Rugby: Sanzar ready to review 'ring-in' rule

Frederic Michalak played for the Sharks. Photo / Getty Images

Sanzar say they will review the rule that looks as though it conveniently allows "ring-ins" - overseas-based players quickly shoehorned into Super Rugby for the playoffs.

Two South African sides - the Sharks and last night's opponents of the Crusaders, the Stormers - are the ones in question after the materialisation of French test star Freddie Michalak and former Springbok hooker Schalk Brits for the Sharks and Stormers in the playoffs.

The Bulls are probably the team with the biggest complaint. Michalak, playing at first five-eighths, controlled the game beautifully - turning the big Bulls pack around consistently. That saw the Bulls out of the playoffs, their defeat engineered by a man who hadn't been a part of the Sharks outfit earlier in the round robin.

The move looks even more dodgy (even though Michalak has played for the Sharks previously) when it is realised that Michalak was nominally there to cover halfback. The Sharks, taking advantage of a Sanzar rule that says specialist players can be replaced from outside the squad if they genuinely have no further options internally, brought in the Frenchman (who can play both 9 and 10).

However, when the Sharks lined up against the Crusaders last weekend, Michalak was at first five and the season's regular 10, highly promising youngster Patrick Lambie, was at fullback - with another first five in Jacques-Louis Potgieter nowhere to be seen. The move backfired as Michalak did not have a good game and the Sharks looked better with Lambie at first receiver.

Sanzar CEO Greg Peters said they had been satisfied that Michalak was there to cover halfback. The Sharks went into those matches with only one halfback and, if he had been injured, Michalak would have had to play there.

The position with Brits is arguably a little less questionable. The hooker was recruited after his season with Saracens (a club in which South Africa has a pecuniary interest and where many Bok players do their OE) ended. The club say - and Sanzar have stipulated - that Brits will only be fielded as a loose forward against the Crusaders.

The Stormers successfully argued that Brits was needed because of injuries to loose forwards Pieter Louw, Duane Vermuelen and Siya Kolisi.

"We looked into it and decided that they did not have cover in the squad, so allowed it," said Peters. "But we have insisted, and the Stormers have agreed, that he can play only as a loose forward. They will have to carry their normal front row complement - and that means two hookers; one starting and one on the bench."

Still, Brits is some player. Thought to be too small by the Springbok coaching elite, Brits is not ranked in the top five there - but is a talented ball handler, runner and even has a good kicking game. He was originally a Stormer and has played loose forward for them before. He is regarded as an excellent impact player from the bench.

He joined Saracens in 2009 and was named the Premiership Players' Player of the Year at the end of his first season.

"Schalk Brits was just phenomenal, a man possessed," said Leicester and England halfback Ben Youngs after Brits led the way in Saracens' 22-18 win in the English premiership at the end of May. "If anything, he was the difference between the two sides." So, rules or no rules, there must be a question about the ability of Super Rugby sides to seed their squads with convenient - and dangerous - replacements. After all, the Blues were short of a lock against the Reds and had to press loose forward Chris Lowrey into service. Would the Reds have complained, maybe justifiably, if the Blues had suddenly brought back former All Blacks Greg Rawlinson, Ross Filipo or even Troy Flavell for that match?

"I just don't think it is fair," said former All Black selector Peter Thorburn. "It's wrong in principle to allow players to suddenly pop up when they didn't play in the round robin and look like they are being brought in for the finals."

Not that New Zealand franchises are totally without stain in this regard. In 2002, the Blues imported former French test prop Christian Califano after successfully arguing that there were inadequate propping resources in the region.

That wasn't a success either. The Blues finished sixth and out of the playoffs that year - but at least Califano was there for the whole year and not just for the business end.

"We will have a look at this at the end of the season," said Peters. "We review a lot of things and maybe we could look at players being in the round robin for a minimum number of games.

"Or we could insist that a player has to be registered with a franchise by a certain date - say, May 1, just as we do in the ITM Cup. I'm not saying that is what Sanzar will do But it is the sort of thing we could look at."