The expansion of the Super 14 rugby finals to a six-team play-off next year is all but a certainty after this season’s logjam saw two form teams miss the cut.
Sanzar officials have been considering revamping the finals, with the most obvious first step being to increase the number of teams involved following repeated complaints that a four-team final is far too restrictive, reports the RugbyHeaven website.
The Stormers missed out on a finals spot to the Hurricanes this year on the basis of their for-and-against points, while the Blues finished one point short of the four in sixth spot despite beating the Hurricanes on Friday.
Blues coach David Nucifora became the latest to join the call for an extended finals series. ”It certainly needs to be looked at,” said Nucifora, who is set to join the Australian Rugby Union as the head of its high-performance unit.
”Four teams out of a 14-team competition is tough. It comes down to this every year, and probably a six-team finals play-off would be a better scenario.
”I think people would see some great football in a six-team finals race. This competition is too tough. It is one of the toughest in the world because of all the extraordinary factors that make it up.”
Nucifora said Friday’s nail-biting, two-point victory over the Hurricanes was ”probably as good an advertisement for an expanded finals format as you could see”. – Sapa