Australia and, to a lesser extent, New Zealand's Rugby World Cup struggles are down to a lack of pressure in the domestic game, Wallabies assistant coach Pierre-Henry Broncan said on Thursday.
Australia are set to be knocked out of the competition in the pool stages for the first time following their thrashing by Wales and a first defeat to Fiji in 69 years.
The All Blacks, for their part, lost a pool stage match for the first time in the tournament opener against hosts France, and are at an all-time low of fourth in the world rankings.
The game in the northern hemisphere, by contrast, is thriving, with Ireland and France holding the top two spots in the world and England and Wales on course to win their pools.
For the first time in 10 World Cup editions, all the pools look set to topped by European teams.
"The big difference between Top 14 and European Cup and your Super Rugby competition in Australia with New Zealand is the pressure," Frenchman Broncan told reporters.
"In France, we have a pressure in every game because there is a massive thing about relegation, or qualification is important for the European (Champions Cup).
"In Super Rugby there is no relegation. You play just to win Super Rugby, it's a very good thing, but just against New Zealand and Australia teams," the former Castres head coach added.
One major change since the last World Cup is that after the Covid-19 pandemic, South African clubs were kicked out of Super Rugby and instead in 2021 they joined the United Rugby Championship, playing against Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian teams week in, week out.
A year later they were also integrated into the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.
"Super Rugby before Covid, with South African teams, (the) Japanese team and the Jaguares from Argentina, was a big competition," said Broncan, who will leave his post after the World Cup to return home.
"When you have Super Rugby with the South African teams it was a very tough competition, today the South African teams play in the European Cup and it was a benefit for the Northern Hemisphere, that's for sure."
- 'Big men who just want to run through you' -
That was something All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan had illuded to earlier in the week.
"It was always enjoyable playing the Boks in Super Rugby," he said.
"In my experience they're a big forward pack so you don't probably have that sort of demand in the Super Rugby competition as much as you used to."
New Zealand prop Nepo Laulala said he had noticed a bigger jump between Super Rugby and international Test levels since the South African teams left.
"It's a big step up," he said. "I reckon it has been a big blow not having the (South) Africans in Super Rugby any more.
"Just being exposed to those different types of scrummaging and big men who just want to run through you and not go around (you) or anything."
For the Australians, the lack of regular, tough competition has been even more marked due to a policy of resting certain players for certain matches throughout the club season.
Wallaby centre Lalakai Foketi said he was rested for a couple of the Waratahs' toughest matches earlier this year, both times against New Zealander opposition.
"I did get rostered off for a couple of games and I think they were against the Blues and the Crusaders, so our two hardest games," said Foketi.
"Those are the games you want to play in. If we want to learn how to handle pressure then we've got to play those games and beat the teams at the top of the Super Rugby ladder.
"We've got to play those tough games."
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