SARU concerns 'nonsense'
Sydney - South African concerns that the expanded Super Rugby tournament will lead to players suffering from exhaustion at this year's World Cup have been laughed off by their Australian counterparts.
Instead Australian officials and coaches argue that player fatigue can be avoided through mature management.
With just over a week before the start of the Super Rugby competition, which involves a 33 percent increase in the number of games, a new conference structure, more local derbies and a fifth Australian team, Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has warned that players could find the new structure too demanding.
Mindful that South African provincial sides that make the finals could be involved in 19 matches between February and July in three different time zones, De Villiers said: ''There is a concern that the players could physically be totally exhausted after the Super Rugby competition. The competition is going to be more intense and therefore more exhausting.''
But when the Australian Super Rugby launch was held at the Sydney Observatory on Tuesday, there was not an oxygen bottle in sight. Instead the Australian contingent argued they wouldn't mind more top-class games.
When told of De Villiers's comments, Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill said: ''We don't share that concern, and at five minutes to midnight it is a bit late to be raising it. In planning and formating this competition, everyone had an opportunity to voice any concerns. The pros and cons were workshopped pretty thoroughly.''
O'Neill said the increase of matches from 94 to 125 and 20 local derbies compared to six last year would work in Australian Rugby's favour, as their key players needed more high level competition.
''In Australia, you see that the NRL continues on having players playing State of Origin midweek, and backing up for the clubs the next weekend. And [Wallabies coach] Robbie Deans's feeling has been that we haven't been playing enough rugby,'' O'Neill said.
''Robbie is remarkably relaxed about the season schedule. He is more excited about the amount of rugby they will be playing, in preparation for when he gets them [before the World Cup.]''
O'Neill said it should be remembered that after the Super Rugby final on July 9, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will be involved in an abbreviated Tri Nations series, involving just home and away Tests.
''If fatigue does arise, the size of the provincial squads allow you to rotate players, and that's not a new phenomenon,'' O'Neill said. The ARU will keep an eye on how the provinces use their key players, but ''our approach won't be interventionist'', he said.
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said he was not concerned about the fatigue factor, because systems were in place to ensure it can be overcome.
''If you play high-quality rugby week in, week out, there is the potential for that to occur. The management of players is critical. You look at the European teams, and they play 10 months of the year. And they manage their players through that,'' McKenzie said.
The Super Rugby starts on February 18 when the Waratahs play the Rebels at Melbourne's AAMI Park, with O'Neill confident of a healthy Australian representation in the six-team finals series.
