2015 National Rugby Championship

The 2015 National Rugby Championship (known as the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the second season of Australia's National Rugby Championship, involving nine professional rugby union teams from around Australia. The competition kicked off 20 August 2015.

The regular season was dominated by two teams, and , who went on to play in the championship final. The deciding match, played at Ballymore, was won 21–10 by Brisbane to claim their second consecutive NRC title.

Teams

The nine teams confirmed for the 2015 NRC season include four from New South Wales, two from Queensland, and one each from Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and Western Australia:

RegionTeamCoach(es)Captain(s)RefsACT Brad Harris Jarrad ButlerNSWThe Eagles haven’t landed ... yet: Orange in fight to host NRC game. Central West Daily. 16 April 2015. Jed HollowayQLDVICWA Ian Prior Angus Cottrell

Home match venues for the 2015 NRC season: RegionTeamMatch VenueCapacityCityACTViking Park10,000CanberraNSWAnn Ashwood Park3,000BathurstNo. 2 Sports Ground5,000NewcastleChillingworth Oval3,000TamworthWoollahra Oval5,000SydneyConcord Oval20,000Granville Park5,000Forshaw Park3,000Parramatta Stadium20,700Manly Oval5,000Pittwater Park10,000Leichhardt Oval22,000QLDBallymore18,000Brisbane5,000Rugby Park5,000Sports Ground9,000Stockland Park12,000VICHolmesglen Reserve3,000MelbourneFrankston Park8,000Simonds Stadium34,074GeelongLatrobe City Stadium12,000MorwellWAUWA Rugby Club4,000Perth

Television coverage and streaming One (or more) of the NRC matches each round is broadcast live via Fox Sports, typically the Thursday night match. Streaming of the three non-broadcast matches per round, usually played on Saturday or Sunday, is hosted by Fox Sports online. Discussion of the NRC competition is included on Fox Sports' Rugby HQ program on Thursday nights following the live match broadcast, and on the review show NRC Extra Time on Monday nights.

Experimental Law Variations The ARU was given approval by World Rugby (then known as the International Rugby Board) to conduct experimental law trials as part of the 2014 National Rugby Championship. These law variations were retained for the 2015 season. Consideration was given to reverting the value of a successful conversion kick to 2 points to restore a converted try to 7 points, but the 3 point conversion variation was retained.

Existing Law of the GameVariationLaw 9.A.1Value of a Conversion goal - 2 pointsValue of a Penalty goal - 3 pointsValue of a Dropped goal - 3 pointsValue of a Conversion goal - 3 pointsValue of a Penalty goal - 2 pointsValue of a Dropped goal - 2 points

