The Super Rugby quarterfinals are over. The standard of play was generally acceptable. But most disconcerting was that these supposed cut-throat encounters could only generate quarter-full stadiums. If the dreadful attendance figures don't convince rugby administrators that something is rotten at the core of the game then nothing will.
It was staggering to see the vast open spaces at the two New Zealand venues, where only the committed watched the Hurricanes and Chiefs in Wellington, while the Crusaders-Sharks match in Christchurch lured only the diehard.
Then only 12,067 could be bothered to go and see the Waratahs take on one of the more entertaining sides in the competition - the Highlanders in Sydney.
All it emphasised is that Super Rugby is on the nose. People are sick of the concept, and it appears some players are too, as shown by several recently publicly coming out in support of the old system where teams played each other, rather than the present lopsided conference system that provides teams with an unfair advantage.
Really, how can you take seriously a competition where a team finishing sixth, ala the Waratahs, is granted the luxury of a home quarterfinal? Blame the administrators for that. The frustration with rugby spreads far further. Compared to its main footballing rivals -- AFL and league -- rugby has become more and more of an irritating, stop-start affair, with endless unnecessary pauses and glitches. Rather than being meaningful, rugby encounters are too often meandering affairs. The intensity is badly fragmented. Apathy overwhelms.
Again, blame the administrators for allowing unnecessary outside forces to have too much of an influence, to the extent you must seriously question whether those in charge of the game have any feel for the game.
Without doubt rugby's biggest blight this season has been how the TMO (Television Match Official) has transformed itself into the TNO (Tedious Nuisance Operatives) by disrupting and affecting numerous games. Whereas once the TMO was there to help the referee, it is now a case of the TMO becoming 'Big Brother' and telling the referee what he should be doing. With it more interruptions, more dead space, ridiculous sin-binnings, unnecessary red cards, and countless weary watchers giving up and turning over to something far more invigorating.
We at ESPN complained about it at the end of last season. We screamed about it again well over a month ago. In the weeks that followed, many joined the TMO moan, to the extent in recent weeks the howling has been deafening.
What is so obvious to so many is that this problem could be fixed overnight. It just needs someone from World Rugby to issue an edict telling the TMO's to shut up and only, when asked, adjudicate on important decisions, such as determining whether a try should be awarded. It is as simple as that. Get numerous officials on an international phone conference, and get it done.
But no. Everything at World Rugby takes time ... too much time.
Really what hope has the game got when on the Rugby Australia website this week we read the comments of World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper. The report said that Gosper had realised there was too much reliance on the TMO, and it was time for a change, in particular ensuring the referee takes "a bit more control."
Encouraging stuff, especially with Gosper quoted in the report as saying: "We're going to improve things in the TMO area and we are working together -- north and south -- to do that."
In the next paragraph came the big damp squib. It read: "How long it takes to see the projected changes in action remains to be seen but Gosper hinted at a November introduction."
November?
Is he serious? That's another four months. And in those four months will be held the Rugby Championship. What odds some of the games are ruined due to TMO meddling? 100-1 on. Put your house on it.
Then to really take the mickey, Gosper added: "These are mainly protocol and we think we have the ability to move quickly, maybe have a different protocol ready to test in November, potentially. We have to be able to move quite quickly to get to a better place."
"Different protocol ready to test?"
That sounds like a good enough reason to have a World Rugby gabfest at some warm, exotic spot.
"November, potentially?"
A piece of string is this long, or this long, or maybe this long ... aaagh forget it.
"We think we have the ability to move quickly?"
Yes. If you're a common garden snail about to be crushed by a size 10 footy boot.
"Better place?"
Monte Carlo or maybe the Bahamas for a think tank. The weather is quite nice there this time of year.
I have never been on World Rugby's Christmas card list, and no doubt never will. But if I was, judging by this mob's procrastinations I would expect the next card to lob around late April next year.
Come on Gosper and Co. Get real. Fix it up now. You have that power. Get your priorities right. Important changes can be made well before the Rugby Championship begins.
Players and coaches are constantly criticised. Those often able to hide are the administrators. But they are the ones who really need to pick up their act, because due to either dunderhead decisions or indecision the game is crumbling around them. One big empty space looms.