Super 14, 2007, so, who's been watching with their normal religious fervor this season?  And if not, why not?

There is no debating the point though (or I don't think so), that the 2007 version is not up to the usual high standard, hence the viewers not watching, but there are other reasons for the lack of interest, other than the shite play.

Among the reasons of course, the obvious ones, that being the All Blacks not being involved for the first seven weeks or so.  But even that can't take all the blame for the at times sub NPC standard rugby we have been getting.  Sure the standards have been lowered, but apart from the Hurricanes, who have been terrible without their All Blacks, the Kiwi teams have not really been affected that much.

The Blues are leading the competition, the Crusaders are second.  Perhaps the Crusaders would have been first, and not second if they had been playing their full compliment of All Blacks, but they are still there at the top of the table.

The Chiefs are horrible as per usual, but injuries to their All Blacks and fringe All Blacks, as opposed to not having their resting All Blacks has hurt them more.  Gibbes and Robinson, both All Black locks, have been on the disabled list more often than not, and that has ripped the heart out of their efforts.

The Highlanders have battled along well without Oliver and Hayman, their pack still being one of the better ones in the Super 14.  So it hasn't been for lack of grunt up front that they have been losing.  It's been their injuries and lack of class players out back that has stifled their winning ways.  Not being able to convert possession into points is not good when you want to win games!

The Hurricanes, well, just plain horrible - and when you remove an All Black loose trio, two All Black tight forwards, and an All Black halfback from a team that has never (until last season) had a forward pack that demanded respect from 1 through 8, what do you expect!!  But even that is not the real reason the Canes have been shite.  They don't have, and never really have had, a match winning first five.  Hell, returning All Black Piri Weepu has been forced into that roll for them.

So no All Blacks might not have affected the teams performances that much, it would certainly have affected the viewing figures, both live and on the box.  But still, it is not the only cause.  We must look further, and next stop, Convictland.

Yes, the absolute terrible rugby that is coming from across the ditch.  The Waratahs have plummeted from grace, the Reds have continued to be shite, and even the Brumbies, with their aging stable of stars have not been performing as well as they have in the past.  So when these teams are playing, who is going to watch unless their team is playing?  The Chiefs versus the Reds game last week was a nightmare to watch, even for a Chiefs fan.  So when the Refs play anyone else, why the hell would you watch them play!  To be fair to our cousins over there though, the Chiefs, and Hurricanes have put in some ordinary performances too, but not to the consistent level that the Ockers have managed to maintain!  The Wobbly teams not doing so well will of course be turning off all the fringe viewers in Oz too, the bandwagon jumpers and the like.

Another reason viewers will be turning away will be thanks to the IRB and their new scrum rules.  The crouch, hold, dance a jig, touch your left, touch your right, touch yourself, engage, scrum calls have caused the game to become a farce at the set piece.  All they needed to do was tell the Refs to get the scrums setting closer, and leave all the calls the same as previous.  But nooooo, they want the Refs talking even MORE on the rugby field - not as if we don't get sick of their running commentaries already!  This will be turning more and more viewers away as the season progresses.  Even old frontrowers like myself get sick of seeing endless scrum collapses!

The main reason?  I think, even though everyone is cheering their teams on, and watching, and enjoying when they can, the Super 14 rugby, their is something looming on the horizon that is taking precedence.  I mean, who really cares who wins the 2007 Super 14, when the Rugby World Cup is just around the corner.  This I think is the main reason viewing is down.  There is something better to watch in just a few short months.  The aperitif this year is the Super 14, main course the Rugby World Cup.

So when you add all these things together, you end up with a watered down contest with minimal interest.

Although, I expect the Boer viewing figures and enjoyment will be up, as their teams are doing OK for a change!!

Anyway, roll on the bloody World Cup please!  The rugby one that is.