2005 Super 12 season

The 2005 Super 12 season was the tenth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2005, 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 Crusaders and New South Wales Waratahs at Lancaster Park, Christchurch. The Crusaders won 35–25 to win their fifth Super 12 title.

2005 Super 12
Countries	Australia South Africa New Zealand
Tournament format(s)	Round-robin and knockout
Champions	Crusaders (5th title)
Matches played	69
Attendance	1,806,017 (26,174 per match)
Top point scorer(s)	Peter Hewat (174; Waratahs)
Top try scorer(s)	Rico Gear (15; Crusaders)
← 2004 (Previous) (Next) 2006 →

This was the final season of Super 12 before the expansion to Super 14 with the Western Force and Cheetahs.

Table

Key to colours

Top four teams advance to playoffs

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	BP	Pts
1	Crusaders	11	9	0	2	459	281	178	8	45
2	Waratahs	11	9	0	2	322	174	148	5	41
3	Bulls	11	7	0	4	301	229	72	6	34
4	Hurricanes	11	8	0	3	281	248	33	2	34
5	Brumbies	11	5	1	5	260	266	−6	7	29
6	Chiefs	11	5	1	5	272	250	22	6	28
7	Blues	11	6	0	5	243	216	27	3	27
8	Highlanders	11	6	1	4	221	214	7	1	27
9	Stormers	11	3	1	7	215	320	−105	4	18
10	Reds	11	3	0	8	185	282	−97	5	17
11	Cats	11	1	1	9	226	326	−100	7	13
12	Sharks	11	1	1	9	205	384	−179	5	11

