Leaner, tougher Super Rugby

• New format disadvantages teams

Although the South African Super Rugby contingent has been cut from six to four teams‚ there is no guarantee there will be an improvement in player depth at each franchise.

Although the South African Super Rugby contingent has been cut from six to four teams‚ there is no guarantee there will be an improvement in player depth at each franchise.

The Cheetahs and Southern Kings are still involved in PRO 14 rugby so little of their talent has been incorporated into the four remaining Super Rugby franchises — the Bulls‚ Lions‚ Sharks and Stormers.

Playing depth will remain an issue for all SA teams‚ especially when injuries inevitably set in.

The tournament structure has also reverted to its 2012-15 incarnation with 15 teams playing eight interconference and eight cross–conference games.

While the format is a return to something resembling strength versus strength‚ it is still flawed as not every team play all the others.

Each SA team for instance‚ will miss out on playing one New Zealand and one Australian conference team. The other factor is that the fixture list can also penalise some teams and benefit others‚ which has always been the case in Super Rugby. Until every team play all the others on a home and away basis‚ the match schedule will always come under scrutiny.

But compared with the laborious mess of 18 teams over the past two seasons the format is an improvement.

With only one play-off place reserved for the SA Conference winners (as opposed to three previously)‚ making the quarterfinals will require more ruthlessness and consistency. The top team from each conference will go through and the next five best teams on the log also progress to the post season.

It partly eliminates the farcical situation of having teams with fewer points qualifying for the post season because they have been ring fenced. In theory though‚ the top SA team could have fewer points than the third best NZ team‚ but that NZ team should still make the play-offs.

So what then of the SA challenge in 2018?