Former Springbok assistant and Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer has warned of an impending catastrophe if teams do not get their planning right for this year’s Super Rugby competition.

SuperSport

While many are still unsure what to expect, and coaches have been widely quoted as saying the new format — which sees teams split into country conferences, a 15th team and a longer playoff series — is like heading into the “unknown”, Meyer is concerned at the impact that such a long competition will have on squads, especially in a World Cup year.

The competition now runs to 19 weeks, as opposed to the 15 in the Super 14, and while organisers have tried to accentuate the local derby element in the fixtures, it brings all sorts of interesting permutations in terms of squad depth, player rest and fatigue which will have a massive impact on the competition.

Meyer, who became the first South African coach to win the Super 14 with the Bulls, and narrowly lost out to incumbent Springbok coach Pieter de Villiers for the top job, warned that teams that don’t plan meticulously for the new format will be left high and dry as the competition wears on.

“Most people don’t realise just how tough this competition will be on players. The Super 14 was tough, but to be at your best week in and out for 19 weeks in a physical battle against the top players in the world is no easy thing to do,” Meyer told SuperSport.com.

“Two things will win this competition — depth and conditioning. But if your planning isn’t spot on, then you will have little chance as well. The way the competition is set up now that unless you get a home quarterfinal, the teams that have to travel away almost have zero chance of winning.

“In the past you needed to finish first and second ensuring you had a good chance of winning the title. Now if you don’t finish in the top four, then it will be very difficult to progress.

” This makes the stakes of winning your local conference so much higher. And with that, Meyer believes, it may even see teams resting players against overseas sides to ensure their chances are better in their own conference.

PHYSICAL DERBIES

“It will be tough and those derbies will be massively physical. You will probably see teams choosing their strongest line-ups for the derbies, but they will need to manage their players well, especially when the teams are overseas.

“For a team like the Bulls, they only have Morne Steyn at flyhalf who has played Super Rugby. They will need to develop a new flyhalf there as he cannot play every week. It was tough enough when players had to play 13 weeks in a row.

” Meyer adds that his concern stems further, as some South African teams may not have the necessary depth needed to do well in the competition.

“I feel we have more depth than the Australian sides, but some South African sides don’t have as much depth as others. Two weeks after the end of the competition, the Currie Cup and Tri-Nations begin, which will mean the top players will need to be rested. The depth will then be tested.

“This is going to change the face of South African rugby, and you can probably see a number of top provincial players miss the opening rounds of the Currie Cup, because you will need to rest them somewhere, otherwise your players will be overplayed.

” The reality is that the competition will start in a World Cup year, and unless teams get that balance right, it could be a long 19 weeks for them.