NZ sides ahead but Super Rugby structure evens field
ByReuters
Published 29/05/2016 at 07:10 GMT
Super Rugby bosses have expressed pleasure their ambitious plans to expand into new markets has been successful off the field, yet on it, the competition has a sense of deja vu as it enters a month-long break to accommodate international matches.
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New Zealand sides, who have won 13 of the 20 titles, occupy four of the top five spots on the points table with the seven-times champion Canterbury Crusaders leading on 45, having won 10 of their 12 games.
The biggest issue organisers now face, having expanded to 18 teams, is convincing New Zealand fans in particular that the conference based system, which guarantees two South African and one Australian side in the playoffs, is fair.
Waikato Chiefs coach Dave Rennie, whose side were hammered 45-25 by the New South Wales Waratahs on Friday, said he was not happy with the format, and the draw, which he felt was tipped in South Africa's favour.
The Lions, who began the season with three games on the road, have taken advantage of nine successive games in South Africa to vault into second place after they thrashed the Bulls 56-20 in Pretoria on Saturday.
It was the third successive game they have scored 40 or more points, a streak that started after the Hurricanes hammered them 50-17 at Ellis Park a month ago.
Johan Ackerman's side have a relatively easy run home with two of their three matches against the lowly Kings and Jaguares.
CANNIBALISE POINTS
While New Zealand sides head the table at the break, many pundits believe their conference is the strongest and most evenly contested of the four.
It is also the one that is most likely to cannibalise competition points from each other, with even their fifth-placed side the Auckland Blues having won six games and proving tough to break down, as evidenced by the Crusaders' 26-21 win on Saturday.
That could play into the hands of the Australian conference-leading ACT Brumbies (34 points) and Waratahs (34), who are ninth overall but fired a warning shot on Friday on the back of a strong defence and ability to strike from long range.
The big question for the two Australian sides, however, is how well their international players recover from what will be a gruelling and physical test series against England.
"My biggest concern is how we come out of that," Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson told reporters. "That's going to be huge, a test series against England with a lot at stake."
Australia's three other sides are out of contention, languishing in the lower third of the table with the Cheetahs and the three expansion sides, who have struggled with the higher standard of play and the need for consistency.
The Jaguares have also been blighted with disciplinary issues with Leonardo Senatore banned for 10 weeks for biting, while Tomas Lavanini is to face a judiciary hearing again this week after he and Ramiro Herrera were both sent off for dangerous play in their 29-22 loss to the Kings on Friday.
The Argentina-based side have also accumulated a competition-leading eight yellow cards.
The hastily-assembled Sunwolves have particularly struggled against physical opponents in the scrum and set pieces, although they have proved potent when allowed to run with the ball.
The Japanese franchise were unlucky to lose to the Cheetahs, Bulls and the Kings and nearly upset the Stormers in Singapore before the South African side salvaged a draw.
Despite their lack of on-field success, however, SANZAAR bosses have been pleased with the impact of the sides in Asia and the Americas.
"The new teams have added something different," SANZAAR Chief Executive Marinos told reporters. "And that has increased the attractiveness and reach of our product into markets we had not penetrated or had much impact in the past."
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