Results

Round 1

25 February 2005

Stormers	26–12	Sharks

Newlands Stadium, Cape Town Attendance: 48,719

25 February 2005

Highlanders	14–30	Blues

Carisbrook, Dunedin Attendance: 20,106

25 February 2005

Waratahs	25–7	Chiefs

ANZ Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 30,815

26 February 2005

Cats	23–17	Bulls

Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg Attendance: 49,040

26 February 2005

Brumbies	32–21	Crusaders

Canberra Stadium, Canberra Attendance: 24,115

26 February 2005

Reds	10–24	Hurricanes

Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 20,097

Round 2

4 March 2005

Blues	18–15	Reds

Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 25,542

4 March 2005

Brumbies	21–19	Bulls

Canberra Stadium, Canberra Attendance: 20,927

5 March 2005

Highlanders	16–16	Stormers

Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill Attendance: 8,141

5 March 2005

Cats	32–45	Hurricanes

Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg Attendance: 27,882

5 March 2005

Sharks	13–36	Waratahs

ABSA Stadium, Durban Attendance: 29,322

5 March 2005

Crusaders	50–18	Chiefs

AMI Stadium, Christchurch Attendance: 25,128

Round 3

11 March 2005 19:35

Sharks	23–29	Hurricanes

Kings Park, Durban Attendance: 20,442

11 March 2005

Highlanders	23–0	Bulls

Carisbrook, Dunedin Attendance: 9,030

11 March 2005

Brumbies	22–19	Stormers

Canberra Stadium, Canberra Attendance: 22,316

12 March 2005

Crusaders	59–24	Reds

Trafalgar Park, Nelson Attendance: 15,514

12 March 2005

Cats	19–40	Waratahs

Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg Attendance: 36,365

12 March 2005

Chiefs	18–9	Blues

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 23,095

Round 4

18 March 2005

Chiefs	6–20	Reds

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 13,641

19 March 2005

Cats	29–34	Brumbies

Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg Attendance: 14,283

19 March 2005

Hurricanes	12–21	Bulls

Wellington Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 23,300

19 March 2005

Sharks	7–43	Highlanders

Kings Park Stadium, Durban Attendance: 26,351

19 March 2005

Blues	19–41	Crusaders

Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 39,000

19 March 2005

Waratahs	25–10	Stormers

ANZ Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 31,184

Round 5

25 March 2005

Cats	12–16	Highlanders

Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg Attendance: 20,000

25 March 2005

Hurricanes	12–9	Stormers

Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North Attendance: 14,000

26 March 2005

Sharks	36–24	Brumbies

Kings Park, Durban Attendance: 23,557

26 March 2005

Waratahs	42–12	Bulls

Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 25,133

Round 6

1 April 2005

Hurricanes	28–16	Chiefs

Wellington Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 23,325

1 April 2005

Reds	16–23	Highlanders

Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 19,567

2 April 2005

Blues	17–0	Brumbies

Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 31,503

2 April 2005

Waratahs	27–33	Crusaders

Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 39,363

Round 7

8 April 2005

Highlanders	19–18	Brumbies

Carisbrook, Dunedin Attendance: 15,000

9 April 2005

Stormers	15–13	Reds

Newlands Stadium, Cape Town Attendance: 39,531

9 April 2005

Bulls	35–20	Crusaders

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria Attendance: 27,267

9 April 2005

Chiefs	40–5	Sharks

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 11,000

9 April 2005

Blues	23–6	Cats

North Harbour Stadium, Albany Attendance: 12,677

10 April 2005

Hurricanes	26–24	Waratahs

Wellington Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 25,400

Round 8

15 April 2005

Bulls	32–7	Reds

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria Attendance: 33,243

15 April 2005

Chiefs	45–14	Cats

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 12,223

16 April 2005

Stormers	23–51	Crusaders

Newlands Stadium, Cape Town Attendance: 40,153

16 April 2005

Blues	36–13	Sharks

Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 26,794

16 April 2005

Brumbies	6–10	Waratahs

Canberra Stadium, Canberra Attendance: 27,040

Round 9

22 April 2005

Hurricanes	16–26	Highlanders

Wellington Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 30,270

23 April 2005

Bulls	29–26	Chiefs

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria Attendance: 26,382

23 April 2005

Stormers	24–37	Blues

Newlands Stadium, Cape Town Attendance: 27,000

23 April 2005

Crusaders	40–36	Cats

AMI Stadium, Christchurch Attendance: 34,000

23 April 2005

Reds	30–25	Sharks

Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 12,274

Round 10

29 April 2005

Bulls	38–24	Blues

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria Attendance: 34,357

29 April 2005

Crusaders	77–34	Sharks

AMI Stadium, Christchurch Attendance: 24,500

29 April 2005

Reds	21–15	Cats

Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 10,482

30 April 2005

Stormers	34–37	Chiefs

Newlands Stadium, Cape Town Attendance: 25,000

30 April 2005

Highlanders	20–41	Waratahs

Carisbrook, Dunedin Attendance: 16,033

30 April 2005

Hurricanes	49–37	Brumbies

Wellington Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 30,560

Round 11

6 May 2005

Blues	10–22	Hurricanes

Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 45,017

6 May 2005

Waratahs	27–8	Reds

Stadium Australia, Sydney Attendance: 38,220

7 May 2005

Sharks	17–23	Bulls

Kings Park Stadium, Durban Attendance: 31,342

7 May 2005

Stormers	25–20	Cats

Newlands Stadium, Cape Town Attendance: 27,503

7 May 2005

Highlanders	13–27	Crusaders

Carisbrook, Dunedin Attendance: 22,000

7 May 2005

Brumbies	28–28	Chiefs

Canberra Stadium, Canberra Attendance: 20,077

Round 12

13 May 2005

Crusaders	40–20	Hurricanes

Lancaster Park, Christchurch Attendance: 35,700

13 May 2005

Waratahs	25–20	Blues

Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 36,031

14 May 2005

Bulls	75–14	Stormers

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria Attendance: 50,000

14 May 2005

Cats	20–20	Sharks

Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein Attendance: 8,675

14 May 2005

Chiefs	31–8	Highlanders

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 20,317

14 May 2005

Reds	21–38	Brumbies

Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 28,233

Finals

Semi-finals

20 May 2005

Crusaders	47–7	Hurricanes
Try: Hamilton (3) Gear Carter Somerville Con: Carter (4) Pen: Carter (3)		Try: Gopperth Con: Gopperth

Lancaster Park, Christchurch Attendance: 29,000 Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia)

21 May 2005

Waratahs	23–13	Bulls
Try: Turinui Grey Con: Hewat (2) Pen: Hewat (3)		Try: Roets Con: Steyn Pen: Steyn (2)

Stadium Australia, Sydney Attendance: 35,433 Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)

Grand final

28 May 2005

Crusaders	35–25	Waratahs
Try: Hamilton Hewett MacDonald Ralph Con: Carter (3) Pen: Carter (2) Drop: Mauger		Try: Rogers (2) Waugh Con: Hewat Rogers Pen: Hewat (2)

Lancaster Park, Christchurch Attendance: 36,500

Crusaders

Waratahs

FB 15 Leon MacDonald RW 14 Rico Gear OC 13 Caleb Ralph IC 12 Aaron Mauger LW 11 Scott Hamilton FH 10 Dan Carter SH 9 Justin Marshall N8 8 Mose Tuiali'i OF 7 Richie McCaw (c) BF 6 Reuben Thorne RL 5 Ross Filipo LL 4 Chris Jack TP 3 Greg Somerville HK 2 Corey Flynn LP 1 David Hewett Substitutes: HK 16 Tone Kopelani PR 17 Campbell Johnstone FL 18 Sam Broomhall FL 19 Johnny Leo'o FH 20 Jamie Nutbrown CE 21 Andrew Mehrtens CE 22 Casey Laulala Coach: Robbie Deans

FB 15 Mat Rogers RW 14 Peter Hewat OC 13 Morgan Turinui IC 12 Nathan Grey LW 11 Lote Tuqiri FH 10 Lachlan MacKay SH 9 Chris Whitaker(c) N8 8 David Lyons OF 7 Phil Waugh BF 6 Rocky Elsom RL 5 Daniel Vickerman LL 4 Justin Harrison TP 3 Al Baxter HK 2 Brendan Cannon LP 1 Matt Dunning Substitutions: HK 16 Adam Freier PR 17 Gareth Hardy LK 18 Alex Kanaar N8 19 Stephen Hoiles SH 20 Chris O'Young FH 21 Shaun Berne CE 22 Cameron Shepherd Coach: Ewen McKenzie

Player statistics

Leading try-scorers

Top 3 try scorers
Pos	Name	Tries	Team
1	Rico Gear	15	Crusaders
2	Peter Hewat	10	Waratahs
3	Bryan Habana	9	Bulls

Leading point-scorers

Top 3 point scorers
Pos	Name	Points	Team
1	Peter Hewat	174	Waratahs
2	Dan Carter	171	Crusaders
3	Jimmy Gopperth	139	Hurricanes

Notes and references

Further reading

• McIlraith, M. (2005). Ten Years of Super 12. Auckland: Hodder Moa. ISBN 1-86971-025-8.