OPINION: The flaw in the Nations Championship format

The Springboks and All Blacks could end the Nations Championship pool stage unbeaten, but only one can reach the 'final'. After four rounds of six in the Nations Championship pool phase an uncomfortable possibility is arising that could see the Southern Hemisphere dominate the Northern Hemisphere, but ultimately a team from the North could emerge as the overall winner with all the bragging rights. The point of the new Nations Championship competition was to ignite a renewed rivalry between the two rugby hemispheres, while seeing who could finish at the top of the pile. However, due to the format, two teams could end up winning all their pool games, but one of them will not make the main match. On the Finals Weekend at Twickenham at the end of the month the teams in each hemisphere pool will be lined against one another, depending on their finishing position, with the top team in the south taking on the top team in the north, followed by the second ranked teams lining up, and so on. Currently the Springboks sit top of the south section on a perfect 20 points, having picked up four bonus point wins, the same as the All Blacks in second. Just points difference separate them, with the Boks positive 140 better than New Zealand’s positive 73. North section In the north section, France top the group on 17 points, with Ireland second on 15. Both teams have won three games, but lost against the All Blacks in New Zealand during the July leg of the competition. If the Boks can replicate their impressive end-of-year-tour last year, where they beat both France and Ireland in Paris and Dublin, it means that one of those two teams could top the north section at the end of the pool phase having lost twice. England could also finish top, though they have already suffered a loss against the Boks in Johannesburg in July. This, while the Boks and All Blacks could both finish the pool phase unbeaten. Only one team though will advance to the “final”. A team from the north could then go on and triumph on the Finals Weekend, winning it all, even though they may have lost twice in the pool phase. But, this is all speculation, as the Boks still face two tricky opponents in France and Ireland, while the All Blacks still have a game against England to come.