Sharks are victims of a flawed format
30 Jul 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says Saturday’s Super Rugby final will be a farce instead of a real contest the tournament deserves.
Can the Sharks win in Hamilton and claim a first Super Rugby title?
Of course they can.
Are they good enough, individually and as a unit, to beat the home team?
Of course they are.
Will they win it?
Never.
The competition structure in Super Rugby finals has always been flawed because of the need to cram as much as possible into the year calendar, make the various administrations as much money as possible and give the broadcaster as much product as is possible.
A final should be about a contest and the definition of a contest is that the winner should not be predetermined.
Finals in which one team travels more than 19,300km and is given one training run before the season climax are finals only in name.
You play at home, you win. You play away, you lose. Occasionally a very good side wins away from home in another country in Super Rugby. In the history of the tournament, this was the exclusive right of a very talented and special Crusaders squad.
Officials argue that this is to reward consistency and the team placing top of the league gets all the play-off advantages. Cool, then why have a final? Win the league and you should be the champions.
The moment a play-off structure was introduced, which guaranteed each of the three Sanzar countries a play-off spot, it nullified any justification of rewarding league form.
Australia is the weakest conference. The Reds would have placed sixth on league strength. They won the Australian conference and got third on the overall league.
It is all a lie. From the outset, league form is not rewarded.
There should be three titles: a trophy and cash for the respective conference winner. It is a reward. It is an achievement. You, for example the Stormers, are the best South African team in the conference.
Then there’s the overall league winner and a very huge cash incentive and a big trophy. You are consistently the best team of the season, for example, the Stormers this year.
Now, your winners get a heads-up in the six-team play-offs, which is another tournament within a tournament. The heads-up is you get to host a play-off match which puts you in a position to play in the final, which is at a neutral venue and whose only purpose is revenue for the two respective teams and the competition organisers.
And there is a fortnight break between the play-off and the final. Then you have a tournament, in which there is merit, there is reward and there is logic.
Why have a climax to a tournament in which the format determines the winner? We play at home, we win. We play away, we lose. Why bother?
I have heard all the crazy arguments that if a team is that good they win anywhere. Crap.
The Crusaders’ campaign a year ago had a Hollywood script but a real ending, not that which sells to a dummy audience.
The same applies this coming Saturday. The Chiefs have to win because they are rested, at home and well prepared. The Sharks, in Brisbane a fortnight ago, in Cape Town last week and in Hamilton this weekend, have spent more time travelling than on the field.
Greed is the only motivator of the current system. There is no reward to any player, team or supporter.
Invariably the losing team in the final is lambasted by a disappointed supporter, and before there is time for proper analysis it all gets repeated in a league format at a national level.
Why no final here? The draw again influences the final standings.
The Sharks have confirmed their class in beating the Stormers. They were good enough. And they got the result. The Stormers, given the class of player, overachieved in winning the league and hosting a semi-final through consistently winning and they did not choke. A choke is when there is no way a team should lose. There was always a chance that they could lose because of the limitations within the available match 22 and the lack of try-scoring potency in the game plan.
The Chiefs, in New Zealand, were deserving winners and a Crusaders’ victory would merely have added to the illusion of the brilliance of a Crusaders team that relies on the extraordinary talents of Richie McCaw and Dan Carter and a historical dominance that has long not been a reflection of their rugby in the tournament.
The seven-times tournament champions have now lost five successive semi-finals and that is more relevant than the seven titles won by another generation.
We play at home, we win. You play at home, you win.
If it works for you, cool, but then add a bit of perspective to the illusion and see the tournament as a money spinner and not a representation of a team’s ability.
Both semi-finals were great value for New Zealand and SA respectively. Both national squads will be strong. Both will teams be extremely difficult to beat at home.
Don’t confuse national with regional and provincial. No bloke in Canterbury wants the Chiefs to beat the Sharks because the latter are South African. On the contrary. The same applies here. Unite behind the Sharks? Tell that to the Bulls and Lions supporters, as just two examples. Unite behind the Boks yes, but the Sharks are not a representation of Cape Town or Johannesburg.
National is national. Provincial is provincial. League is league. Knockout is knockout. Cash is all that motivates the administration. If it was about the contest, they wouldn’t force one team to spend 48 hours travelling across the world and then make them play 48 hours after touchdown.
