They were different teams, it was a different venue and a different game in a different country, but what happened in the two games that took place either side of the Tasman Sea at the start of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship were related.
Since South Africa’s departure from Super Rugby, the rugby world, and the world order, has changed markedly. New Zealand have slipped, not quite to the extent of Australia, but to a point where their home fortresses are no longer impregnable like they were.
In 2015 the joke after that World Cup hosted in England was that the RWC should be renamed the Rugby Champions. Because the finishing order was 1. New Zealand, 2. Australia, 3. South Africa and 4. Argentina.With the exception of between around mid-2000 to the end of 2003, when Clive Woodward’s England ruled the world, the first three teams in that 2015 World Cup were pretty much the standard inhabitants of the top three in the World Rugby Rankings for the best part of two decades or more.
Fiji of course are the main other nation represented in what has become Super Rugby Pacific, so that competition is played between teams from the third, ninth and 10 ranked nations. When South African teams play in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, they are in a competition that includes the top two nations, the other being Ireland, plus the seventh ranked Scotland and eighth ranked Italy, both of whom are now ahead of Australia.
There is still strong rivalry between the two trans-Tasman teams, the All Blacks and Wallabies, but it is no longer the case that Kiwis would regard the Bledisloe Cup as the next big thing in rugby to the World Cup, bigger than the Tri-Nations/Championship. For 20 years have passed since the epic battles between the two teams that were at that stage up with the world leaders.
The Wallabies exited at the end of the pool phase of the last World Cup in France, and on the evidence of what we saw at the Suncorp Stadium at the weekend, they may well do so again. There was a time when the Wallabies were at least able to be competitive against the Boks by being more innovative, but this time around the Boks out-innovated them with their split pod lineout try as well as the way Cheslin Kolbe was deployed, while retaining their physical superiority and power game dominance.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
TALKING POINT: Esterhuizen's red couldn't have been clearer - whether we like it or notTwo minutes into the Springboks-Portugal game, Andre Esterhuizen’s head clash with Jose Lima threatened to upend the game.
Read more »
TALKING POINT: Roos omission would have been bigger in another eraIt has emerged that Evan Roos is out for the rest of the year due to a shoulder operation to a long term shoulder injury that specialists have advised him should not be delayed.
Read more »
Wales to force URC-Premiership merger?Wales have reportedly started initial talks over a future Anglo-Welsh competition, which could see the Premiership merge with the URC.
Read more »
URC's exponential growth breaks more recordsThe extraordinary growth of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship continues for the third season in a row with the league setting new attendance and broadcast records.
Read more »
Lebo Mashile Angers SA After Talking About Connie Chiume’s Malawian Roots: “Your Timing Is Wrong”The South African award-winning poet Lebogang Mashile has rubbed many netizens the wrong way after she sparked a debate online about Connie Chiume's Malawian roots.
Read more »
Springboks hammer Wallabies in Rugby Championship opener: Five talking pointsThe Springboks got the Rugby Championship off to the perfect start as they powered to a thumping bonus point 33-7 win over the Wallabies.
Read more »