Super Rugby Pacific: All Blacks legends slam quality of Australian franchises

There have only been three rounds in the competition so far, while cross-border matches have yet to take place, but Kirwan and Wilson have been left in little doubt as to where the respective teams currently stand.

New Zealand franchises have dominated their Aussie rivals over the past few seasons and it is looking unlikely that will change in 2022.

Australia aren’t producing the type of talent they had during the glory years in the 1990s and early 2000s, while their best players have often gone overseas, even in their prime.

Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete are both in their late 20s but plying their trade in Japan, with 31-year-old Rory Arnold still in France after signing for Toulouse in 2019.

“The number of quality players that they don’t have in Australia at the moment is definitely weakening their Super Rugby sides,” Wilson said on The Breakdown in New Zealand. “Michael Hooper‘s not playing at the moment, Andrew Kellaway’s not playing, who was outstanding last year.

“But because they’ve got five teams and then you remove this level of talent from across those sides, I think it’s damaging their Super Rugby chances but also some of their confidence as players because they’re just not here to make these connections with these guys.

“And we need superstars in the game. We’ve got Ardie Savea on the top of his game; Will Jordan playing fantastic. At the moment I’m looking across the Tasman and I’m going where are they? Where are the game-changers? Where are the guys that we want to come and watch so it’s going to be a more even competition?”

Kirwan believes that due to lack of talent in Australia they are unable to sustain five franchises and is adamant they need to cull one of them to develop as a rugby nation.

“We’ve had