It certainly appears that the 3 top franchises in NZ are way ahead of SA teams

It can be quite baffling how a Japanese franchise playing at high altitude in Johannesburg against the home side which is very difficult to beat there and SA's top side can only lose by 2 points and yes this could easily been a win for the Sunwolves, can go down to Chiefs 10-61 and the disgraceful Sharks whipped and smashed by the Australian Rebels by so much, the Tahs beat them quite respectably and the Bulls and Stormers still not proven anything...certainly don't look in the same class even to compete.

The Canes and Saders certainly are in a different league, with the Highlanders and Chiefs still able to challenge...

The Super Series is getting boring and it might give thrills to some but I enjoyed the 6N more and international far more and look forward to WC...I guess we differ vastly here but whatever floats your boat.

We seem to be easy prey for the Ozzies too.

It's not a matter of how good they are but rather how poor we've become. 

There is another trick favouring the NZ teams this year - they are playing less games in SA then the SA teams are playing in NZ.   It is unlikely that a team like the Chiefs would have beaten the Bulls in Pretoria - especially if the ref support of the Chiefs is rmovesd and honest reffing is a factor.  

I think the NZ teams are very good - but whether they are better when all tings are equal we will have to see, 

That seems a reasonable comment Shark and Mike...I only hope you're right...it's just a pity that none of our sides travel well and play well overseas. This factor worries me but it seems more common now...the Sharks some time ago travelled well but this is long gone.

The other mystery is why is this so..so this is it a mind thing, a support thing (do players need the crowd support to play better or is it a condition of the fields thing...probably a combination of all 3 but I often wonder why it is in rugby players more so...one wonders why they are conditioned to this and why cannot it simply be a strong mindset over matter...just a thought that often puzzles one. I'm sure it is something that we have all questioned at some time.

As for the ref thing I beg to differ, if that's the case then refs must be weak, corrupt human beings with no integrity always playing to the crowd support which makes them the most despicable  human beings of all and that no one can believe. The ref story does not hold with honest rugby lovers.

It's something that must play a part (a big part) in results...the WC being in Japan should probably suit the AB's and Australians and LOL maybe Japan...they won't beat Ireland in their pool  and Scotland ...the latter could however have a lapse away and who knows.

We should not be losing to the likes of the Blues, Highlanders, Chiefs, Brumbies, Reds and Rebels ... and yet we are .... badly.

SA rugby is bad as it failed to turn to professionalism. They are lagging behind in their knowledge of rugby, it shows big time. Despite the pitiful attempt to cover the fiasco with that quota stuff comedy.

It is so bad outcomes must be politically arranged with one SA team being given an easy path to the number one spot so they can host SF and F.

Better to watch NH rugby indeed. And think about terminating rugby in SA.