Steve Hansen’s All Blacks again set the standard for the rest of the rugby world, but performances by the chasing pack this year demonstrated next year’s rugby World Cup in England could be the most open yet.
The New Zealand side did not match their “perfect season” of last year, but still won 12 of their 14 Tests, with their only loss courtesy of a late penalty by South Africa’s Pat Lambie.
That defeat in Johannesburg had been almost prevented with a stirring fightback to lead 25-24 heading into the final 10 minutes, before Lambie calmly slotted a 55m penalty with less than two minutes remaining.
Photo: Reuters
Hansen’s side had completed their third successive Rugby Championship title a week earlier in Argentina and despite a scratchy 12-12 draw with the Wallabies in the opening match of that competition their toughest World Cup challenge undoubtedly comes from Heyneke Meyer’s Springboks.
Meyer took positives from the Ellis Park victory having asked his side to beat the All Blacks at least once to give them confidence before they entered next year’s global showpiece.
The Springboks should have achieved that victory in Wellington after young flyhalf Handre Pollard guided his team in the first real test of his undoubted potential, which is likely to be unleashed on the biggest stage next year.
The loose forward trio of Duane Vermeulen, Marcell Coetzee and Francois Louw also established the blueprint for how to upset the All Blacks’ rhythm and fast ball, which northern hemisphere teams seized upon last month to great effect.
While the Springboks demonstrated they have the muscle and firepower to beat the All Blacks, they were also inconsistent and ran out of steam last month, losing to Ireland and Wales.
The downward spiral of Australia provided some concern for rugby’s power brokers, as the team lurched from talk of a new dawn to very public discipline issues, coach Ewen McKenzie quitting and their worst northern hemisphere tour in years.
The Wallabies started their season with a series sweep of France and then secured a 12-12 draw with New Zealand, halting the All Blacks’ pursuit of the world record for successive wins.
An angry All Blacks then destroyed them 51-20 the following week at Eden Park and their Rugby Championship ended with two losses, which included Argentina’s first win in the southern hemisphere competition, while Kurtley Beale was involved in a bust-up with a member of the team’s management.
The incident reportedly divided the team, with the players backing Beale, while McKenzie stood by his staff member, a split that led to the former prop quitting after their 29-28 Bledisloe Cup loss to New Zealand.
New South Wales coach Michael Cheika was brought in for the end of season tour and while they beat Wales in his first Test in charge, their season went downhill from there.
The Wallabies were beaten by France, a clinical Ireland in Dublin, which highlighted the Six Nations champions progress under coach Joe Schmidt, and finally England to slide to fifth in the world rankings.
Ireland were the biggest improvers over the past 12 months, beating Australia and South Africa last month, and the fact Hansen was named as World Rugby Coach of the Year seemed a little incongruous given the strides Schmidt’s team has made.
England showed glimpses in New Zealand in June and again last month when they ground the Wallabies into the Twickenham turf that they have a competitive pack, but appear muddled in their back-line play and selections.
Old rivals France again proved enigmatic, losing five of their 11 internationals, but they are always a threat in one-off matches at World Cups, as the All Blacks well know.
However, Hansen’s team seem better prepared for the World Cup challenge than ever before.
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