The latest rugby news and analysis, focusing on the All Blacks, Springboks, Wallabies, England, Argentina, USA, Hong Kong China, Ireland, Italy, Wales, and the Junior Boks.
All Blacks: On Fire
The All Blacks are on a roll, with a serious acceleration in their performance under new coach Dave Rennie. They decisively led Ireland 28-7 at halftime, securing a four-try bonus point in the 39th minute, and ultimately triumphed by 19 points. This is a stark contrast to their previous performances, where they were only six points ahead at halftime against France and two points in front of Italy.
The All Blacks' new approach, with carriers dominating in collisions, has been a game-changer. The team's gear shift has been a significant improvement, and the era of the Rennie All Blacks is well and truly underway.
Springboks: Handbrake-Off Approach
The Springboks are also in top form, with a handbrake-off approach that has been refreshing. They added to their squad depth with four new players capped from the start, and their win over Wales was a testament to their machine-like performance.
The Springboks' approach, testing out rookies, has been a success, with Paul de Villiers proving his worth after three consecutive starts. This is in contrast to other teams, like England, who limit their rookies to safe 20-minute cameos from the bench.
Wallabies: Encouraging Attacking Threat
The Wallabies, on the other hand, needed a win, and they delivered with a 57-10 hammering of Italy. Declan Meredith was an interesting watch at out-half, and Josh Canham's try hat-trick was a highlight.
England: Learning from Experience
England, despite making a mess of defending a 19-3 interval lead, managed to cling onto victory over Argentina. They showed they can learn from experience, even with card trouble, and their commitment to desperate defending was a marked improvement.
Argentina: Ugly Reflection
Argentina, on the other hand, has become an ugly reflection of its lack of composure. The team's petulance and lack of respect, as exemplified by coach Felipe Contepomi's premature departure from the post-game media briefing, have sullied their reputation.
TMO: Over-Reliance on Technology
The TMO's over-reliance on technology has become a problem, with referees seeing less and less with their eyes in real time. This has led to matches taking far too long to complete, and it doesn't bode well for attracting new fans to the sport.
Ireland: Plaster Being Reapplied
Ireland, despite a Six Nations revival, has struggled in recent weeks. They were too sluggish in wins over Australia and Japan and underwhelming against the All Blacks. The team's revival was more of a plaster being reapplied to a wound than a full recovery.
Italy: Noose Around the Neck
Italy's breakthrough win over England has become a noose around the neck, with a winless July tour that has stalled their early-year momentum. Coach Gonzalo Quesada's refereeing criticisms have not helped matters.
Wales: Struggling to Do Anything Resourceful
Wales, under Steve Tandy, is struggling to do anything resourceful in attack away from their maul. Their latest 'nilling' by the Springboks was a 30-point improvement on the previous humiliation, but it's still a desperate situation.
Junior Boks: Forensic Approach
The Junior Boks, under Kevin Foote, have adopted a more forensic approach to ensure everything is ready for the annual Championships. They have ended the famine with back-to-back Junior World Championship title wins, and there is more to come for Erasmus.
