Riot act saved the Waratahs but has proven Super Rugby’s ‘fundamental flaw’

Waratahs coach Dan McKellar was forced to bring out the old school system to rev up his repeatedly lacklustre team over the Western Force. But in doing so, the riot act has proven Super Rugby’s ‘fundamental flaw.’

With more losses than wins and a points balance deficit approaching 100 over the course of the season, the Waratahs can count themselves lucky they still have a shot at making the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs heading into the final round.

But, they can also consider themselves unfortunate as they languish in eighth spot on the ladder following their thrilling extra-time win over the Western Force on the weekend.

Some credit is due to the Waratahs then for staying in the hunt after their season seemed beyond saving.

The wowsers will disagree but NSW’s gutsy 22-17 comeback victory over the Force was a win for old-school rugby.

Fed up with his team’s repeated lacklustre efforts that led to four deflating losses on the trot, Waratahs coach Dan McKellar turned back the page and evoked rugby’s oldest and most reliable method of motivation.

Darby Lancaster scored the winning try in extra time for the NSW Waratahs against the Western Force.

Instead of mollycoddling his underperforming players, MacKellar ripped them to shreds, questioning their commitment and courage. Then he wielded the axe.

Nothing spurs a player to lift their game more than the fear of being sacked and, lo and behold, it triggered the immediate response McKellar wanted.

There’s an obvious lesson in that for the brains trust at Rugby Australia and their obsession with hiring foreign or older coaches who seem to prefer therapy sessions over reading the riot act.

Rugby’s a tough sport and dealing with criticism is part and parcel of what it takes to compete at the highest level even if it means copping a bollocking at times. Australia needs to restore that philosophy if the Wallabies ever want to get back to the top where they used to be.

Even with the last-gasp win over the Force, the odds are still against the Waratahs making the playoffs because they need to beat the Blues in Auckland next weekend and rely on other results going their way.

After conceding an average of 31 points and 4.6 tries per game, the Waratahs have got no-one to blame for their predicament but themselves although they are entitled to feel aggrieved by the competition’s outdated and convoluted bonus point system.

Super Rugby Pacific already panders too much to mediocrity by granting playoff berths to more than half of the 11 teams in the tournament but the bonus points system is ludicrously flawed.

The Auckland Blues could make the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific playoffs despite losing more games than they have won.

Rewarding teams with a bonus point for playing attacking rugby and scoring a stack of tries is one thing, but awarding consolation points for losing close games is rugby’s version of ensuring every child gets a ribbon for participating.

It’s a pitiful notion that doesn’t cut it in the cutthroat world of professional sports because it reinforces the defeatist message that losing is OK.

No wonder, other football codes haven’t adopted the concept.

The NRL and AFL certainly don’t give away free competition points to losers. Nor do soccer leagues, who value victories at three times the level of draws.

The NFL doesn’t even bother with points, they just rank teams according to the number of wins they accumulate.

If any of the other football systems were used in Super Rugby Pacific, the Waratahs would currently be tied with Moana Pasifika in sixth place, with six wins and seven losses.

But instead, NSW find themselves stuck in eighth, two points behind the Auckland Blues, who have won just five matches this season, one less than the Waratahs.

The discrepancy is the result of the bonus points. The Waratahs have only picked up two extra points, the lowest of any team in the competition, just one of which was for their seven-point loss to Queensland in May.

Tate McDermott has been instrumental in leading the Queensland Reds to the playoffs.

However, the Blues’ season tally has been inflated with eight gifted points, the equivalent of two victories, including four points from close losses.

With the added advantage of playing at home next week, the Blues are now firmly in the box seat to qualify for the postseason.

But if the Waratahs do manage to win and qualify for the playoffs, it won’t be because of any free leg up because they’ll have earned it the hard way.

At the very least, Australia should have two teams in the finals.

The ACT Brumbies are already assured of their place and a home quarter-final but can secure the chance of a home semi if they can beat the Crusaders in Canberra and finish in the top two.

The Reds are likely to finish fourth or fifth while the Force are already out of contention.

Originally published as Riot act saved the Waratahs but has proven Super Rugby’s ‘fundamental flaw’