The Sharks and Chiefs are bloody good sides. There is little between the two. It should be the dream final.
Instead it is a farce. It was when the Chiefs travelled to Pretoria a few years ago.
Can the Sharks win?
Of course they can.
Will they win?
They’ve won already if you are judging their rugby.
469 Comments
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30 Jul 2012, 10:03 am
Thanks Keo – by saying the Sharks have no chance you have increased their chances
30 Jul 2012, 10:05 am
Don’t confuse national with regional and provincial. No bloke in Canterbury wants the Chiefs to beat the Sharks because the latter are South African. On the contrary. The same applies here. Unite behind the Sharks? Tell that to the Bulls and Lions supporters, as just two examples. Unite behind the Boks yes, but the Sharks are not a representation of Cape Town or Johannesburg.
Utter &^&*%^%^% keo. Show’s how out of touch you are with most SA fans.
30 Jul 2012, 10:07 am
I think only some Stormers fans won’t support the Sharks, because they really are that small-minded.
30 Jul 2012, 10:08 am
That dog food woman comes to mind …
30 Jul 2012, 10:15 am
… and Provvas apparently.
30 Jul 2012, 10:19 am
Lol… Lots of Propaganda whining… Now a cash prize and trophy for Conference “title” holders and League “winners”…
If these things really counted then maybe you would have seen traditionally strong Super Rugby teams like Sharks, Bulls, Reds, Saders actually try to achieve these “goals” with more effort other than trying to pace themselves for the long marathon that Super Rugby actually is….
As an analogy, does anyone actually win anything after coming “top” at Pollyshorts in the Comrades…? I dont think so… Winning the goddamn race is actually what counts…
What a farken ridiculous whining, Storming propaganda article…. (Surprising that Keo actually professes to support the Bulls with this propaganda)
All the meanwhile, the Sharks with a big proportion of the Bok side travel to Hamilton to take on the sprinkling of ABs, Tongans and Samoans in the Chiefs…
A True Clash of the Titans…. Not some bulshitting Conference Title “holding” or league “topping” pseudo Sop…
30 Jul 2012, 10:21 am
Keo , you are wrong we all, except some Strompies, support the Sharkies coming Saturday
30 Jul 2012, 10:24 am
@kaksioek-3:
If the shoe was on the other foot—— do you think HG and his little Sancho Panza would have supported the Stormers?
Or Exkreni-WP, Capebull, etc………
I think Keo is right – What some people post here on keo and what really goes on inside their minds are quite possibly not always the same so i do not always buy into this “I support your team” on saturday stories.
Just my opinion..
30 Jul 2012, 10:27 am
@Robzim-8: I can’t speak for anyone else. All I know is that I will always support a South African team against a foreign team.
30 Jul 2012, 10:28 am
@kaksioek-4: Do you support Man U if Chelsea are knocked out? Do you carry on throwing your support behind a new team everytime your fave and your next fave and your next fave get knocked out of something? That is utter kak, and you know it.
This is a club competition so to speak, not the Rugby championship.
The Sharks win it, well done.
They lose it, another choke in a final.
Apart from Bulls fans (like Capebull) who for obvious reasons NEED to latch on to anyone or anything that is winning, many people don’t care much about a result, but rather a good game when their team is out.
Nasty, NO. Make perfect sense to me.
30 Jul 2012, 10:29 am
sharks “victims”? hell no keo, they’re beneficiaries of what you refer to as a “flawed system”, the greedy administrators added 2 extra games to maximise profits and please Newscorp, the sharks finished SIXTH and should rightly be doing Currie Cup preseason but because of the greedy SANZAR suits the 6th best team in round robin is playing the final.
30 Jul 2012, 10:30 am
the Sharks proved on Saturday just how meaningless in value the “conference title” is. the Sharks are now undisputedly the best SA team of 2012. why should the Stormers be “rewarded” for crossing the half way line in first place? in 99 the Crusaders finished 4th on the log. they beat the table “topping” Reds in an away semifinal (the Reds had beatedn the Crusaders in the regular season) and the Crusaders went on to win an away final. i didn’t hear anyone whining back then that the Reds were done an injustice or deserved some form of reward?
