Quiet start to Super 15

The Super 15 kicks off in Australia today, but South African and New Zealand sides will have to wait another week before starting their campaigns for the third edition of the tournament in this format.

The haphazard start to the competition, with the Aussies beginning a week early, is to accommodate the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia in June by giving Wallaby coach Robbie Deans an extra week to prepare his team in mid-year.

For a tournament that already has critics because of its long duration, high player attrition rate, odd format in which not all the teams meet each other and a three-week June break, this staggered start is another negative aspect.

There is understandable hype in Australia, where the Western Force and Rebels start the competition in Melbourne this morning followed by the Brumbies and the Reds, who are set to clash in Canberra tomorrow.

There has been a minor war of words between Brumbies coach Jake White and Reds counterpart Ewen McKenzie, and the return of Clyde Rathbone after injury and depression threatened to derail his life is one positive subplot to the underwhelming opening weekend.

For South Africans, though, there will be little more than a cursory glance at what happens across the Indian Ocean, because next Friday sees the Bulls hosting the Stormers in a traditional north-south super derby. As far as South Africans are concerned, that's when the Super 15 really starts.

The following day the Cheetahs welcome the Sharks to Bloemfontein, and it won't be a warm reception. The Kings make their historical debut against the Force in Port Elizabeth.

Although the matches this weekend have little more than passing interest, the implementation of several new "game management" aspects will be interesting.

There are extended television match official protocols that will be used in the Super 15.

This will enable the television match official to consider "clear and obvious" infringements in the lead-up to the scoring of a try.

The television match official, referee and assistant referees will be able to refer these incidents as far back as the last restart of play but no further than two phases (a phase is defined as a ruck or maul). Previously the television match official could only be used to look at the actual scoring of the try over the try-line.

The television match official can also be asked to assist with incidents of foul play, but only on the basis that it is serious enough to warrant a red or yellow card in the opinion of the referee.

In addition Super 15 coaches and referees have agreed on three areas that the game should concentrate on in 2013 to improve the spectacle for fans.

These are: quick ball, scrum engagement and creating space. The refs will focus on key elements under each of these headings.

In the scrum, referees are looking for stability before calling "set"; the tighthead must drive straight and the loosehead must hit-up and bind among some other technical issues. In terms of quick ball, the main focus for referees will be that the tackler must roll away from the scrumhalf and not towards him; the tackler assist must clearly release the ball-carrier while sealing off and players taking defenders out in front of the ball will also be penalised.

Finally, under the heading of creating space, there will be greater focus on ruck management and stringent application of the law for players to stop advancing if they are in an offside position following a kick-and-chase.