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Tough pool but if we win it, New Zealand, South Africa and England are all on the same side of the draw, so we're a huge chance at a spot in the final. The pool match against England is shaping as the big one - winner likely to make the final, loser all but out of the competition.

9 apparently.

Forwards + Folau look about right (7 and 8 the main contentious spots). Kuridrani good chance and Speight when he's eligible again. 9-12 I suspect will go different ways.

This is a very interesting point. Because starting Skelton means 2 lineout jumpers are needed at 6 and 8. Which pretty much assures Fardy the 6 jumper and excludes Palu from 8 options. It also means we have to choose between Hooper and Pocock, with the loser almost impossible to fit into the 23...

Decent squad I guess. Very surprised about no Luke Jones. I thought he'd be pretty clear 3rd pick behind Simmons and Skelton and a moral for the bench but he's somehow missed the top 6? Think Faulkner and Smith are playing for 1 spot in the 31. Hookers will all stay. Arnold, Mumm and Dennis...

I reckon outside the front row and Folau, the whole side is open slather. The hardest question in the locks is whether to play Skelton - and that decision has a huge bearing on who fills 6 and 8. Pocock vs Hooper is still up in the air and there is even chat of both. And the rest of the back...

Well after tonight we can't pick any Tahs or Brumbies, not to mention Reds, Rebels or Force, so where does that leave us?

No surprises with the result. Waratahs knew they were in trouble when the Brumbies beat the Stormers. 2 best teams in the final. The Canes should win comfortably but you never know what nerves can do!

They're a side built on rock solid defence. That was always going to be tested after the return trip to South Africa against easily the best side in Super Rugby. Their attack is based on very fast recycle and catching opponents unawares. They didn't seem to have the energy for that tonight and...

Moore is a pretty safe bet as captain given Hooper is 50-50 at best to even be in the side.

Canes clinical. Now to see who will be runner up - Tahs or Highlanders?

Brumbies $5 now. Almost double their opening price. Reckon we'll see $6 by kickoff? Price is getting more realistic but if the plunge continues and we see 7 or 8 bucks, Brumbies might actually be worth a nibble. A few posters here have given valid reasons why it's not impossible. I struggle...

4.60 now. Should get $5 by kick off. Market always comes to its senses eventually. No-one wins away in NZ in finals, much less a team that's just flown to South Africa and back.

Just a note to this, 2 of the 4 matches were included as a deterrent: “An aggravating factor is the ongoing need for a deterrent for dangerous play such as this which carries with it the real risk of serious injury. As a result, two weeks were added to the sanction." That's a 100% GST on top...

You can get $4 for the Brumbies now shopping around. Still unders I reckon but there is some confidence in this thread.

It depends. If they are very similar, you expect consistency of ruling. But yes agree 4 games is about what most of us expected so no surprises. Dangerous enough that they need to add a couple of weeks as a deterrent but not malicious enough to rub him out for months.

I think that's enough to know he's out of the Canes match.

Really? Good call in the other thread. I'll predict a decent drift by kick off.

Yeah even best case scenario he's still out for this game and next. Who plays there will be interesting. Coleman? Dargaville? I can't see the Brumbies pulling this off. Haven't seen any odds put up yet but anything less than $5 looks unders. Huge trip to play the best side at their cauldron.

I reckon you'll get a big price if you're a betting man. Brumbies will be about $5 to win that game I'd say.