. With only minutes remaining Crusaders winger Scott Hamilton dropped the ball only metres from the Waratahs try-line. The score remained at 20–12, and the Crusaders won their seventh Super rugby title.

Match details

Pen: Carter (4) Drop: Carter Con: Beale

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Player statistics

Leading try scorers

Leading point scorers

References

References

1. Geenty, Mark. (2008-12-04). "Rule changes to 'supercharge Super 14'". nzherald.co.nz.
2. (2008-12-04). "SANZAR embrace ELVs for S14". planetrugby.com.
3. (2008-05-03). "Canes circle calendar after win over Lions". stuff.co.nz.
4. (2008-05-31). "Crusaders win Super 14". sarugby.com.
5. Gilhooly, Daniel. (2008-05-31). "Crusaders send Robbie off in style". nzherald.co.nz.
6. (2008-05-31). "Crusaders (20) vs Waratahs (12) 74 mins". sarugby.com.