Rugby: Local derbies key interest

The Blues and Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images

A bit like a Star Trek voyage, Super Rugby is heading into the unknown.

A new team, vastly new format and new finals series has added intrigue to a competition entering its 16th year.

Instead of teams playing every other side either home or away, they are now split into three conferences based on national boundaries (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa) and play significantly more local derbies.

It's been done to freshen up a tired competition as well as provide greater local interest - TV viewing figures show Kiwis are far more interested in seeing local derbies than games against sides from other countries - but it also means a longer season in an increasingly congested rugby calendar.

On the surface, the Super 15 format disadvantages New Zealand teams because of the increase in local derbies. The five teams here have traditionally been the strongest (New Zealand teams have won 10 of the 15 Super Rugby competitions, been runners-up on six occasions and never finished last) and have often found playing local rivals difficult.

The Crusaders, for example, are unbeaten at home by any touring side in the past five seasons (24 wins, one draw) but have lost three of their 12 games against New Zealand sides.

If you look at their record overall, they lost only 28 per cent of games against Australian and South African opposition but 36 per cent against New Zealand sides.

Likewise, the Highlanders, roundly acknowledged as the weakest New Zealand team, have won 40 per cent of games against Australian and South African sides in the past five years but just 15 per cent against their New Zealand counterparts.

The playoffs system rewards teams who win the most games. If there are weak teams in any conference, it improves the chances of rival conference sides. A strong conference, like New Zealand, could see points shared more evenly.

The Cheetahs and Lions, for instance, have not finished in the top 10 in nearly 10 years, the new Melbourne Rebels will take time to get up to speed and the Western Force have slipped.

By not playing every other team, the draw can't be entirely fair and it's thrown up some interesting scenarios. The Crusaders won't play the Lions or Rebels in the first season but host the Bulls and Stormers, while the Chiefs won't meet the Cheetahs and Force but will play the Bulls in South Africa.

While Blues coach Pat Lam is still getting his head around the permutations, he is a fan of the new format.

He likes the idea of playing more games and says anything new is exciting.

He does not, however, think playing more games against New Zealand teams will disadvantage his side.

"Initially you think they are harder games but when you look at the South African derbies, it's the same for them. The Cheetahs have struggled to win away from home but they get up and knock the Bulls and Stormers over.

"From a distance, it looks like playing the Cheetahs and Lions are easy games but in the South African derbies, they go hard out. It's the same in Australia. I think it all balances itself out because the derbies are true derbies.

"It's a tough competition and on any given day, a team can step up and win."

The changes mean teams play 12 of their 16 games in their own country. That may benefit South African sides who were often on the road for extended periods and failed to cope with the tyranny of distance.

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske says his side will definitely benefit.

They have never won a game in Australia or New Zealand but have been big improvers in South Africa's Currie Cup competition, finishing third last year ahead of the Bulls and only one point behind Western Province (Stormers).

"I think our players are more comfortable against South African opposition," Drotske told Afrikaans newspaper Rapport. "If you look at the history of Super Rugby, we have always done better against those teams."

Perhaps of even greater importance than format changes is the effect of injuries. It's something no team can control and, as it did to the Chiefs last year, can ruin a season.

A significant increase in the number of games will only put more pressure on teams, although it has been offset a little by increasing squad sizes from 28 to 32.

Former All Black Richard Loe: "Injuries make a big difference. If you get a horror run of injuries, it can knock you over. It's often said you're only as good as your replacements and that's where the South African and Australian teams have struggled.

"If you lose key personnel and don't have anyone to back them up, you won't win."

But as far as Lam is concerned, the changes don't go far enough.

As a coach who enjoys what he does, Lam would love to see teams play every other side both home and away in a 28-game regular season.

"That would be great. But there's a little team called the All Blacks that we have to fit in-to the season somewhere."

How it works

* There are three conferences (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa) and each side will play teams in their conference home and away (eight games).

* They also play four of the five teams from the other two conferences either home or away (another eight games). This has been worked out on an alphabetical basis.

* The top team from each conference automatically qualifies for the playoffs. They are joined by the three teams who accumulate the next highest points, regardless of country. It guarantees a finalist from each of the three countries.

* The top two qualifiers have a bye in the first week of the playoffs. The other four teams play (3 vs 6, 4 vs 5) to find the other two semifinalists.