The ease with which New Zealand dismantled Ireland’s challenge in Auckland on Saturday was a timely reminder that anyone thinking the Greatest Rivalry series will be one-sided needs to get their head read.
While Ireland were confident in the build-up to the test, and may well have discovered during the 80 minutes that not all referees give decisions in their favour, much to their chagrin, they were well beaten by a good All Black performance that continues to build on the work Dave Rennie has put in.
The direct approach has served the All Blacks well in the first three games of the Nations Championship and even the most neutral observer on Saturday would be hard-pressed to say that the All Blacks didn’t do a number on the Irish.
So where does that leave us, other than the sudden self-discovered confidence of New Zealand rugby fans and the hope that they can arrive in South Africa with a plan to beat the World Champions?
It was a telling reminder to the Boks - especially after they were sloppy in their execution in Durban against a Welsh side simply looking to do damage limitation, that there are some bigger challenges coming.
REMINDER CAME AT A GOOD TIME
Automatically the All Blacks would lift their performance in any case against a Springbok side whenever they meet but as any professional rugby player will testify, a confident All Black side is a particularly dangerous one.
So what does that mean for the Springboks? The reminder came at a good time as the Boks will head to a much tougher challenge against Los Pumas in Buenos Aires than the Welsh gave them, and it will be a good opportunity to measure the fitness and form of a number of stalwarts that are hoping to play in the series.
But while there is never a reason to panic, and the Boks got their own goals fulfilled in the Nations’ Championship, increasing depth and setting some benchmarks for what it will take to get a starting role in the test series against the All Blacks, they will know they are facing an old enemy that is building in confidence and will arrive ready to take them head on.
Yet, isn’t that what the Boks were expecting in any case? The one thing that this management team will never do is underestimate the All Blacks, given some of the epic clashes between the two sides over the years.
The change of coach and Rennie’s arrival, coupled with the deep desire to avenge the Wellington massacre from last year would always make them dangerous opposition, and their time against the franchises before the test series will allow them to acclimatise well to conditions they will not be used to.
IMPRESSIVE WIN OVER IRELAND
There still was an impressive aspect to their win over Ireland, the ruthless ferocity that they showed at times that reminded us of the old All Blacks, and a consistency in winning at home that will take that confidence to a new level.
And as expected - the Southern Hemisphere table is certainly one in the Nations Championship that is a two-horse race - between the top two sides in the world rankings. That one of them won’t be in a final is a massive flaw in the competition structure in itself.
Elsewhere the ugly scenes in England’s last gasp win over Argentina may have bought Steve Borthwick some time as coach given the vultures that are circling him, and the pressure on him played out in a bizarre attack on the English press after the game, who dared to question the fact that England now have conceded 15 yellow cards in 10 games, and the disciplinary concerns that comes with it.
DRAMA IN BUENOS AIRES
But while there still will be a massive debate about the final try that was disallowed for Argentina, the post-match walkout of Felipe Contepomi, citing “disrespect” as England’s team celebrated and drowned out his press conference and the heightened tensions of a week where Football and Rugby collided between the two nations, the real question is what England really learnt from it all?
While the officials seemed to deem two high tackles in the lead-up to the try as perfectly fine, and England escaped with the win, all it did was highlight a weekend where the TMO and officialdom was way too much in the debate, rather than being in the background.
Borthwick played virtually the same side on three different continents in three different weeks, and while it may have been fuelled by survival, it was hardly impressive to get two wins and learn virtually nothing other than knowing who your first choice side is. Being on the easier side of the World Cup draw may have been part of that but it was hardly the depth building that Rassie Erasmus and Dave Rennie used the three weeks for.
Australia said goodbye to Joe Schmidt (finally!) after his farewell was extended and extended and extended again. But while they are building nicely, the pressure will be on Les Kiss in the second half of the tournament to take Schmidt’s work forward.
SCOTLAND GOT A SCARE
Scotland got a scare against Fiji before coming right, with Pierre Schoeman featuring prominently in the win, and France did what was expected against Japan to top the Northern Hemisphere log.
But while those played out in the background, the collision course between Rennie’s All Blacks and the Springboks is the overarching narrative, and other than the drama in Santiago Del Estero between England and Argentina, the whole rugby world knows where the focus is.
The All Blacks reminded the Boks this weekend in a timely manner, and it sets up a wonderful Greatest Rivalry tour in a few weeks time.
Nations Championship results
South Africa 43 Wales 0
New Zealand 40 Ireland 21
Japan 15 France 42
Australia 57 Italy 10
Fiji 17 Scotland 33
Argentina 24 England 31