OPINION: This talk of moving away from South Africa in Super Rugby is madness.
This is the best international competition outside of test rugby and it would be foolhardy to mess with its essential formula.
My old All Black team-mate Andrew Mehrtens certainly ruffled a few feathers last week when he suggested it would be in New Zealand's interests to move away from South Africa and align closer with Australia.
I couldn't disagree more. The three countries each provide a different type of football, and I'd be reluctant to change anything that precluded those clashes of styles.
This franchise competition prepares our players and coaches very, very well for the next level of the game - and that should not be under-estimated.
It's not only the clashes of style - the mental and physical challenge you face on any given week is huge.
I don't buy that the distance factor should force South Africa to play elsewhere. Travel is part and parcel of international sport and not a contributing factor for poor performance.
The All Blacks have become an adept travelling team, but they're yet to win a World Cup on foreign soil. So even they are still working at that part of their game.
The financial aspect is also significant. For New Zealand rugby to protect its players and retain the best possible player base, they need revenue. At the moment the South Africans provide a good chunk of that.
Australia clearly feel there's a direction they need to take to generate more revenue.
But is that in the best interests of New Zealand rugby? I would suggest not.
Playing only Australian sides would become a little one-dimensional, and it might result in even more players inclined to cross the Tasman.
Also, growing the New Zealand quota of teams would be the death knell for our provincial championship. Super Rugby in a trans-Tasman format would effectively consume it, and I'm not sure that's in the fans' best interests.
In terms of player development, the current format works bloody well. Our depth at the top level is outstanding, and these are men weaned on the tough diet of Super Rugby.
The challenge that South Africa presents is constant. If there's one team New Zealanders get nervous about playing, particularly in the republic, it's the Springboks.
Take them away from the franchise competition and you take away the ability of our top players to be prepared to play them in international football.
Take it from me, there's a ruthless physicality and intensity to their game that you need to be familiar with to beat it on a regular basis.
We've seen an example of that as New Zealand teams found a way to combat the Bulls' daunting lineout drive. Those are solutions that will stick with our players.
It's interesting Australia are talking tough on the back of improved Super Rugby performances. But I reserve judgment on the strength of their game until the business end of the season, and when the Bledisloe is up for grabs.
I'm all for the Australian rivalry - just not at the expense of the South African one. The NZRU has this right. We need to play the South Africans regularly to be able to beat them regularly.
? These are worrying times in Blues country. Their road record is woeful, and to have any chance of a late playoff run they're going to have to win away from home.
At the moment every time they get on a plane they play a different brand of football than what they produce at Eden Park. That's just not good enough.
We also got a pretty good gauge on where Benji Marshall is at. That's because he just hasn't played enough football.
The Canes still have some distance to go to be a genuine contender, but where does that leave the Blues? Even with all their experience they can't find a way to use their talent. You just can't make that number of errors at that level.
They haven't found the answer at 10 and I don't think they're going to find it this season. At least not one that will take them into the playoffs.
In contrast, the Hurricanes were impressive, especially their forward pack. They were under pressure early at scrum time but found a way to keep themselves in the game - even while down a man.
It helps too when your All Blacks hit form - namely Cory Jane and Julian Savea - and you get your tactics right. The Blues' inexperience, among other things, was badly exposed.
- © Fairfax NZ News
