0
Call for finals revamp
BY PETER FITZGERALD Call for finals revamp - Local News - Sport - Rugby Union - The Canberra Times
16/05/2008 9:03:00 AM
Western Force captain Nathan Sharpe has reignited calls for Super 14 governing body SANZAR to increase the competition's finalists from four to six teams.
With one round of the season left before the play-offs, seven sides remain in the race to play elimination rugby.
Despite neither the Force or ACT Brumbies being in the running, Sharpe believed it was time competition bosses expanded the number of finalists to give teams more motivation at the latter end of the season.
''This competition is very open and when you come to the last round and there are so many sides that can still make the finals, you'd probably like to see a little more reward for your efforts of the past six or seven months,'' the Wallabies lock said.
''When you get so close but miss out by one or two points, as some teams will again this year, you don't really see that as enough reward. ''If you opened it to a top six, it
would increase the intensity required to take the championship.''
The Force began the season with four wins in six games but has again finished poorly. It's a similar scenario to last season when the West Australians were in the hunt for the finals before four losses from their final five games saw them finish seventh, 10 points adrift from the fourth-placed Auckland Blues.
The Brumbies have been arguably the biggest losers under the top-four format. Since winning the Super rugby championship in 2004, the Canberra-based team has finished fifth, sixth and fifth. They have missed the finals due to a lack of bonus points on each occasion.
Three weeks ago they left for their three-week end-of-season tour of South Africa and Perth as genuine prospects for a finals berth. But back-to-back losses overseas has ensured the Brumbies will finish no higher than eighth and as far back as 10th it will be their worst finish to a season in a decade and second-worst ever.
Sharpe had little sympathy for the Brumbies but accepted they had been unlucky not to have reached the play-offs in four years.
''This is the type of competition where one poor performance can cripple your season,'' he said.
''I don't think anyone wants a comp where one game can make or break you and where every match has so much significance.''
Both the Brumbies and Force completed preparations for the game with their respective captain's runs at Subiaco Oval yesterday.
Force winger Drew Mitchell suffered a freakish ankle injury which is expected to sideline him from tonight's match.
Before training, Brumbies captain Stirling Mortlock did his best to spark some trash-talk between the sides, even if it was with a smile on his face as he attacked good friend and Force flyhalf Matt Giteau.
''He got knocked out mid-season and while I got knocked out the same weekend, I got done by [Auckland Blues hooker] Keven Mealamu who's pretty solid whereas Gits got knocked out by Sam Norton-Knight, who's built like a toothpick.''