Getting a good run in the new Super 15 draw could be as easy as ABC

[travelling_gerry]

Getting a good run in the new Super 15 draw could be as easy as ABC

• Wayne Smith, Rugby union editor
• From: The Australian
• April 09, 2010 12:00AM

IT will be a case of "B for Brumbies, B for blessed" if an alphabetical system is approved to determine the draw for next year's inaugural Super 15, enabling the ACT side to avoid playing the Bulls and the Blues in 2011.



With next year's competition being played under a conference system, with the five teams in each of the Australian, New Zealand and South African conferences playing each other on a home and away basis before combating their foreign opponents, the draw will be too crowded to allow all teams to play each other during the course of the regular season.


SANZAR has all but decided that each team will miss an opponent from the other two conferences. Each year for the next five years the draw will rotate so that at the end of that period every side will have missed every other foreign side once.


Precisely how the rotation system will operate has not been determined but a telephone hook-up of SANZAR officials with broadcasters today will discuss a range of options, the most likely being simply listing the teams in each conference alphabetically by their popular names - hence "Waratahs" not "NSW" - and pairing them off next year against their corresponding New Zealand and South African sides.


If that system is endorsed, the Brumbies would be the first team to benefit, dodging the Bulls and the Blues, the former a two-time Super rugby winner, in 2008 and 2009, the latter a triple champion, in 1996, 1997 and 2003.


The Reds - who are still in the red in terms of Super rugby results with only 75 wins from 171 matches - would be left with mixed feelings. On one hand, they would be delighted to avoid playing seven-time champion the Crusaders (128 from 188) but would be disappointed at missing this weekend's rivals, the bottom-placed Lions (11 from 46).


Still, it was only last season that the fifth-placed Reds themselves finished 13th, so it would be unwise to project current form 12 months into the future.


The Waratahs (94 from 175) would not play the Highlanders (80 from 174) and the Sharks (72 from 152), while the Western Force would receive some mild compensation for its atrocious run of luck by bypassing two of the more solid teams in the competition, the Hurricanes (90 from 176) and the Stormers (70 from 148).



The new team in the expanded competition, Melbourne Rebels, would not mind avoiding last year's beaten finalists, the Chiefs (82 from 171) but would have regrets that in their inaugural season would not get a crack at the 2009 wooden-spooners the Cheetahs (14 from 58).


All teams have been asked to lodge their specific requests with SANZAR, with Rebels chief executive Brian Waldron admitting Melbourne's main hope is to make its entry into Super rugby with a couple of home matches at AAMI Park.


The Waratahs, however, have been more specific, lodging a request to kick-start what they hope will grow into fierce NSW-Victoria rivalry by playing the Rebels first up in Melbourne.


In a more practical vein, NSW has also requested it be spared any Friday night matches at the Sydney Football Stadium where traffic congestion invariably knocks about 5000 off their gate.


"We've also requested at least one Sunday afternoon game," Waratahs coach Chris Hickey said. `


`It's difficult for families to find time to come together but Sunday afternoon games would provide that."


NSW also took careful note of the fact that the QRU drew 20,016 to the Reds-Force match on Sunday, March 14.


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225851594077

[James]

That plan will probably never happen. Wayne probably just has nothing to write about.

Would suit us right down to a t though. Would still get to play all of the Highlanders, Lions and Cheetahs.

[normie]

It's all about broadcasting and television rights; Whatever suits the broadcasters best will trump anything else.

[jargan83]

I think there is a big element of "I don't know what SANZAR are going to do to decide these fixtures and I need to write something to earn my wages so lets see what I can make up" to this story

I would have thought the teams would be seeded based on this years efforts and that would go into determining who plays who internationally next year (Melbourne seeded 5th?)

[normie]

You got it in a nutshell, Jargs!

[Sheikh]

Jarg's idea has more merit than an alphabetical system, mainly because Wayne's idea doesn't work!

Year 1 is fine, the Brumbies miss the Bulls and Blues. Simple - requires no thought.
Year 2 - who do the Brumbies miss? The 2nd alphabetically in NZ and SA (Chiefs and Cheetahs)? Fine, but that means that the Bulls miss the Rebels and Chiefs and the Blues miss the Rebels and Cheetahs. Who do the 3rd alphabetically miss - the 4th? Who do the 5th alphabetically miss?

Also, as a question to Wayne Smith - if the names are the 'popular' names, why does he classify us as the "Western Force" and not the "Force"?

