New Super 15 Format!

[fuzzylogic]

Wrong section no doubt, but I figure more people might see it here, rather than the western force section with its last post in May.

Anyone else noticed whats gone on down unda?! I thought the added team just meant one more match for every team but it seems its all changed.

3 pools of 5 . . .Aus, SA and NZ

Teams play all the other teams from their pool twice, home and away and then only play 4 teams from each of the other 2 pools.

So while each team will play 15 teams in total, its highly possible that 2 of the 15 sides will never actually play each other!

Strange . . .

[mikerob]

I think the format recognises the fact that the derby games between teams in the same country have the biggest interest in terms of spectators and the media, hence they are home and away.

If you play these games home and away, then it would take too much time to play against all the other teams.

There are some parallels with the HEC in that some teams can end up with easier draws than others and you are competing with teams in other groups based upon your points.

[WhiteKnightoftheWeld]

It has changed to a conference set-up, something akin to NFL
ie you play the teams in your own conference home and away, then other games against some of the other teams, but not all of the teams...

eg canterbury crusaders (my faves)
will play:

auckland H A
wellington H A
Chiefs H A
Highlanders H A

they'll also play this season:

Waratahs and Brumbies H
Force and Reds A

Sharks and Bulls H
Stormers and Cheetahs A

they wont play melbourne rebels
they wont play Lions
next year's draw may see crusaders play both of these however...

this weekend it all kicks off - whiteknightoftheweldcannotwait

[lovesthehardground]

Even more like a circus now. Purely a money spinning spectacle where you can forward pass to your hearts content. Bit like Irelands match on Sunday. Ha ha.

No but seriously - it will be interesting to see how the new format will affect the national sides. Greater internal competition, knocking ten bells out of one another, more injuries? Less exposure to other countrys' teams.

It will also be interesting to see what new law changes come out this year??!!

[WhiteKnightoftheWeld]

it's the greatest club rugby competition in the world
take the top 4 at the end of it and pitch against top 4 from heiny. would not be a contest...

for all the hype about the heiny, it's not a patch on the level of rugby played in SH

[lovesthehardground]

Its a concoction of entertainment-first, rugby laws later. Forward passes go unpunished, everything goes in favour of the attacking team at the breakdown, anything really to cater for the uneducated rugby fan. Its akin to American TV that has ad breaks every 5 minutes because of the attention span of the audience. This brand of rugby is not for the purist that likes to see a proper contest and most worryingly is that it has now influenced the NH thru the resulting law changes. If it continues it will become a mixture of rugby league, NFL and a "westend" stage show. Not for me.

[LETS_GO_ULSTER]

I'm going to see the Rebels play the 'Tahs on Friday evening, it'll be an interesting comparison to a Friday night at Ravers

[WhiteKnightoftheWeld]

I'm going to see the Rebels play the 'Tahs on Friday evening, it'll be an interesting comparison to a Friday night at Ravers

ahhh

but is there a weld?
is there a barrier upon which to rest 18 beers?
is there even standing areas or all-seater?
will you get away with pi$$ing into an empty pint glass when the bogs are just too far away to make it worth the effort?
and will a friday night at the rugby without uncle P really be as good?

suppose it must nearly be friday night over there anyway now, what's the score? can you shout "cipriani you're a fruit" everytime there's any sort of silence? i'll listen out for it...

[mikerob]

I'd be interested to hear what the Rebels are like Lets_Go_Ulster and whether there are many native Victorians there or if the crowd is mainly exiles (from Europe, NZ, SA, NSW and QLD).

I worked in Melbourne for 3 years and it was a desert when it came to rugby union. I couldn't believe how much AFL dominated the scene there - even more than football does in England. Personally I thought AFL was a rubbish sport - far too much kicking and very parochial with the highlight of most people's year being two Melbourne suburbs playing each other. The natives didn't appreciate my views that AFL would always lack something because there was no international dimension (compromise rules doesn't count) so I hope the Rebels do attract and retain a lot of converts.

[WhiteKnightoftheWeld]

AFL dominates to the point that melbourne storm, in recent times the most successful NRL side by a country mile (until they were caught beating the salary cap by giving players brown paper bags - they had virtually half the kangaroos on their books), was the worst supported side in NRL

would be the equivalent of a team, like, say the ospreys, OK throw in them winning magners and heiny every year for the next 3 years), only getting a few thousand fans at each match...

lets_go_ulster - have you gotten yourself a melbourne storm kit yet?

[LETS_GO_ULSTER]

It's hard to tell what the crowd will be like, I went to couple of the preseason games and it seemed to be about 50% Aussies and 50% ex-pats. I think tonight's match against the Waratahs is a sell out but thats probably down to first night fever and copious amounts of marketing.

No doubt the AAMI Stadium won't hold a candle to Ravers in terms of the potential for shenanigans WKOTW! No barrier for beers which means no opportunity to give the irriating sh1tes in front a surprise guinness shower. The old pint glass time saver trick will probably result in deportation, it'd be a great story though.

I did have a Storm playing top. It cost a ton, got worn once and was then stolen. Hoof prints were seen leading away from the crime scene

[theCloudSpotter]

Looking like an upset in the first game here. Highlanders up against the Hurricanes with Nonu off the pitch for going through Cowan.

[WhiteKnightoftheWeld]

highlanders win.
big shock to start things off, a kin to connacht beating leinster/munster. that'd never happen...

anyways, the Rebels...
a team i intend to keep a close eye on this year - im expecting them to be more than mere whipping boys although the new format (playing bulk of games against aussie teams) wont help them. i fancy them however to at least trouble western force, and could pose a threat for the other 3 aussie teams.

read this - could be funky...

The Melbourne Rebels are set to unleash an exciting "hybrid" form of the game when they make their Super Rugby debut against the Waratahs on Friday.

Rod Macqueen's side have held training sessions with the coaching staff from Aussie Rules club Carlton and have also utilised the services of rugby league great Andrew Johns to ensure a flying start to their campaign. The Rebels also hope that an exciting brand of rugby will help them lure more Wallabies to the fledgling franchise.

''I would like to think we can excite some Wallaby types, and if our style of play can be developed relatively quickly, and players see us playing a new style of rugby, there may be some real attraction there,'' Rebels chief executive Ross Oakley told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"We will be taking parts of Australian football, parts of rugby league, and incorporating it into our game. It will be a hybrid union mix that will incorporate strengths of the other two codes.

''We recently had the full Carlton coaching squad coaching our side, and they also had them play a full game of AFL. There are some tactics that we have talked about and drawn from Australian football that will be significant plans for us, and the Carlton coaching squad have spent time with us teaching us techniques.

"I think there will be aspects of our game that are brand new. There's certainly some excitement among our established players over what we're doing. I think rugby aficionados will think, 'That's interesting.'''

Johns has spent much of his time with headline-grabbing recruit Danny Cipriani, who Oakley has backed to shine this season. ''It is not easy, certainly not when you've come from a background where he has been the star player and everything is laid at his feet,'' Oakley said. ''He has tremendous potential, and I would expect he will turn this competition on its ear when he finds his place. I don't think it's too far away - he can set a game alight in a moment of football.''

personally, i can't wait. it's gonna be bonerific!

[WhiteKnightoftheWeld]

rebels - looks like a feisty one!

2 yellows in first 5 mins, and cipriani gets brought on from the bench after only 8 minutes!

[mikerob]

Sounds like a marketing gimmick from the Rebels to attract Melbourne punters who know nothing about union...

Of course, he hasn't said if they are taking the best bits or worst bits of the other sports... the Rebels game plan could be based upon hoofing the ball downfield like AFL and a de-powered scrum like RL!