New Zealand derby outrates every game involving Australian teams

THE thin spread of talent across five Australian Super Rugby teams is not an excuse for poor performance, says Michael Cheika as ratings reveal ugly figures for the local teams.

DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND — MARCH 04: Waisake Naholo (L) of the Highlanders and George Bridge of the Crusaders compete for the high ball during the round two Super Rugby match between the Highlanders and the Crusaders at Forsyth Barr Stadium on March 4, 2017 in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)

TALENT spread thin across five Australian teams is no excuse for the poor performances of Australia’s Super Rugby players, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has declared ahead of a SANZAAR board meeting this week.

Cheika says he will accept the ARU cutting one of its five teams at Thursday’s meeting if it is in the best interests of Australian rugby, but made clear that the current crop of players must not use having five teams as an excuse for the disastrous start to the 2017 season.

The Melbourne Rebels have leaked 127 points in the first two games, the Brumbies are also winless after two games for the first time since 1999, and the Waratahs lost 55-36 to the Lions last weekend — the first time they’ve conceded 50 points since their 96-19 thrashing to the Crusaders in 2002.

The Force v Reds clash had fewer viewers than the Highlanders v Crusaders clash.

It comes as television figures show a New Zealand derby outrated every game involving Australian teams on Australia’s Fox Sports last week.

“Players can play well whether they’re playing in five teams or four teams, nothing stops chaps stepping up to the mark and tackling people and putting their mark on the game,” Cheika said.

“Sometimes we look too much for excuses; ‘Oh we’ve expanded or we’ve got too many teams or this or that’.

“Bring it right back to the footy and say, ‘Let’s just play better, let’s make our involvements in the game count’.

“That might be more difficult over five teams, it may not be. What I don’t want to have is [people saying] ‘We are where we are because we have five teams’, because that’s not necessarily true. Players who are playing in those five teams can still play good footy.

The match between the Highlanders and Crusaders had a bigger audience than the local clashes.

“Playing better will come from hard work, being fitter, being better at our skills, better decision-making.”

New Zealand teams have made those key aspects hallmarks of their game and it’s clear even Australian fans would prefer to see them in action than their own sides.

The Highlanders v Crusaders game, a thrilling, pulsating contest showcasing the best of Kiwi rugby, had more viewers than the prime time Brumbies v Sharks game in Canberra, and the Western Force v Queensland derby on Thursday night.

The midnight game between the Lions and Waratahs, which turned out to be an entertaining and attacking spectacle, expectedly only had 14,000 given the inconvenient time zone.

It puts pressure on Australia to cut a side as part of an overhaul of the 18-team Super Rugby competition that is both confusing and unappealing with its clunky finals permutations.

“The decisions around going back to four aren’t necessarily based on the high performance of the national team, it’s more about the competition of Super Rugby is going to be, it’s what the Super Rugby product is looking like,” Cheika said.

Originally published as New Zealand derby outrates every game involving Australian teams