[GIGS20]

It's all about broadcasting and television rights; Whatever suits the broadcasters best will trump anything else.

Which basically means, the fixtures will emphasize the blockbuster games.....this will only be able to be predicted on form (not necessarily one year, possibly some sort of average over maybe 3 years) They will work really hard to ensure that no team plays two of the weakest teams in any one year, mainly because that means at some point, the Saders might have a year playing only 3 strong teams which would be bad for ratings.

I would have thought the teams would be seeded based on this years efforts and that would go into determining who plays who internationally next year (Melbourne seeded 5th?)

Something like that...I wouldn't seed Melbourne 5th because that really wouldn't matter anyway and they might start strong......let's face it, they still have the opportunity to buy 2/3rds of an international team!

Also, as a question to Wayne Smith - if the names are the 'popular' names, why does he classify us as the "Western Force" and not the "Force"?

Wayne Smith's research skills don't extend far enough to realise that Western is a locator rather than a popular name.

[beige]

The Waratahs, however, have been more specific, lodging a request to kick-start what they hope will grow into fierce NSW-Victoria rivalry by playing the Rebels first up in Melbourne.

Maybe they should worry about building up the NSW-Queensland rivalry first - I would have thought the Force and the Rebels would be more natural rivals, being the two "out of towners" so to speak.

[blueandblack]

Maybe they should worry about building up the NSW-Queensland rivalry first - I would have thought the Force and the Rebels would be more natural rivals, being the two "out of towners" so to speak.

and WA v Vic is an ongoing rivalry.

[Working Class]

Guys the NSW vs VIC rivalry goes right back beyond federation when they bickered over who will be Capital ( that's why Canberra was built) into the Colonial days.

---------- Post added at 09:34 ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 ----------

But saying that. As a NSWelshmen our fierciest rivalry would certainly be QLD. Not to say that the ACT and Force don't hate us as much as we hate them but similar sports for a long time. Hell, isn't every derby match for NSW a spite match. Everyone hates us. I must like this sought of mentality, I'm also a Randwick man.

[MI5_Dog]

and WA v Vic is an ongoing rivalry.

WA v Everyone else is an ongoing rivalry.

[jargan83]

Something like that...I wouldn't seed Melbourne 5th because that really wouldn't matter anyway and they might start strong......let's face it, they still have the opportunity to buy 2/3rds of an international team!

Agree with the question about the actual actual seeding of Melbourne hence the question mark.

To list teams alphabetically is stupid, the Waratahs despite having a strong list would then theoretically play the "weaker" internatinal sides in 2011? Or would it be the opposite?

I would have thought

A1 vs SA1, 2, 3 and 4 and the same for NZ

Based on the standings at the moment Waratahs being the highest ranked Aussie side would then play all but the Lions and Highlanders.

[James]

Maximise the amount of games between teams of equal rating. Lions fans would be packing it if they didn't get to play the Highlanders, Rebels and I hate to say it the Force. Give them a better chance to see a win and they'll be more likely to tune in or turn up. You could say it gives some of the lower teams an unfair advantages but one of the most stale things about the Super 14 (since it moved from 12) has been that its always pretty much the same teams at the top of the ladder and in 4 years only 7 teams out of 14 have made the finals and only 2 of them have one it.

[Sheikh]

To list teams alphabetically is stupid, the Waratahs despite having a strong list would then theoretically play the "weaker" internatinal sides in 2011? Or would it be the opposite?

I would have thought

A1 vs SA1, 2, 3 and 4 and the same for NZ

Based on the standings at the moment Waratahs being the highest ranked Aussie side would then play all but the Lions and Highlanders.

Do the fixtures have to be worked out years in advance? I mean, the Super 14 fixture list is only going to last for 5 years, so a 10-year cycle for the Super 15 may mean not all fixtures get played.

I'm in favour of a system like Jargs above. If the best placed team in each conference plays 1,2,3 & 4 in the other conferences, the 2nd placed team play 1,2,3 & 5, the 3rd placed team play 1,2,4 & 5, 4th placed play 1,3,4 & 5 and last plays 2,3,4 & 5.

I think the above works. The system also avoids too many matches between mis-matched teams. The fixtures have to wait until the final rankings from the previous year, but the NFL organises this sort of system for 32 teams for a 16 week season. They use a computer - they're wonderful things, I've heard!

[jargan83]

They use a computer - they're wonderful things, I've heard!

I heard the Internet is on computers now