Sheer greed could be the only reason why SANZAAR changed the Tri-Nations – which had comprised of the All Blacks, Wallabies, and Boks – to add the Pumas as the Rugby Championship in 2012.
The Pumas have been as underwhelming as the Italians in the Six Nations – a waste of space.
The cold hard stats prove the point.
The Italians have played 90 games since 2000, for 77 losses, 12 wins, and a draw.
They have scored 1289 points and given up 2993 for a deficit of 1704.
Win ratio 13.33 per cent.
The Pumas have been worse with three wins from 27 starts, 23 losses, and a draw.
They have scored 480 points, and given up 861, for a 395-point deficit.
Win ratio 11.11 per cent.
A waste of space alright.
(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
But it’s Super Rugby that’s the dogs breakfast; a diabolical format that’s meaningless.
How did SANZAAR talk New Zealand and Australia into adding the Sunwolves from Japan, and Argentina’s Jaguares?
Not only did the unwanted addition add thousands of debilitating air travel hours to an unwieldy tournament, but to magnify the problems, what rocket scientist at SANZAAR managed to get the board to add an extra South African side? This took the Republic’s participation to six teams as against five for New Zealand, and five for Australia?
Rubbish.
SANZAAR split the six South African sides in half, and added Sunwolves to one, and the Jaguares to the other.
Unbelievable.
So far removed from a level playing field, SANZAAR must have found the format in the phone book.
Even under the current format, the New Zealanders are the most dominant Conference by the length of the straight.
If the top eight on points alone qualified for the quarter finals, all five Kiwi sides would romp with all five in credit with points difference, the only Conference to achieve the feat.
The other three on current points would be the Lions, Sharks, and Stormers making up the numbers.
But because the top sides in each of the four Conferences will be automatic qualifiers, the Blues will miss out to the Brumbies as current top of the Australian Conference, even though the Blues have 31 points, the Brumbies just 19, which includes seven bonus points.
While that makes no sense, neither does the draw.
When the scheduled rounds are completed, so-far unbeaten Crusaders will have played the Hurricanes and Highlanders twice each, with the Chiefs and Blues once each.
The Chiefs will have played the Hurricanes and Blues twice each, with the Crusaders and Highlanders once each.
The Highlanders will have met the Crusaders and Blues twice each, with the Chiefs and Hurricanes once each.
The Blues will have played the Chiefs and Highlanders twice, the Crusaders and Hurricanes once each.
The Hurricanes will have met the Chiefs and Crusaders twice each, with the Highlanders and Blues once each.
(AAP Image/SNPA, Adam Binns)
That’s six games apiece, and to reach the scheduled 15, all Kiwi sides will meet the five Australian, and four South Africa 1 sides.
The Australians will play six games each within their group, the five Kiwi sides, and four South Africa 2 sides for their 15.
In the breakdown, the Brumbies meet the Reds and Rebels twice each, with the Waratahs and Force once each.
The Waratahs will met the Force and Rebels twice each, with the Brumbies an Reds once each.
The Reds will have had two each against the Brumbies and Force, but one each against Waratahs and Rebels.
The Rebels two each against the Waratahs and Brumbies, with one each against the Reds and Force.
And to complete the dog’s breakfast, the Force’s two games will be against the Waratahs and Reds, with the one each against the Brumbies and Rebels.
It proves that the ‘phone book’ format doesn’t cut the mustard trying to find a genuine champion.
But like anything SANZAAR does, it’s mighty hard to explain away.
Mark
Guest
1. The first expansion was your fault 2. The 2nd expansion was your fault 3. The 3rd expansion was the Japan's fault You Convicts are really at not taking responsibility for you own stupid decisions This is why I have zero sympathy for your plight You stuffed up We told you you were stuffing up You didn't listen You reap what you sow
taylorman
Roar Guru
Spoken like a true Aucklander Fionn...?
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes it would have completely turned around a six tries to one drubbing. Geez, the lengths some will go. Not as bad as Swedens suggestion though, had Umaga and Mealamu been red carded the ABs would have lost that test and made for a closer series, despite the Lions being completely outplayed, outscored, out everythinged the entire series. But hey, let's decide the entire series on the first minute of the first test. Hilarious.
Londoner
Guest
Sadly this is true.... Case in point Speights try in the Bledisloe cup, was disallowed for some poor reading of obstruction line.. This came at a key point in the match and knocked the crap out of Oz.... Would have been a much better contest to allow it.... NZ generally get far too many decisions... Penalty to win the WC in 2011, etc etc In union the referee has so much power... Prehaps rugby needs to move towards rules rather than laws and simplify alot of it, so to have more consistency....
ScottD
Roar Guru
Totally agree
ScottD
Roar Guru
Well it isn.t spin if it is true mate The Force just travelled 30 hrs to get back to Perth for a game. Their "home advantage" is therefore lost I stand by my comments
KCR
Guest
Cheers, I never knew that. It makes sense now.
