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World Cup gloom puts dampeners on Super 12 launch

The Super 12 tournament's position as a premiere showcase for rugby will be under scrutiny this year with the sport's power shift to the Northern Hemisphere.

England's World Cup win in November, which was built around sound forward play and accurate kicking, has called into question the Super 12's role in preparing Southern Hemisphere teams for international play.

Since its birth with professional rugby in 1996, the Super 12 has considered itself a trendsetting competition which produces unfettered rugby, high on skill and pace.

Northern Hemisphere observers have tended at the same time to denounce the competition as one bent on producing high-scoring matches at the expense of fundamentals.

That view gained credence after England's World Cup win which came at the expense of the three Super 12 partners, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

South Africa left the World Cup in the quarterfinals, New Zealand at Australia's hands in the semifinals and Australia as the victims of England's extra-time win in the final.

Although New Zealand and England were on opposite sides of the draw and did not meet in Cup play, an English team had already beaten New Zealand in New Zealand in June.

That win was England's second in succession over the All Blacks and followed comprehensive wins over South Africa and Australia in recent years.

England's superiority over its Southern Hemisphere opponents and, particularly, its notable strength in forward play has now begun to prick the attention of key thinkers among the Super 12 partners.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry has already involved himself in the preparations of New Zealand's five franchises for a competition which starts on Feb. 20.

While Henry has said it is beyond his authority to demand a greater emphasis on forward play from the New Zealand teams, he has at least encouraged them to pay attention to that part of their game.

Henry's Australian counterpart Eddie Jones has similarly called for the three Australian franchises to heed the lessons of the World Cup.

"One thing we would like to see is a big improvement in set piece work," Jones told a New Zealand newspaper this week. "We need those areas to be more consistent.

"The World Cup showed quite clearly that the Northern Hemisphere is superior to us in those areas."
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