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Cape Town - 10 'Did you know?' Opta facts to impress your friends with ahead of the 2018 Super Rugby final between the Crusaders and Lions in Christchurch on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 09:35 SA time.
1. This game will mark the first time in Super Rugby history that consecutive finals have been contested by the same teams, with the Crusaders pulling off a 25-17 win over the Lions in the 2017 edition.
2. The Crusaders have won nine of their last 10 games against the Lions, including their last two on the bounce. However, each of their last three wins against them has come by a margin of no greater than eight points.
3. The Crusaders have won their last 14 games on the bounce, the last time they won more was a 16-game streak from April 2005 to April 2006.
4. The Lions have scored 87 tries this season, more than any other team in the competition, but just one more than the Crusaders (86).
5. Matt Todd made 21 tackles last round, the most of any player in the semi-finals; he’s now made 179 tackles for the season, which is the most of any Crusaders player. Lions lock Franco Mostert tops the charts with 214 tackles in 18 matches.
6. Overall, the Crusaders and Lions have clashed on 13 previous occasions since 1996. The Crusaders have won 10 matches, the Lions 3. Of those 13 clashes, 4 have been in New Zealand and 9 in South Africa. The Crusaders have won every match in New Zealand as well as six in South Africa. The Lions' 3 victories have all come at Ellis Park.
7. The Crusaders' four home wins came in 1997 (23-0), 2008 (31-6), 2010 (46-19) and 2015 (34-6).
8. In those four matches in Christchurch, the Crusaders have scored a total of 134 points to the Lions' 31 for an average final score of 34-8.
9. Neither side has had a red card all season.
10. Out of both sides, Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies is the only player to have started and played every single minute of all 18 matches to date (1 440 minutes).
