The Pro14 is not fit for purpose and a rapid revamp is essential
Too bloated, too confusing, low on quality and drama, the Pro14 needs a revamp and Japan may hold the key
‘THE PRO14 CHUGS ALONG WITH TOO MANY MEANINGLESS FIXTURES’
THE fact that the Pro14 had its official launch in Cardiff earlier this week said everything about the state of this tournament. Yes, the World Cup in Japan took centre stage throughout September and October and thus overshadowed the opening five rounds of the competition, while the vast majority of the clubs were hit by international call-ups and a sizeable chunk of the Irish, Welsh and Scottish media were away covering the tournament.
But it still seemed like a bizarre move from the organisers.
In truth, the Pro14 is still proving a hard sell. This weekend has served up yet another schedule of uninspiring fare. All four provinces rested a host of frontliners, looking to peak again later this month ahead of the European double headers.
Yesterday, we were treated to such thrilling fixtures as Connacht at home to the Kings, the perennial South African strugglers, a basement battle between the Dragons and Zebre before the awful Ospreys welcomed the Cheetahs to the less-than-salubrious surroundings of the Gnoll, a token gesture to the locals of Neath.
The English Premiership and the Top14 have their own problems – salary cap issues and fixture congestion, to name but a few – but there is no getting away from the fact that both of those leagues continuously serve up far more captivating encounters.
There are simply more derbies and more drama.
Yesterday, Leicester and Northampton knocked seven bells out of each other in a ferocious East Midlands derby clash in front of a soldout Franklin’s Gardens.
Today, Pat Lam’s Bristol are in action against Declan Kidney’s London Irish, another fascinating clash. Over in France, there were heavyweights bouts in Montpellier v Lyon, Racing 92 v Bordeaux while Stade Francais – currently bottom of the Top14 table – face a trip to Brive for an early relegation battle.
Whether it’s survival, local pride or box-office stars on display, there is something on the line in all those games. Could you say the same about this weekend’s Pro14 offerings?
Far too often, this league chugs along with week on week of meaningless fixtures. The final takes place on June 20 of next year. It’s going to be a real slog until then when it’s already glaringly obvious that at least two of the Irish provinces will cruise into the play-offs.
The league has become too long, too bloated and confusing.
It is clear that the Pro14 is in dire need of a revamp.
TAKING A BEATING
NO threat of relegation can have its benefits. The security of knowing your place in the league allows a coaching staff to build a squad filled with indigenous talent while easing young players into the rigours of professional rugby.
That lack of fear of the drop lends itself to a positive attacking mindset across the league. Last season there were 881 tries scored in the Pro14, 122 more than the Premiership – but stats can be misleading.
A major reason for the discrepancy is the number of one-sided games that take place throughout the 21 rounds.
Too often, clubs send over scratch teams to venues where they feel they can’t get a result. The yearly 50-point drubbings of the Ospreys by Munster and Leinster have become an all too regular occurrence. Just seven rounds into the this tournament and we’ve already seen a Leinster second string stick 53 points on the Ospreys and a 54-point hammering of Zebre by the
Scarlets. The Welsh region also went to Edinburgh and got blitzed 46-7.
Round five saw more unmerciful beatings as the Kings had a half century put on them at Glasgow before Leinster repeated the trick later in the evening with a 50-15 demolition of the Dragons. Leo Cullen’s men – who held a 21point lead in Conference B at one stage of last season – are already pulling away while the usual suspects such as Munster and Ulster are setting the pace as well. As has been the case since the Pro12 became the Pro14 in 2017, Glasgow and the Scarlets look the only non-Irish regions capable of mounting a sustained assault on this competition. The Cheetahs have been the surprise package so far but all those clocked air miles will surely take their toll later in the season.
Since the Celtic League’s first inception in 2001, the Irish provinces have been the dominant force – winning 11 of the 18 instalments of this tournament.
But here’s the thing. That level of dominance may not be such a healthy development for the national side. The IRFU have long extolled the virtues of carefully managing the workloads of key players through central contracts, but that lack of consistent exposure to high-intensity games has not served Ireland well at World Cups.
Backing up big performances week on week has been a common failing at the global showpiece throughout the last two decades and the effect of a less than demanding domestic league must be looked at more closely.