30 Jul 2012, 10:32 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-10: Oh, it’s the dog food lady. I don’t support Man U or Chelsea or any other football team because I’m not really a big diving fan. I’m glad I see things differently to you – very glad indeed.
30 Jul 2012, 10:33 am
This competition format allowed the sharks to come in back door as no6 so I would not complain as a sharks fan we deserve all the travel mess up. As for the final I would change the format to more like a uefa champions format and the final venue decided before the league kick that way every staduim city has chance to the final no matter what team finishes top and sometimes both teams travel to final venue and two week rest needed to really have a super contest
30 Jul 2012, 10:34 am
Keo, none of us were whining about the tournament structure when the bulls topped the log and won it 3 times, pumping the Saders and Chief in various games, so we cant whinge about it now. It is what it is. No Australian team made the semis so the cream that was supposed to rise, did.
But you’re wrong about supporters though – if any SA team was in the final, I would support them over an Aus or NZ team. And I am pretty confident that would apply to our friends down south too.
30 Jul 2012, 10:34 am
@Transformation-11: *5th best team in the round robin*
30 Jul 2012, 10:35 am
First off, the format was not changed at no. 99 to the Sharks’ disadvantage. It has been this way for the last two seasons. I saw no complaints from Keo and Co before the Stormers game.
As for the following statement:
“The seven-times tournament champions have now lost five successive semi-finals and that is more relevant than the seven titles won by another generation.”
How utterly ridiculous!! It’s way less relevant. I don’t even have to justify it, it’s pretty obvious to any rugby supporter.
30 Jul 2012, 10:35 am
@kaksioek-3: I am a Stormers fan but I’ll be supporting the Sharks on Saturday, because they’re a SA team: please stop generalising !!!!!!!
I know it is one hell of a task and they will probably not be able to overcome the jetlag etc but stop blaming all the Stormers fans: some of us are in fact reasonable people !!! Are you a reasonable person or are you also “small-minded” ?
30 Jul 2012, 10:36 am
@Robzim-8: Hey sniffles… Your team not playing “finals” rugby this week like they apparently have been doing all season lon?
Guess what Sharks are playing in the Super Rugby Final this week…. You know… To compete for The REAL DEAL…
The actual objective of this Competition…
To win The Super Rugby Trophy…. To play proper Finals rugby in a proper Final…
Not some pseudo imaginary goal like league “Topping” or Conference Title “Holding”
You poor farken weazels…
POP!
30 Jul 2012, 10:40 am
@CharlesM-18: Glad to hear it. I said “some Stormers fans”.
30 Jul 2012, 10:42 am
The Sharks are on a roll of self belief and andrenalin, the can do it.
As long as the Sharks donnot deviate from the way they have been playing they will have a good chance of beating the Chiefs.
THe Sharks have the game format worked out, lets hope Plumtree gets them to rest up ebuff this week!!
30 Jul 2012, 10:42 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-10: I support the Sharks cause they play Rugby , what the Strompies did this year is not Rugby.
30 Jul 2012, 10:50 am
Transie put it well on the heavy mettle thread:
1) Beat AUS Conference winner away from home – Check
2) Beat SA Conference winner away from home – Check
3) Beat NZ Conference winner away from home ?????
Immortality awaits!
30 Jul 2012, 10:52 am
As a Stormers Supporter I would like to congratulate the Sharks on their victory.
They played like champions and deserve to win this series.
I believe they can win the final, and if they do, they will become Super Rugby legends. I will be supporting them this weekend and hope they make SA proud.
As for the Stormers, I am still proud of what they achieved this year. They gave it their all and that is all a supporter can ask for. They were beaten by a better team, no question about that.
30 Jul 2012, 10:52 am
@kaksioek-3:
I’m a Stormers fan and 100% behind the Sharks this weekend. They deserve it and deserve the support of all South Africans in what would be a historic win if they pull it off.
Go Sharks!
30 Jul 2012, 10:55 am
Last time I checked crusaders were in a final with the reds last year how they have lost 5 successive semi- finals only Keo village can tell u that.
30 Jul 2012, 10:59 am
Go to Love the way the Henry match fixing is the most popular thread today….