Previously trialled in South Africa's Varsity Cup.Law 5.7(e)If time expires and the ball is not dead, or an awarded scrum or lineout has not been completed, the referee allows play to continue until the next time that the ball becomes dead. The ball becomes dead when the referee would have awarded a scrum, lineout, an option to the non-infringing team, drop out or after a conversion or successful penalty kick at goal. If a scrum has to be reset, the scrum has not been completed. If time expires and a mark, free kick or penalty kick is then awarded, the referee allows play to continue.Non-offending team is allowed to kick the ball into touch after being awarded a penalty kick, which has been blown after time expires, and the lineout will take place.Law 19.6The player taking the throw-in must stand at the correct place. The player must not step into the field of play when the ball is thrown. The ball must be thrown straight, so that it travels at least 5 metres along the line of touch before it first touches the ground or touches or is touched by a player.Latitude will be given to the throwing team if the opposing team does not compete for the ball near where the ball is receivedLaw 9.B.1(e)The kicker must take the kick within one minute and thirty seconds (ninety seconds) from the time a try has been awarded. The player must take the kick within one minute and thirty seconds even if the ball rolls over and has to be placed again.Time limit reduced to 60 seconds for conversion kicks, and 45 seconds for penalty kicks.Law 20.1(d)No delay. A team must not intentionally delay forming a scrum.Team has 30 seconds to form a scrum from the time the referee gives the mark.Law 20.12(c)When a team has won the ball in a scrum, the scrum half of the opposing team is offside if that scrum half steps in front of the ball with either foot while the ball is still in the scrum.Opposing scrum half is not allowed to enter the gap between the flanker and number 8, even if they stay behind the ballLaw 21.2(a)The kicker must take the penalty or free kick at the mark or anywhere behind it on a line through the mark.Increased latitude will be given to where penalty and free kicks are to be takenLaw 19.2(d)For a quick throw-in, the player must use the ball that went into touch. A quick throw-in is not permitted if another person has touched the ball apart from the player throwing it in and an opponent who carried it into touch. The same team throws into the lineout.Players will be allowed to take quick throw-ins regardless of whether someone else has touched the ballLaw 17.2(d)Keeping players on their feet. Players in a maul must endeavour to stay on their feet. The ball carrier in a maul may go to ground providing the ball is available immediately and play continues.Greater policing of this law, in order to discourage "hold up tackles", by ensuring that the tackler, who holds up a ball carrier in an effort to form a maul, does not collapse the maul as soon as it has formed.Competition rule - Bonus point awarded for scoring 4 triesBonus point awarded if winning team scores 3 or more tries than their opponents.This particular system has been used in France's professional leagues since the 2007–08 northern hemisphere season.Television match official protocolsTelevision match official to only be consulted about tries and in-goal plays.

Regular season The nine teams compete in a round-robin tournament for the regular season. Each team has four matches at home and four away, with one bye. The top four teams qualify for the title play-offs with semi-finals and finals.

During this section of the tournament, teams can also play for the Horan-Little Shield, a challenge trophy that is played for when a challenge is accepted or offered by the holders.

Standings National Rugby Championship Team 1 8 8 0 0 400 174 +226 6 0 382 8 7 0 1 375 176 +199 6 1 353 8 5 0 3 220 251 −31 0 0 204 8 4 0 4 241 314 −73 2 2 205 8 4 0 4 225 260 −35 1 2 196 8 3 0 5 276 271 +5 2 2 167 8 2 0 6 275 339 −64 1 2 118 8 2 0 6 230 336 –106 0 1 99 8 1 0 7 242 363 −121 0 3 7Updated: 18 October 2015Source: rugbyarchive.netTeams 1 to 4 (Green background) at the end of the regular season qualify for the Title play-offs. denotes the holder of the Horan-Little Shield.Four points for a win, two for a draw, and no points for a bye. One bonus point for losing by eight or fewer (LB). One bonus point for the winning team scoring three or more tries than their opponent (TB) If teams are level on points in the standings, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Difference between points for and against The match result between the tied teams Total number of tries scored in the competition

Competition rounds

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Title play-offs The top four sides in the regular season advanced to the semifinals of the knock-out stage, which was followed by the final to decide the National Rugby Championship title.

Semi-finals

Final

FB 15 Karmichael HuntRW 14 Chris Kuridrani OC 13 Samu KereviIC 12 Henry TaefuLW 11 Junior LaloifiFH 10 Jake McIntyreSH 9 Nick FrisbyN8 8 Adam KorczykOF 7 Liam Gill (c)BF 6 Luke Beauchamp RL 5 Cadeyrn NevilleLL 4 Ben Hyne TP 3 Sam TalakaiHK 2 Andrew ReadyLP 1 Matt Mafi Replacements:HK 16 Ryan FreneyPR 17 Markus Vanzati PR 18 Feao FotuaikaLK 19 Corey Thomas FL 20 Waita Setu SH 21 Moses SoroviFH 22 Alex Gibbon WG 23 Mika TelaCoach: Nick Stiles FB 15 Isaac ThompsonRW 14 James DargavilleOC 13 Nigel Ah WongIC 12 Rodney IonaLW 11 Francis Fainifo FH 10 Christian LealiifanoSH 9 Joe Powell N8 8 Ita Vaea OF 7 Jarrad Butler (c)BF 6 Jordan SmilerRL 5 Blake EneverLL 4 Rory Arnold TP 3 Ben Alexander HK 2 Robbie Abel LP 1 Allan Alaalatoa Replacements:HK 16 Albert Anae PR 17 Sione Taula PR 18 Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin LK 19 Dean Oakman-Hunt FL 20 Rowan Perry SH 21 Brent Hamlin FH 22 Mitch ThirdWG 23 Jerome Niumata Coach: Brad Harris Man of the Match: Nick Frisby