Quin
Guest
The fact people like you keep trying to tell me a Kiwi that we are only interested in one sport is hilarious. Sure it's popular but it's nowhere near the obsession you want us to believe. League is huge in NZ and Football is still by FAR the largest and most popular sport in the country. What makes NZ a rugby great is that we have an amazing pathway and development from grassroots right through to professional levels. But please keep ignoring facts and trying to turn every argument to suit your point of view.
Quin
Guest
Please do mention the number of is,Anders in NZ because there are countless articles that blow that myth out of the water also. Your wee rant has done absolutely nothing to dispel the myth that Australia is hard done by in its codes. Australian rugby is the product of poor management, it's the product of people just not having a damn clue and it only has itself to blame for not attracting more players to the only true international sport of the 3 sports. It astounds me no end how many people play a sport that no one outside of Australia even cares about (AFL) and secondly (NRL) where only 3 countries have a realistic chance of ever winning a farcical WC. But the reality is the those involved in these sports know how to market their codes. Australian rugby has a far bigger international footprint than either of the aforementioned sports and has the number one team in the planet on their doors yet still FAILED to capitalise. Save your code war because it is a turd, your only war is with INCOMPETENCE.
Bakkies
Guest
'I agree that the Argentinians should be playing Super Rugby but it probably would have been better to have them play for Australian teams and not counted as foreign players. ' There was a gentlemen's agreement not to do that and they wouldn't been under the UAR's programs for the 4 Nations
KCR
Guest
I agree that the Argentinians should be playing Super Rugby but it probably would have been better to have them play for Australian teams and not counted as foreign players. This would: cut travel, improve the quality of the Australian conference and the puma players would become known to Australian fans so Wallaby VS Puma games would have added interest. However now that they have been included the should stay and have the opportunity to create a strong team.
cookie
Roar Guru
It's not a crock of turd Quin. The body type argument is a crock of turd ... the only part that you could argue that realistically is for front rowers otherwise you'd find athletes of all dimensions capable. I didn't mention any of the Brisbane or Sydney club rugby sides. The truth is that Australia has 39 so called professional teams.. more if you wanna add the better club rugby teams... Australia has 24million divided by 39 = 1 professional team per 615,000 24l million divided by 30 = 1 professional team per 800,000 (that's excluding the soccer teams.) Whereas NZ has 4.5 million divided by 7 = 1 profession team per 642,000 It may or may not be a significant difference but the real difference comes in when you realise that NZ is entirely devoted rugby more or less. According to wikipedia which may not be all that accurate.. NZ has 600 clubs and 157,000 registered players Aus has767 clubs and 87,000 registered players That's half the number of registered players spread over another 167 clubs... As for all the kiwis playing in Australia.. yeah sure... most of them don't know whether they are australian or New Zealanders' ... or we could mention the number of islanders in nz????
Dylan
Guest
Come on David this article is pathetic. By design you fail to mention the woeful record of Australia's expansion teams, instead choosing to poke holes at every other new team? People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Where is your outcry against the Force and the Rebels for trying to derail and devalue the entire competition by having delusions of grandeur that they actually deserve to be in this competition? Conveniently absent. We can only hope SAANZAR actually step in soon to pull the rug out from either the Rebels or the Force to take back control of the license for THEIR competition.
Johnny J-Dog
Guest
Yeah, you're right. The travel distances within NZ are the same as Australia.
Derm
Roar Guru
Nobrain. Of course the Argentina wins were deserved. It's why I blew you a kiss with my post. And yes Ireland were missing some players when they played NZ in Chicago. But that win still counts too. :)
KW
Guest
David...dont forget the ARU is a third of SANZAR. so the ARU are complicit in any decisions.
In Brief
Guest
That's a great insight. I watched a bit of the 7s on the weekend and the refereeing is killing that form of the game. i just can't watch it anymore, interesting to see that Mr O'Brien is involved.
FYI
Guest
Neither saru or aru are in good bargaining positions with nzru. Aussies teams have not beaten nz at all. sa teams has beaten nz team once. Others games games have gone very close though. The five Aussie teams should join up with five Japanese teams. If Nzru want to be difficult they can then fly to SA themselves. The five Aussie teams should stick together though. Aru should let force and rebels survive by themselves. Give them a go until 2020. Aru should stick with 5 teams and a rejigged 18 teams super rugby ( play through June internationals, each team play each other once, top 8 teams into finals) but if nzru want to be difficult then Aussies should go to Japan. Would Saru then go to Europe pro 12 to make up Europe pro 18? Nzru would be on its own? After 2020 will saru goto Europe? Argies to Europe. Aru and nzru and Japan in 15 team comp for super rugby? Sanzaar to only be the rugby championship?
markie362
Guest
Dont forget nz lost nearly 900 test caps after the 2015 wc and most expected their performance to drop last year and this year
Tutema
Guest
grear = great