Earlier this week, Sportsmail suggested that the Pro14 should adopt a two-tier model – expanding the league to 18 teams divided into a premier and second division – with promotion and relegation to increase the competitiveness and quality.
It’s a valid suggestion, but it is this reporter’s belief that less is more in that regard.
OUTSIDE THE BOX
The league reached its apex in 2016 when Pat Lam’s Connacht surged to a historic first title, playing a captivating brand of attacking rugby. Fittingly, the western province sealed that maiden triumph with a 20-10 over their much-vaunted provincial brethren on an unforgettable day in Murrayfield.
Soon after Connacht’s exploits, the tournament organisers saw the opportunity to expand the league with the introduction of the Cheetahs and the Kings – two South African franchises which had been turfed out of Super Rugby. There has been reports of three more franchises from the region joining the tournament next season.
The troubled history of the tournament from which the Kings and Cheetahs were cut should serve as a warning to Pro14 chiefs.
The Super 12 was once a vibrant competition containing the best sides from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Every weekend served up exciting encounters across stunning stadiums in all three counties. There were regular derbies such as the Queensland Reds and New South Wales Waratahs slugfests or bruising South African bouts between the Blue Bulls and Natal Sharks. A local derby between any of the New Zealand franchises would regularly serve up high quality contests.
The lure of big-money contracts in Europe and capitalising on TV deals led the tournament organisers – SANZAR – to tamper with this format and seek expansion. By 2017, the competition had bloated to 18 teams with the Jaguares - Argentina’s flagship Super Rugby side - and the Sunwolves - a Japanese representative outfit on board. Unsurprisingly, the quality of the games on offer suffered. The complicated three-conference structure and play-off qualifiers added to a confusion and malaise around the tournament. Attendances have become increasingly sparse with every passing season and Super Rugby has been looking to trim down ever since. The Sunwolves will be the latest team to be ejected from the competition next season, bringing the format back to a straight roundrobin 14-team format.
Rather than expanding the Pro14, tournament chiefs should look at reverting back to the 12-team format, which proved so successful. The South African teams have added little since their arrival while Zebre have been nothing but cannon fodder for quite some time. Losing those three teams would immediately drive up standards across the league, but it would leave one slot free for this revised league – which brings us back to the star attraction of the recent World Cup.
FAR EASTERN PROMISE
It’s safe to say that Japan captured hearts and minds, on and off the field, when they hosted the World Cup. The many fans who arrived back from the World Cup were armed with stories about the Japanese hospitality, efficiency and general sense of fun across the country.
Most notably, their national team played an exhilarating brand of rugby, vanquishing Ireland and Scotland on their way to topping their pool before going down all guns blazing against the Springboks in the quarter final.
Looking to build on the momentum from that tournament, Jamie Joseph and his genius attack coach Tony Brown have opted to remain with the Brave Blossoms with a view to making them a world force in time for he next World Cup in France in 2023.
Which brings us to the Sunwolves. The Japanese Super Rugby side are in limbo this year. Trying to retain or recruit players to a sinking ship has proved problematic with Keisuke Sawaki effectively assembling a team of overseas mercenaries to see out their final season in the tournament.
It leaves the heroes of Japan’s World Cup reporting back for duty within their domestic A-League. That competition has plenty of money floating around but it does not prepare players for the rigours of Test rugby.
In fact, Joseph opted to take his top players out of both competitions a year out from the World Cup.
For a moment, let’s consider that the Pro14 floated an offer for the Sunwolves to join their competition. Joseph would suddenly have a top league to keep his squad of World Cup stars together, playing their allaction game week in, week out. The arrival of a cash injection from CVC Investments into the league could further sweeten the deal and convince the Japanese clubs to release their top players for Pro12 duty.
Imagine a Sunwolves sides with the likes of Shota Horie, Michael Leitch, Yutaka Nagare, Yu Tamura, Timothy Lafaele and Kotaro Matsushima all on board? Imagine Leinster taking them on in Shizuoka - the scene of Ireland’s World Cup failure.
Logistics would be a stumbling block, but there has been little blowback over the long commutes to Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth in recent years.
It is simply an idea but there is no doubt that a fully-loaded Japanese club side would drive up standards and raise the profile of a league that is stagnating and has struggled to engage the rugby public.