Wonder Why?
Is it because Stormers supporters now realise their team is not in the Final and playing “Finals” rugby…?
Or is it because Stormers supporters now realise that there is a better South African super rugby franchise than the League “Toppers” and Conference title “Holders”…
A team that beat their “Topping”, “Holding” team 2-1 in games played this season (with the 1 being only due to a ref assisted gimme 3pts to Grant in the final minutes of the 1st game)
Damn…
30 Jul 2012, 11:02 am
I am not going to get into the supporter bit – I do believe you have a point there though.
But to call the format unfair is bordering on entitlement.
The rules of the competition is the same for everyone, it is also in its second year running. Teams have the option to play themselves into favourable positions to stand the best chance.
The Stormers gave themselves the best chance to win the title, they failed.
I would concentrate more on their inability to win play-off matches than the structure of the tournament.
It is a problem in this team given the last 11 years which is as real, and as important as injuries, coaching, depth etc. It can be fixed – we have to ask why it has not?
30 Jul 2012, 11:02 am
@zambok-26:
30 Jul 2012, 11:02 am
@Heavens Game-27:
They’ll all be booking spots at the carwash for next weekend.
Fortunately I washed mine this weekend.
30 Jul 2012, 11:05 am
@Wing Commander Raymond-16: really? you are deluded
Pos Team P W D L Pts
1 Stormers 16 14 0 2 66
2 Chiefs 16 12 0 4 64
3 Reds 16 11 0 5 58
4 Crusaders 16 12 0 4 61
5 Bulls 16 10 0 6 59
6 Sharks 16 10 0 6 59
30 Jul 2012, 11:05 am
@Heavens Game-27:
Not really interested in Henry’s comments from 2007.
Watched the game on Saturday with my good Sharks supporting mate. Thought the Sharks played an awesome game, especially after all the traveling. Well done to them.
Only some very small minded Stormers supporters did not believe the Sharks could win. Just like only small minded Sharks supporters are now not celebrating their team’s achievements but rather trying to mock the achievements of the Stormers this year, which was pretty good even though they are not in the final.
Well done to the Stormers for fighting on and making it that far after a massive injury crisis. Well done to Sharks for an awesome win and well deserved place in final. When these 2 teams meet it willALWAYS be a 50/50 game – great teasm, great history.
30 Jul 2012, 11:05 am
One can also argue that they are beneficiaries of the system after ending effectively 5th in the round robin phase.
Any system where you combine a league phase with a knock out phase, has a downside to it in that the best team won’t necessarily win the competition. They may win the league phase and then lose in the knock out phase. As long as they know what they entered into at the beginning, they can’t complain.
It is what it is.
Just deal with it and try again next year.
Stop with this victim mentality already.
30 Jul 2012, 11:06 am
@capebull-22:
So: if the Boks beat the AB’s 12-7, I expect you to start supporting the AB’s, as they played rugby and scored a try.
If I see you praising the Boks after should this happen, your “I support the teams who play rugby” post will be pulled out. On that note: I suggest you stop with your ‘bragging rights’ over the Bulls conquests a few years back – as according to you, you don’t support teams who don’t play open, running rugby. (And we all know the Bulls rode to those finals on the back of a 10 man game plan…)
30 Jul 2012, 11:08 am
@kaksioek-13: Well narrow minded has never been my thing, and you seem to be stuck in a bucket full of the stuff.
30 Jul 2012, 11:08 am
@Wing Commander Raymond-16:
were you a tailgunner in the war?
30 Jul 2012, 11:12 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-35: That’s hilarious! You’re so narrow-minded that you want the Sharks to lose against the Chiefs. You’re one overly vigorous tooth-brushing accident away from being a Cape Crusader
30 Jul 2012, 11:12 am
@Transformation-31: Come now – look at the points totals.
30 Jul 2012, 11:16 am
@kaksioek-38: geepuz what do the competition rules say? a team that score four tries gets a bonus point, the team with the most win ranks higher!
30 Jul 2012, 11:17 am
@Mongril-32: “mock the achievements of the Stormers this year”….
Sorry… achievements….?
You obviously a decent oke and this question will probably wind you up the wrong way….
