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Were the Waratahs cheated out of a Super 14 semi-final spot?

April 26, 2017Bonus bonus points cheated Points rugby union semi-final spot

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Were the Waratahs cheated out of a Super 14 semi-final spot?

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It is history now that the NSW Waratahs missed out on making the 2009 Super 14 finals because the Canterbury Crusaders had a 5 point better points differential than they did. Both teams recorded 41 points for the tournament. The Waratahs (9) won more games in the tournament than the Crusaders (8 and a draw). But the Crusaders made up for their draw by scoring more bonus points. A senior lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Otago, Niven Winchester, has issued a press release with the arresting title: Waratahs cheated out of semi-final spot by inaccurate scoring system. The case Winchester makes to support his contention is very strong. It is supported by a study published in the ‘Journal of Quantitive Analysis in Sport‘ that uses mathematical optimisation to show that the bonus points system used in the Super 14 does not ensure an accurate ranking of teams from best to worst. The research shows, according to Winchester, that it is too easy for weak teams to earn