World Cup could restore the gloss

By WYNNE GRAY

Some of the super may have been fading from the Super 12 in recent years, but there is nothing like a World Cup year to breathe new life into this competition.

That fifth global tournament is 237 days away, but in a mere seven days the Super 12 kicks off again.

What does the series hold this year, what relevance will it have for the World Cup, and what will we have learned by late May and the conclusion of the competition?

It's time to consider a few ideas, ponder a few scenarios, offer a few wishes, lay hands on the crystal ball and just muse about the Super 12, which has changed the face of rugby in the Southern Hemisphere since its 1996 birth.

Someone please ensure that rugby rather than referees hogs the early limelight, because edicts about strict rulings and World Cup appointments should make everyone uneasy.

Until sides such as the Chiefs and the Bulls threaten the top four there will always a little bit of a soft underbelly to the competition.

Maybe this is the year when it will change, maybe George W. Bush will call off the conflict with Iraq.

Performance, says All Black coach John Mitchell, is the solitary Super 12 criterion for anyone and everyone who wants to be an All Black this year.

No free rides, no reliance on reputation. Amateur selectors ... sharpen your pencils.

Every year there are inspiring comebacks. Will that be the case in 2003 for Ron Cribb, Troy Flavell, Jerry Collins, Brad Thorn, Anton Oliver, Nathan Sharpe, Tom Bowman, Joe Roff, David Giffin, Johan Ackermann, Bobby Skinstad or Cobus Visagie?

Debate about who should be national captain will move to another level about the middle of the competition just as the Highlanders host the Crusaders.

At this stage Reuben Thorne is a slight favourite, but who would discount Anton Oliver, Taine Randell, Tana Umaga, Andrew Mehrtens or Xavier Rush?

The list of those deemed unfit for the All Black tour last season to Europe was extensive. Has the rest dulled their instincts, given them a boost or will they continue to be shut out by their replacements?

Will Richie McCaw and Marty Holah be used in tandem as All Black flankers, can Umaga be persuaded to play on the wing, will Aaron Mauger rediscover his 2001 form, has anyone checked if Brad Thorn wants to play for the All Blacks, and wouldn't it be great if we saw a variety of successful styles from the New Zealand sides?

Every year some big names are missing from the tournament. Remember Christian Califano, Mark Robinson, Deon Muir, Royce Willis, Bruce Reihana, Dion Waller, Gordon Slater, Andrew Hore, Daryl Gibson, Ben Blair and Jeff Wilson? And that's just in New Zealand.

The acid is still on Jonah Lomu if the big fella is to make his third World Cup. 'Course it will help if the Hurricanes give him the ball.

It's tough to identify some long-shots for an extended All Black squad, but there was a hint when teenage wing Joe Rokocoko and loose forward Angus MacDonald were asked to this year's opening national training camp.

Eventually someone will demand an answer. Who is going to win the Super 12? As usual, all you can do is go on hunches and a bit of history.

The South African sides still face travel difficulties and selection dramas. The Waratahs might cause some trouble. But why go past the magnificent record of the rested Crusaders, with the heat coming from the Blues, Brumbies and Highlanders?