But, what achievements?
On that note, Sharks havent won anything yet… But they still have a chance next week, however improbable it may be… Stormers don’t and neither do all 13 teams not in the Final Proper.
See, the point of Super Rugby is to win the Trophy… Not “Top” the League or “Hold” Conference Titles… Yes, they are goals that should make winning easier but they are not the End Point.
The Trophy is…. Actually
30 Jul 2012, 11:20 am
Before this tournament format even got started people were complaining. It might be eleviated somewhat if they had a 2 week break between the semi-finals and the finals. That would be a decent compromise until this stupid conference system can be done away with.
30 Jul 2012, 11:21 am
@Transformation-39: That’s why the Bulls were ahead of the Sharks, yes. But the Reds had 58 points and should really have been in 6th spot if it weren’t for the conference bollocks.
But who cares? Not me
30 Jul 2012, 11:25 am
some good points. but funny timing… would this article have appeared if chiefs were flying to cape town now?
English Premier league (soccer) has no Playoffs…
And their rugby tournament has 2 trophies. one for topping the log. and one for winning the knockout comp at end of season. as a stormers supporter i wish there was a cup for topping the log, but we have known for some time, being the most consistent team does not mean you’ll win. the crusaders were masters at peaking at the business end of the comp, as sharks have done this year. except with the extended playoff system they’ve had to fly too much.
i’ll bet on chiefs this week. but do i bet on them winning by 12 or less, or 13 or more? i’ll be cheering for sharks regardless
30 Jul 2012, 11:27 am
I want to first of all congratulate you on the beauty of the structure of this particular article. The UEFA champions league has a very good administrative vision. Even though i highly doubt soccer is subject to home advantage as much as rugby. Good point made when answering those self-asked questions if i can put it that way. (Now speaking as a Sharks supporter)the reasons why will in fact will: form, hunger, quality players!!!
30 Jul 2012, 11:27 am
I see keo is in trouble with the muslims on twitter.
#fattyfatwa
30 Jul 2012, 11:28 am
@Heavens Game-40:
Winning 14 of 16 games during the league phase – pretty good going. No, they didn’t win the trophy – which is ultimately failure. But considering their run of form ending the league phase on top was very impressive.
The Cheetahs also did not win, but did admirably well considering they lost their 3 biggest names for bog parts / all of the season in Juan, Coennie and the talented Mr Goosen.
So, would the Sharks have acheived noting if they lose by 1 point next week? Not my view – I’d still applaud them for a remarkable second half of the season.
30 Jul 2012, 11:30 am
Still disappointed with Saturday’s loss. And what do we get from Alistair Coetzee – “no we don’t need to change anything and our coaching staff will remain unchanged for next year”. D E N I A L. And so it continues…
30 Jul 2012, 11:32 am
I’m sure that every team plans to end on top of the log in order to get the benefits that go along with it ie. a week off, a home semi and possible home final. That is their plan A.
If failing to do the above, they will revert to plan B, which is to win their conference and ensure a place in the play offs.
Plan C would be to end in the top 6 in order to get to the play offs at least. Preferably, position 4 or 5 to play at home in the 1st knock out round.
If that plan fails, they go to plan D. Just end in the top 6 (position 5 & 6) in order to go to the play offs and do your best from there on.
At one stage the Sharks were nearly out of the competition. They then realized that the rules of the competition allow the 6th place team a place in the knock out stage also. To get there, they needed to beat their last two opponents and get a four try bonus point in each game to ensure a 6th place and get to the knock out stage at least. If they get there they could then take it one game at a time and play knock out rugby.
They succeeded with their plan and now they are going to play in the finals.
The rules of the conference system benefited them. In a “normal” competition (1st four teams going to the semis) , there season would’ve ended three weeks ago already.
30 Jul 2012, 11:32 am
@Yetirat-47: Yes, I’m also disappointed with that. Impressed with what Coetzee has done with Stormers, but there needs to be a new mix of heads in the overall coaching team to ensure that they don’t continue to stagnate at contender level.
30 Jul 2012, 11:34 am
Hello everyone…
What the hell happened with that white card??
Are the peewees…i mean the keywees trying to cover this up forgetting that it was aired outside nz too???
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