Dickhead,hit post reply before replying!Anyway,Rassie,I hardly think SA dominated even though Bulls won 3 times.They had a fairly good team at the time rather than winning because of less travel.Less travel did not help in the preceding 11 years when there were even fewer teams.
I am also jumping on the bandwagon and saying Brumbies will win despite the travel.
Having a extra team mean you have a extra game at home so to speak.
This is the Bulls away record in the history of the competition
Losses 53 76.8%
Against SA sides games followed by home and away
Wins 44 62.9% 22 62.9% 22 62.9%
Losses 24 34.3% 12 34.3% 12 34.3%
Draws 2 2.9% 1 2.9% 1 2.9%
76,8% vs 34%?
So yes adding that 5th team did help as its seen as another home game. And the Bulls always made sure they smash the Cheetahs and Lions and get a 5 pointer from them
Like I said the Bulls won only 15 times in Australasia and have 3 titles. Thanks to the comp being 14 sides. Now add another Aussie side to the equation. It add another week so that balance there was when it was 14 with the 1 week less equaled the traveling out. And if you do not think traveling really do not play a advantage. Did any side traveling go straight to Loftus for a game within a week than its last game?
2009 what happened to the Chiefs? They were not such a bad side. Crusaders doing over 30 000 miles after the earthquake? To Newlands to Australia where they ran out of puff and Queensland won it.
Queensland trips to Loftus? Conceding over 150 points in two games. The Stormers have the best away record of all the SA teams which equals the same percentage as a team like the Force. Both the Stormers and Sharks have difficulty of making a fortress out of their grounds as its at sea level. They do not have altitude to equal it and would be the same advantage as it would give a team over them flying east to play them. You wouldn't really see a Aussie or Kiwi team flying straight in and play at Loftus. Its mostly Sea Level game then altitude.