Assistant Referees: Rohan Hoffmann (Australia) Will Houston (Australia) Television match official: Greg Milne (Australia)

Total season attendances

ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Brisbane City 6 15,523 2,587 4,327 1,816 14% Greater Sydney Rams 4 2,900 725 1,200 300 25% Melbourne Rising 4 2,620 655 1,140 480 9% North Harbour Rays 4 7,000 1,750 3,000 800 26% NSW Country Eagles 4 6,323 1,581 2,623 1,000 47% Perth Spirit 4 4,500 1,125 1,500 600 28% Queensland Country 4 7,055 1,764 2,204 1,151 27% Sydney Stars 4 2,350 588 800 400 3% University of Canberra Vikings 5 8,276 1,655 2,178 1,200 18%

Players The leading scorers in 2015 over the regular season and finals combined were:

Leading try scorers Top 7 try scorers Pos Name Team Triesexcl.finals Totaltries1 Junior Laloifi 14 142 Harry Jones 8 93 Jarrad Butler 7 8 Samu Kerevi 7 85 Josh Holmes 7 76 Nigel Ah Wong 6 6 Jed Holloway 6 6 Source: buildcorpnrc.com.au

Leading point scorers Top 7 point scorers Pos Name Team Pointsexcl.finals Totalpoints1 Jake McIntyre 118 1412 Christian Lealiifano 72 873 Hamish Angus 86 864 Sam Greene 83 835 Jono Lance 82 826 Jack Debreczeni 69 787 Ian Prior 77 77 Source: buildcorpnrc.com.au

Barbarians tour After the NRC finals, an Australian Barbarians team selected from the NRC played a two-match tour against the New Zealand Heartland XV. NRC players that were not contracted for Super Rugby were eligible for the Barbarians. The series was won 2–0 by the Australian Barbarians.

2015 Australian Barbarians squad – NRC selection for the New Zealand tour Props Duncan Chubb PR (Melbourne Rising) Jed Gillespie PR (Greater Sydney Rams) Tyrel Lomax PR (UC Vikings) Cameron Orr PR (Greater Sydney Rams)

Hookers Ryan Dalziel (c) HK (NSW Country Eagles) Harry Scobel HK (Perth Spirit)

Locks Ben Hyne LK (Brisbane City) Nick Palmer LK(NSW Country Eagles) Phil Potgieter LK () Loose forwards Mark Baldwin FL (NSW Country Eagles) Sam Figg FL, N8 (NSW Country Eagles) Dean Oakman-Hunt FL (UC Vikings) Rowan Perry FL (UC Vikings) Waita Setu FL (Brisbane City) Pauli Tuala FL, N8 (NSW Country Eagles)

Scrum-halves Mitch Short SH (NSW Country Eagles) De Wet Roos SH (Greater Sydney Rams)

Fly-halves Isaac Thompson FH, CE (UC Vikings) Centres Rodney Iona CE, FH (UC Vikings) Tom Hill CE, WG (North Harbour Rays)

Wings Larry Hermens WG (Greater Sydney Rams) Harry Jones WG (Sydney Stars) Maalonga Konelio WG (Perth Spirit) Jarome McKenzie WG (NSW Country Eagles) Jack Pennington WG (Greater Sydney Rams)

Fullbacks Paul Asquith WG, FB (Greater Sydney Rams)

2015 National Rugby Championship

Bron en licentie