Australia’s ailing Super Rugby fortunes are best summed up by one out of many damning statistics.
No, it’s not the horrendous 0-25 record of all the Aussie sides against their New Zealand opponents, though that’s bad enough.
It’s the fact that even Japan’s struggling Sunwolves, who won just two games all year, have a better record against the Kiwis than all of the Aussie teams combined.
The Sunwolves pulled off arguably the upset of the season with a final-round win over the Blues on Saturday.
In the process they gained enough points to move above the beleaguered Melbourne Rebels, who finished with the worst record of any of the 18 teams.
All five New Zealand sides finished with more points than the Australian conference-winning Brumbies.
For the first time in the 22-season era of Super Rugby every Australian side lost more games than they won.
If there was an overall ladder instead of the widely despised conference tables, it would have shown the Brumbies finishing ninth, the Force 12th, the Reds 14th the Waratahs 16th and the Rebels 18th.
Australian teams have lost their last 31 games against Kiwi sides stretching back to May last year, but their record against other nations this year has been poor too.
Overall, Australian teams have won just 7.5 per cent of their 45 games against all overseas teams.
Bring on 2018, it surely couldn’t be any worse – could it?
AUSTRALIA’S 2017 SUPER RUGBY TALE OF WOE
The record of Australian teams against sides from other countries.
* vs New Zealand 0-25
* vs South Africa 4-1-10
* vs Argentina 2-3
Overall: Played 45 – won 6, drawn 1, lost 38
Individual team records against other overseas countries
* Brumbies 2-7
* Force 2-7
* Reds 2-7
* Rebels 0-1-8
* Waratahs 0-9
Waz
Guest
"People would still watch their beloved teams" .... it's a sentimental approach but not a statement we can take for granted. Reds crowds have been awful this season and take away a regular influx of 3-4,000 kiwis when an NZ side plays and they'd be a lot worse. A Reds in a second division would be lucky to break 10k even if playing well
scottd
Guest
I have a funny feeling that Dave Wessels was at the Brumbies as an assistant coach with jake White?
scottd
Guest
I'm with you brother
Republican
Guest
.........not at all confused. That we have allowed NZ to further their sporting pedigree at the expense of ours, treating them as if they were integral to our Federation when in fact they are a sovereign nation, is fairly self explanatory I would have thought. NZ have been able to milk this to great effect of course and we only have ourselves to blame, holding such a misplaced affection for our greatest adversary. This inclusive and altruistic gesture towards NZ on our part has been at the expedience of our own domestic market in many cases. As far as the Rugby relationship goes, this is not a code of any consequence here, so clearly NZ's overwhelming superior status in the sport is unhealthy for both nations, as it devolves further into the ground hog day contest that it has; or perhaps this is the relationship you are alluding to? As far as our political, cultural and historical ties go, while again, overstated and underpinned by pathos, this is a discussion perhaps best left for another time and place.......
Republican
Guest
..........we do v NZ with monotonous regularity. If you calculated this proportionally, how would we stack up then i wonder?
TobeRugby
Guest
Wow! You really are confused on so many levels. You misunderstand the rugby relationship, the political relationship, trans Tasman sport in general and your own history. 'Foot in both camps' hilarious! Take your bat and ball and go home.
Sportscrazy
Guest
I see Beale is demanding no 12 for the Wallabies. Go on Bobo give him what he wants. Who cares..... you and your 2 assistant coaches are giving us every indication you don't... otherwise you all would resign, as the national team has gone backwards since you took over.
Isupport2teamstheAB'sandanyoneplayingAustralia
Guest
100 and how many years... you logic is very faulty.. Aust winning record vs NZ way better than the lucky Irish
Isupport2teamstheAB'sandanyoneplayingAustralia
Guest
Good on you.. best post all year...
jeznez
Roar Guru
Love to have him there but he has signed up North hasn't he? I've said change the rules for Mike A. But that is because he is playing Super Rugby in NZ.
MitchO
Guest
Yeah MH but the Tahs need a good D coach and that's probably Gibson. Man needs to be demoted for a while. Brumbies new coach can't be worse than Larkham and the team itself will be better. CLL will help. Godwin can be a decent 12 and TK is a decent 13. Toua looks like he needs a good coach coz he is not quite there but Speight is back in business. And Josh Manrae is actually having a good season. Sure he's 50 years old but that's okay.
rebel
Guest
Those cunning Irish playing Possum for 100 years.
ajg
Guest
what about Sean McMahon?
ajg
Guest
+1
ajg
Guest
I agree with a lot of this but i still think that the teams in the finals should only be there on merit. the only way to ensure this is with a round-robin in which all plays all followed by the top 8 playing in a finals. beyond this it is just silly and unfair. if aussie rugby is good enough then we'll make it
PeterK
Roar Guru
I would pick the same starting team. Speight and Hodge ahead of DHP for Naivalu spot. DHP June series was poor and hasn't done enough in super rugby. Agree with the bench except for Hardwick, Hooper will play 80 so I want a genuine 6/8 / lock utility. RHP, or Phillips, Fardy
jeznez
Roar Guru
Hunt for 12 all day. I'd take Beale at 15 ahead of DHP. Sorry - Pete - Sekope slipped my mind, absolutely he is in. Would be more than happy with selections along the lines of below: 1. A. Alaalatoa 2. Polota-nau 3. Kepu 4. Arnold 5. Coleman (possible Captain) 6. Timani 7. Hooper 8. Higginbotham 9. Genia 10. Cooper 11. Folau 12. Hunt 13. Kerevi (Kuridrani if not fit) 14. Naivalu (DHP if not fit) 15. Beale 16. Sio 17. Latu (depending what his off field issues have been) 18. M. Alaalatoa (or more likely T.Smith to reserve LH and AA switching sides since the ARU won't change their selection criteria) 19. L.Tui 20. Hardwick 21. Ruru 22. Foley 23. Hodge Highlights the underperformance of the Tahs and Reds with them having 5 players each after their poor year but I think the players are probably right guys
PeterK
Roar Guru
Hunt should be kept at 12 DHP had a poor June series and an up and down super rugby season. If Beale does start it must be at 15 or wing. If Beale is not the f/b , Hunt should be at 12 either way and Hodge would be a better option at 15 than DHP. So would Folau. DHP misses far too many tackles, is not secure under the highball at intl level, doesn't have any creative ability.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
The form fulbacks are DHP and Hunt. One of them must be at 15, preferbly DHP with Hunt staying at 12.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Kepu on bench or starting (need to manage field time of props) Hooper starting until Pocock is back Foley on bench (running 10 would have more impact last 20 when players are more tired) Folau on wing Beale at f/b (hardly fair to really count him as a tah this year though) so from the tahs team that played this season 2 starters with 1 swapping between bench and start halfback IMO Ruru needs to be given a go. Genia played quite poorly in June, need to find another. Powell didn't impress. Gordon not ready. Phipps left right out.