Super Rugby expansion has diluted quality, says Graham Henry

Former New Zealand coach Graham Henry believes the decision to expand Super Rugby has diluted the quality of the competition.

The competition's controlling body SANZAAR, representing South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina rugby, this year expanded the competition to 18 teams split into four conferences. 

However, Henry, the 2011 All Blacks World Cup winning coach who also coached the Blues to two Super titles, said there was not the depth to support all the franchises.

"The policy of SANZAAR is to have a global game and they've got the game in Japan and they've got the game in Argentina, some of the games are in Singapore, so they they've fulfilled that objective but in doing that the quality has decreased."

With five rounds remaining before this year's play-offs, New Zealand teams fill the top four places with the Crusaders, Chiefs and Highlanders on 37 points, one ahead of the Hurricanes on 36. 

"New Zealand sides are a cut above the others, which is disappointing really because you need the other sides strong to have a good competition and increase the interest," Henry told Radio Sport.

Under SANZAR rules the conference leaders must fill the top four seeds in the play-offs which will elevate South Africa's Lions (32 points), and Stormers (31), followed by Australia's Waratahs (30) into the second, third and fourth places. 

Hurricanes assistant coach John Plumtree, who was previously head coach of the Sharks in South Africa, said the current set up made it important to win the New Zealand conference. 

"You don't want to be left having to travel to South Africa for a quarter-final and then back possibly to Australia or New Zealand for a semi and then off again somewhere," he said.

But Plumtree said the competition could not be run any other way and in time, standards would improve across the board.

"The people in South Africa and the people in Australia want to see big games, finals games in those countries, in a competition like this, so I can't see that changing.

"There's no way there's going to be two or three quarter-finals in New Zealand and a couple of semis. It won't happen. There's more to it than that. You have to be patient."