The Bulls are the reigning Super 14 champions. They are now second last on the table after nine rounds with just two wins. The only team close to them in a descent from glory has been, ironically, the Crusaders, Super rugby's most successful team.

One of those wins was over the Stormers, a victory which had its slice of good fortune. And they beat the Lions. The Crusaders and the Hurricanes have both put 50 past them and that in Pretoria. The Reds and the Chiefs put 40 past them. So far they have scored 173 points and had scored against them 280.

Are they the worst defending champions - if you can call it defending?

In 1996 the Reds ended top of the Super 12. They did not win because Natal knocked them out. The next year they came 10th. But they were not champions.

The Sharks were beaten finalists in 2001 and were 10th the next year. But they were not champions.

Those are big aberrations though none as bad as the one the Bulls are creating.

The only team to rival the Bulls are, strange as it may seem, the Crusaders. They won in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and in 2001 they were 10th, which meant third last.

In 2001 the Brumbies scored 51 points against the Crusaders, the Hurricanes 41, the Stormers 49, the Cats 32. But their points' difference was not as bizarre as the Bulls' difference is in 2008. The Crusaders scored 307 points and leaked 331.

This is how champions have followed up since 1996:

1996: Blues. 1997: champions again
1997: Blues. 1998: beaten finalists
1998: Crusaders. 1999: champions again
1999: Crusaders. 2000: champions again
2000: Crusaders. 2001: 10th
2001: Brumbies. 2002: beaten finalists
2002: Crusaders. 2003: beaten finalists
2003: Blues. 2004: 5th
2004: Brumbies. 2005: 5th
2005: Crusaders. 2006: champions again
2006: Crusaders: 2007: 3rd
2007: Bulls. 2008: not looking good at all.

365