The playing field is level

rugby365's Jan de Koning takes a pre-season look at the Super 14, with a month to go to the start of the tournament and the first warm-up game less than a week away. He suggests that the playing field is 'level' for all the teams.

How refreshing is it to be in a pre-season? The eager expectation of something new, the promise by all the coaches that this year their team will do better than the last.

The unspoiled, uncontaminated nature of it all makes for such an exciting build-up.

The bookmakers may have installed the seven-time champion Crusaders as early 'favourites' - and rightly they should. The same bookmakers, who always set their odds based on where the money is expected to go, have the Hurricanes, Sharks and Stormers as the other teams that will make the play-offs.

The Stormers sneaked into this top four because that is where the South African money will go. The New Zealand bookies have the Blues ahead of the Stormers, while the Aussie bookies rate the Waratahs their best team.

However, if you look at the standings, it simply says that all teams still have the same chance of winning.

Yes, the playing field is literally level.

No team has been required to put their skills to the test. They can promise the world, because they have another month before they need to deliver.

As has become the norm, all coaches dismiss pre-season matches as 'trials' - an opportunity to test your players and squad and see what is available.

For some these warm-up matches will indeed be an indication as to what work is required.

But they can still dismiss defeats with a "we are taking our lessons to heart" retort.

It won't be till February 13, when the Highlanders host the Brumbies in Dunedin, that teams will have to start answering for their defeats.

That is why the pre-seasons air is always filled with eager anticipation. Even the long suffering fans from teams like the Lions, Reds and Cheetahs can live in hope of a better season.

* Do you agree/disagree with Jan? Who is your favourite team? Who will win? This is the place to debate it.