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The 20th regular season of Super Rugby is now complete and I would like to point out that we have witnessed yet another Australian franchise-topping season from the Waratahs.
Granted I know that the universal perception among many of us is that the Waratahs are far from the overall best performing Australian franchise. This perception is often manifested into a begrudging ideology that the Wallabies have been over represented by the men that wear sky blue.
I further grant you that the first half of this perception was once indeed true, particularly when reflecting on the Super 12 era (1996-2005). After all it took the Waratahs until 2002 before they were the best performed Australian side in a season.
It didn’t bode well for them that on that occasion they capitulated and conceded close to 150 points in their final two games of that year. I can almost laugh about that now.
But where does the perception of over representation at the Wallaby level stem from? How many Waratahs were actually selected for higher honours in that Super 12 period that shouldn’t have been?
If we take the 1999 Rugby World Cup winning side for instance it should be noted that there were only three Waratah players in that side (Matthew Burke, Andrew Blades and Richard Harry). Does anyone wish to argue that they didn’t deserve to be there? No, of course not. The fact is that in the Super 12 era there was no Waratah favouritism at all.
And what about the Super Rugby era?
The truth is that the Waratahs have been so dominant these past 10 years that they have now moved into first place among the Australian franchises in terms of overall regular season results. It turns out that the Waratahs have finished ahead of the other Australian teams eight times out of 20 regular seasons now.
What is most remarkable and pertinent to the myth debunking I’m eluding to is that this record came amid the Waratahs finishing first six times in the past 10 years, and seven in the past 11.
The Brumbies are the next best of the Aussie sides in terms of regular season table placement. They have finished above the other Aussie sides seven times from 20 regular seasons. It must be said that this includes only having finished above all other Aussie sides twice in the past 10 years.
In comparison the Reds have finished ahead of all other Aussie sides on five occasions. This includes three times in the Super 12 era and also only twice in the past decade.
Obviously the Brumbies still hold the mantra of having played in the most finals among the Aussie sides. Of course they’ve won two tournaments while the Reds and Waratahs have won just one a piece. I haven’t bothered to check but I’m sure someone will also be able to point out that the Brumbies have some kind of unique record among the Aussie sides when it comes to playoffs.
But I’m also sure that the Waratahs are fast eroding the Brumbies’ stranglehold on the term ‘most successful Australian Super Rugby franchise’. Yes, the Brumbies still deserve that mantra for now but how long can they rest on the laurels of their past?
With the Waratahs finishing on top of the regular season more times than the other Aussie franchises we need to acknowledge that they are no longer the perennial underachievers that they once were. We need to put to bed the notion that they are over represented at the next level.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.