Wallabies assistant blames watered-down Super Rugby competition for shocking capitulation at World Cup

Wallabies assistant coach Pierre-Henry Broncan has put the blame for Australia’s disastrous World Cup campaign not on coach Eddie Jones but the Super Rugby competition, declaring the lack of world class competition had left players exposed at Test level.

Broncan, a Frenchman, said the departure of South African teams – and those from Japan and Argentina – from Super Rugby post Covid had a direct impact on the fortunes of the Wallabies.

Having seen the pressure applied in top European competitions for teams fighting for survival, he said Australian players playing against each other and New Zealanders was a poor breeding ground for international players.

‘A big difference between the Top 14 and European Cup and your Super Rugby competition in Australia, with New Zealand, is the pressure,’ Broncan told reporters.

‘In France, we have pressure every game because there are massive things about relegation or qualification. It’s very important for the French and European teams.