Nine moments that took our breath away in 2025 as Springboks make ‘huge statement’ and ‘last-gasp Lions’ rescue subpar tour
Damian Willemse celebrates Springboks try and Hugo Keenan's winning score for the Lions.
Once again, 2025 saw some breathtaking moments right across the rugby world, from the club game through to the Test arena.
Before the year comes to an end, Planet Rugby takes a look back at nine of those, including the very best team successes and some individual brilliance.
Springboks’ Wellington massacre
It was arguably the defining result of 2025 as South Africa stamped their mark on the world game and told everyone that they were very much the best team in the sport. The All Blacks had beaten them a week earlier at Eden Park, but the Springboks’ response was emphatic as they overwhelmed Scott Robertson’s men in the second period.
They went into the break 10-7 behind, but the visitors were simply magnificent after the interval. Rassie Erasmus’ side were brutal in contact and marched New Zealand backwards with regularity, but they also played some spellbinding rugby, which resulted in some magnificently constructed tries. It resulted in the All Blacks’ worst defeat in their history and returned South Africa to the top spot in the World Rugby rankings.
Last-gasp Lions
Although it was not exactly the most awe-inspiring British and Irish Lions series, with Andy Farrell’s men hardly having to break sweat in the tour games and the Wallabies being utterly lifeless in the first Test, it sprung to life in Melbourne.
Australia were absolutely superb in the opening half-hour, going 23-5 ahead to put themselves in a great position to take it to a decider, but the Lions produced a superb comeback. Quick-fire efforts from Tom Curry and Huw Jones reduced the arrears to 23-17 at the interval, keeping them in contention going into the latter stages.
Tom Lynagh’s penalty meant that the tourists still had a significant challenge ahead of the final quarter, but Tadhg Beirne’s try made it a two-point game with 20 minutes remaining. The Wallabies initially held out valiantly but, with the final move of the game, Hugo Keenan touched down to seal a series win. The try was controversial, and Australia were unhappy with the decision not to penalise Jac Morgan’s clearout in the build-up to the score, but ultimately the correct call was made from the officials.
Northampton’s semi-final shock
The Saints were defending Premiership champions and had several England internationals in their ranks, but few gave them a chance of upsetting the mighty Leinster in Europe. Up to that point, Northampton’s season had been subpar in the league, which meant they put all their eggs in the Investec Champions Cup basket.
It certainly paid off in the semi-final as they stunned the Irish province. The first half was a showcase of their attacking brilliance as they went 27-15 in front at the break, before the defence took over late on.
As expected, Leinster, with the sheer amount of talent they had, came back into the contest and, with a minute to go, were just three points behind and five metres out. They appeared destined to score, but the Saints produced a heroic last stand to keep them out and move on to the final. It didn’t quite end in glory as Bordeaux-Begles proved too strong in the showpiece event, but Northampton will remember that win for a long time.
Ireland embarrassed by the Springboks scrum
The scrum was a huge weapon in the South African arsenal throughout 2025, but their biggest statement no doubt came in Dublin in November. At the 2023 Rugby World Cup, a front-row of Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong did a rather good job of negating the Boks’ threat, but the same trio were simply destroyed by the visitors last month.
Starting props Boan Venter and Thomas du Toit already had Ireland going into reverse when Erasmus went for the kill and brought on Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Louw. That was when the dam burst, and the Irish conceded penalty after penalty, leading to yellow cards for Porter and replacement loosehead Paddy McCarthy. It was a huge statement of physicality and technique from the world’s best.
Wallabies’ unanswered 38 points in Johannesburg
While it has been an outstanding year for the Springboks, they will want to forget what happened in their Rugby Championship opener, which almost cost them the title. For 20 minutes, it looked like a rampant Boks were going to take an easy win, but Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies had other ideas and stunned the hosts.
Dylan Pietsch’s try just about kept Australia in the contest, but it gave them the momentum they needed in the second period. They touched down five times in total, with captain Harry Wilson scoring a brace, while Joseph Suaalii, Max Jorgensen and Tom Wright also crossed the whitewash as the Springboks imploded in one of the most remarkable games of the year.
France’s Bomb Squad defuses Ireland’s spark
Such was Les Bleus’ mediocre second half of the year, it is easy to forget how good they were in the Six Nations. Fabien Galthie’s men will rue their profligacy in the 26-25 defeat to England, otherwise a Grand Slam awaited, but they were utterly clinical in the rest of the tournament.
In Dublin, they ripped Ireland apart in the second, despite seeing superstar playmaker Antoine Dupont go off with a ruptured ACL in the first half. They were also forced to put a flanker in the backline as the risk of the 7-1 bench was exposed, but it was ultimately that decision to go forward-heavy which led to this demolition.
Athletic back-rower Oscar Jegou did superbly well in the backline, while their powerhouse replacement pack did a magnificent job off the bench as France overwhelmed the Irishmen and set them on course for the title.
England star Ellie Kildunne learns Sports Personality of the Year fate
Ellie Kildunne’s World Cup magic
After the disappointment of 2017 and 2021 – played in 2022 – World Cups, England finally got the job done. They have put together an incredible team, but it is Kildunne who provides the stardust from full-back, and she was utterly outstanding throughout the tournament.
The tone was set in the opening game – a 69-7 victory over the USA – as she showed her class right from the start. Kildunne had already touched down twice in the game when she received the ball out on the left. The full-back kicked ahead and then, somehow in one motion, kneed it back into her hands and stepped the defender before showing her unselfishness by providing the assist for Jess Breach to score.
It was not the only piece of jaw-dropping brilliance from the speedster, who then scored a stunning individual try in the final against Canada. At the time, they were 5-0 down following an impressive Canadian start, but that effort settled the English down as they went on to deservedly lift the trophy.
Damian McKenzie’s rescue act
It has not been an easy year for the All Blacks playmaker, but he was utterly vital in keeping their Grand Slam hopes alive against Scotland. Although it would be ended a week later by England, that should not take away from the magnificence of McKenzie at Murrayfield.
New Zealand and the hosts were level at 17-17 with just under 10 minutes remaining when the 30-year-old received the ball in his own half. McKenzie had few options really, but he somehow managed to find an inch-perfect kick towards the right touchline, which went out of play just five metres out for a 50/22.
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That set up the position from which the All Blacks – and the full-back – capitalised when he received the ball on the left. Again, he had plenty to do and appeared to be going towards touch following a Scottish tackle, but McKenzie somehow managed to contort his body in some way to finish in the corner. The conversion was missed, but the playmaker then kicked the penalty, which secured the win and earned him the man of the match award.
Los Pumas fans as All Blacks stunned
A third moment from the Rugby Championship, but it probably shows why it was considered to be one of the best editions ever. In mid-August, Argentina claimed their first-ever home victory over the All Blacks in what was a magnificent occasion in the country’s capital, Buenos Aires.
The atmosphere is always fantastic when the Argentinians are around, but this win was particularly special, and it reached fever pitch when the crowd realised there was no chance of the All Blacks making a late comeback. It was a wonderful day for the Los Pumas supporters and also a great one for rugby itself.