It was a rugby weekend to savour. In what was one of many final Autumn Nations Collection weekends for the foreseeable future — see, Nations Championship announcement — it proved to be a memorable one.
England evoked recollections of Yokohama by taking down the All Blacks in an exhilarating second-half surge on the Allianz Stadium. There have been predictable victories for South Africa, Eire and France. However there have been nailbiters, too, with Wales edging Japan late on and Argentina romping previous Scotland.
It leaves loads of meals for thought, however are these reactions irrational or legit? It is time to decide.
ESPN’s Tom Hamilton and Sam Bruce weigh in on the weekend’s speaking factors
– Nations Championship: How rugby’s new north vs. south event works
– England to go to South Africa in July opener
– Hamilton: England self-belief helps seal historic win vs. All Blacks
– NRL participant launched amid R360 hypothesis
Rugby’s disciplinary system is a large number
Rugby supporters have been once more left scratching heads over the choice to award Franco Mostert a pink card in Italy’s match with the Springboks on the weekend. Later within the day, Eddie Jones was crucial of the officiating in Japan’s defeat to Wales. It leaves followers questioning: Is the disciplinary system is in all places?
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
There are such a lot of irregularities from resolution to resolution, and TMO calls are sapping the sport of any momentum. There was widespread confusion over Mostert’s pink card. What’s the level of 20-minute reds should you’re not going to make use of it for an incident like that?
The sport was pockmarked with TMO calls, and it was even worse in Wales-Japan. Submit-match, Jones was crucial of the yellow playing cards handed out and for probably the most half, he was spot on. Whenever you’re in a stadium and the TMO intervenes, there’s music pumped by the Tannoy to maintain the environment alive. Whereas the decision to mic up the referee and get their resolution broadcast to the supporters is a welcome name, it is clear that the entire course of must be sped up.
Rugby is a recreation of immense selection, but it surely wants consistency.
With 10 wins and counting, England want Six Nations title
England secured their first win over the All Blacks at Twickenham in 13 years on Saturday. It was a press release efficiency. Ought to England now be focusing on 4 from 4 in opposition to Argentina and the Six Nations title?
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
It will be peak England if after the excessive of Saturday, they go and get annihilated by the Pumas subsequent weekend. However that is for England groups of previous, this group are on a roll and central to this run is self-belief and belief within the system Steve Borthwick has constructed.
The coach himself was reluctant to position this win within the realms of the larger image. It was simply one other match, one other win, and extra classes to be learnt. He was delighted, sure, however did it signify something larger? Behave.
We have seen false dawns earlier than — once we noticed the 2012 win over the All Blacks, there was a sense England had clicked. Three years later within the World Cup they fell to their nadir. However this win is their tenth on the bounce, with a number of key personnel absent, and younger gamers blooded. The Pumas will probably be an extremely powerful opposition subsequent weekend, however win that, and England must be focusing on the Six Nations title subsequent yr.
Townsend out? Do Scotland want change?
Every week after they toyed with immortality and a win over the All Blacks solely to fall quick, Scotland discovered themselves 21 factors to the great in opposition to Argentina and in some way misplaced 33-24. Does one thing have to vary?
Verdict: OVERREACTION (JUST)
Boos rang out at full time at Murrayfield. Sione Tuipulotu stated the supporters have been truthful of their displeasure. Gregor Townsend was crestfallen. It was actually alarming watching Scotland capitulate.
They have been magnificent within the first half, however as soon as the Pumas made it 21-5, you simply felt Scotland’s shoulders began to drop, and the assumption began to ebb
From there, the Pumas did their factor, and Scotland have been left bereft. Is it a management concern? Was the bench too weak? Or was it a case that the Pumas took their time to click on?
There are two methods of taking a look at this: 1) Scotland have confirmed they’ll problem the perfect, however simply want to seek out that additional few p.c to recover from the road. Or 2) These close to misses are far too frequent, and symptomatic of a bunch who’ve reached their restrict. Towsend’s take? “I do not suppose there is a psychological fragility there. However I feel it is having the ability to deal with conditions as they arrive and collectively and individually we now have to do higher.”
For the time being, it might be harsh to sack Townsend given there’s sufficient potential exhibiting. He is additionally underneath contract by to the subsequent Rugby World Cup. However one other underwhelming Six Nations exhibiting, the place they’ve flirted with a title problem solely to fall drastically quick, and questions must be requested.
Nobody is even near the Springboks
Once more, the Springboks needed to play greater than a half with 14 males, and once more the Boks received. Proper now they’re in a league of their very own.
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
If there was a World Cup beginning tomorrow, you’d put your mortgage on the Boks profitable it.
Final week, they performed 41 minutes with 14 males after Lood de Jager was pink carded. This weekend, it was Mostert who noticed pink (harshly) within the eleventh minute in opposition to Italy. However the Boks did not skip a beat, and nonetheless received.
Wish to know the scary factor? They’re going to be studying from this.
These two matches will probably be invaluable. Rassie Erasmus is a good rugby innovator. He tweaks lineout protocols, he has enjoyable discovering the gray areas in between rugby’s legal guidelines. However he cannot magic these conditions the place his workforce are having to play the majority of a recreation with a person down.
Given the irregularities with the interpretation of rugby’s legal guidelines, that is all going to worsen earlier than it will get higher, and the Boks will probably be higher for his or her two reds the previous two weekends. Whereas there are groups chomping at their heels, the Boks are, in the mean time, forward of everybody else.
The important thing query now could be whether or not they can hold this going by to the subsequent World Cup.
Wales are on the up, All Blacks are on the slide
These may very well be two transformational outcomes on the weekend. Wales beating Japan was their first underneath Steve Tandy. The All Blacks’ loss at England snapped any hope of a Grand Slam tour. However are each outcomes a real illustration of the place each groups are? Are Wales again? Are the All Blacks on the downturn?
Verdict: OVERREACTION
In case you performed Japan’s match again in opposition to Wales 10 occasions, Japan would most likely win about eight of them. Japan have been superior to Wales and deserved to win. Wales acquired out of jail, benefiting from some fortuitous refereeing calls going their approach and whereas there have been some individually spectacular performances, it is too early to get enthusiastic about this Wales facet. They lack physicality of their midfield, want some continuity at tight-head, and simply haven’t got the depth in the mean time to vary momentum in a match. Japan have been magnificent for a lot of the match, confirmed way more invention with the ball and will’ve received, however for the best way they managed the final couple of minutes.
And as for New Zealand, identical to Wales, we won’t learn an excessive amount of into one outcome. The All Blacks have been lacking a number of key personnel, are on the finish of a gruelling season and simply appeared shattered. It is clear they’re lacking their absent contingent and have struggled to exchange the legion of All Blacks greats who stepped apart after the final World Cup. However to counsel their “aura” has gone, or they’re on the downturn is to drastically underestimate the these gamers and their skill to rise to a World Cup event when it issues.
