Boyd no fan of Super conference system
In a proper competition, there’s no way the Hurricanes and Chiefs would be preparing for back-toback encounters.
No, by virtue of having the second best record in Super Rugby, the Hurricanes should be hosting the Jaguares in next week’s quarterfinals. Instead, the conference system decrees that the Hurricanes are actually fourth, despite being six points clear of the ‘‘second’’ placed Waratahs and nine ahead of the Lions in ‘‘third’’.
The Hurricanes’ reward will be to play the Chiefs in a quarterfinal who, by actual record, are this year’s third best team.
The injustice of the conference system isn’t news but that didn’t stop Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd bringing it up yesterday, having named a team for tomorrow night’s round-robin clash with the Chiefs in Hamilton.
‘‘The Crusaders are entrenched at No 1 and the Lions are going to finish top of their conference, the Waratahs are going to finish top of their conference and then the Chiefs and Hurricanes are going to finish fourth and fifth, or fifth and fourth,’’ Boyd said.
‘‘The vagaries of the competition structure, given the pools, means that potentially both the Hurricanes and the Chiefs will finish higher, or thereabouts, than the Waratahs and Lions but don’t enjoy the privilege of getting the home playoff, so that’s an interesting feature of the competition.’’
The Hurricanes and Chiefs do get the benefit of playing the Blues twice, but no-one pretends the New Zealand conference isn’t more hard-fought than the Australian and South African ones. Not only do teams such as the Waratahs and Lions get that legup, they’re guaranteed some home advantage as well.
Sanzaar would prefer New Zealand coaches pretended to love the format and didn’t agitate for change. Boyd’s got little to lose, though, given this is his last season in Super Rugby before taking up a three-year contract with English club Northampton.
Even though he won’t be involved, Boyd’s behind a return to the old pre-conference format.
‘‘At the end of the day I think most pundits would enjoy a straight round-robin and bestman standing gets the job [type system]. What that will end up being in time, with Sanzaar, will depend on windows and all sorts of things that are way past my pay scale,’’ said Boyd.
In the meantime, the Hurricanes have the Chiefs to play in Hamilton tomorrow. Mike Fraser is the referee with Ben Skeen, who has been quite prominent this season, the Television Match Official.
‘‘I don’t even know who Ben Skeen is. I’m sure whoever the TMO is will have their usual input,’’ Boyd said.
And would he describe that input as too much or just right?
‘‘I think the balance between the guy in the middle with the pea [in his whistle] and the two guys that are AR’ing [assistant refereeing] and the TMO, I think the balance of those four gentlemen getting their influence right is [a] work in progress.’’