“Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.” Robert C. Gallagher

 

Change may throw us off in the beginning but in the end it’s how we adapt to that change that separates losers from the winners.” Junior Mpisane

 

The new Vodacom Super Rugby format brought a lot of confusion with it but after a while we all had to get used to monitoring three different logs and combining the information to produce one log with the table-toppers and the wild cards. With further expansion expected in the near future I don’t see the competition returning to the old format – the best we can hope for is having mixed groups and less derbies

Back to the rugby – I’ve said a lot about the Sharks and our biggest downfall, which was our inconsistency. At times we played like amateurs then turned around and played like champions – too often during one match. We have the talent - hopefully next season we’ll return with new strategies and a bit more self-belief.

 

There were mixed emotions for the other South African teams too as they all had their moments of brilliance as well as some “facepalm” moments.

 

The Stormers let themselves down after doing all the hard work to secure a home semifinal but we can’t judge their whole campaign based on that lost knockout match. They should be looking to go one or two steps further next season, and with their mixture of young and experienced players - they are in a good position. I’m also looking forward to seeing their exciting backline players benefiting the Springboks.

 

The Bulls will be disappointed that they couldn’t make it three titles in a row, especially with their stalwarts playing their last Super Rugby season. Sentiments aside, they did well to push themselves to contention after that bad start. Victor Matfield and gang will leave some big shoes that need filling, but the Bulls have wasted no time when it comes to opening that chequebook and signing some new talent. They’ll be back.

 

The Cheetahs also played some brilliant rugby going forward but their defence left a lot to be desired. You can score 6 tries but if you let the opponents score 7 then you will lose the match. Simple. They can brag about being the only SA side to beat the Crusaders this season – but there’s still a lot of work to be done if they want to move a few steps closer to the top of the log.

 

The Lions should thank the newcomers, the Rebels, for saving them from the wooden spoon. Promising at times but simply not good enough for this level of the game. They need to find a way to turn those “bonus point losses” into wins. We had all hoped that they would benefit from the cash injection but since the deal fell through we are all left with questions. Hopefully they’ll sort everything out and come back stronger next season.

 

I salute the Crusaders for rising above all circumstances and making it to the final. I look at that abandoned match against the Hurricanes and I wonder if that’s where they lost the points that would’ve helped them secure a home semifinal and spared them the trip to Cape Town and back just before the final.

 

It’s all said and done – the Reds are worthy champions for the kind of rugby they played all season and for standing their ground in the final in front of their fans. Formats may change but the formula remains the same – securing a home semifinal and final improves your odds of winning the title by A LOT.