Rugby Championship: Five things we learnt from the first two rounds

After four games and two rounds of the 2023 Rugby Championship, we pick out five things we have learnt from the All Blacks, Los Pumas, Springboks and Wallabies’ first Tests of the year.

New Zealand are on track to claiming yet another title after winning their opening games and sit four points clear of South Africa in second, with Argentina and then Australia in third and fourth respectively.

Here’s what we’ve learnt from the first two rounds of action in the southern hemisphere.

All Blacks pack can mix it with the best

There has been a significant improvement in the All Blacks forward pack since Jason Ryan joined the coaching set-up after the Ireland series loss last July.

The former Crusaders forwards coach made an immediate impact up front, and while initial improvements meant that New Zealand could match just about any pack in Test rugby, they are now becoming more and more dominant.

During the opening two rounds of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand fronted up against two big abrasive forward packs and got the better of them in different areas of the game.

They faced two teams that have multiple lineout threats but still boast the best lineout success in the competition (91 per cent), losing just three of their 32 throws. This while having more lineouts than any other team too.

A similar story in the scrums as they have conceded just one penalty at the set-piece but have also lost one scrum, with Australia and South Africa posting 100 per cent success rates. They have also won six penalties at scrum time, one more than the next-best tally from the Springboks.

It’s more than just their accuracy at the set-pieces, with players like Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax building on stellar Test seasons last year. The pair have become cornerstones of the pack, and they are not the only ones who have improved.

Sam Cane has enjoyed an upswing in form while Scott Barrett is pressing his claim as one of the premier locks in international rugby, with his ability to run the lineout improving game on game with his physical attributes never in question.

Shannon Frizell had a standout game against the Springboks, and while he has had similar performances like that in the past, this one seemed more a coming of age than a flash in the pan and if he can back up that performance, then the All Blacks have a healthy headache for the number six jersey when Ethan Blackadder and Sam Whitelock return.

🔥 Shannon Frizell putting the gloss on that All Blacks first 15 minutes.pic.twitter.com/D61D2Cclmn

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) July 16, 2023

Speaking of Whitelock, Barrett and Brodie Retallick’s form make his route back into the starting XV more difficult, but as we have seen with the Springboks in the past, it could mean a big boost to the All Blacks bench having such a quality option on the pine.

Springboks are experimenting but miss Handre Pollard

Moving onto the Springboks, who started their campaign with a comprehensive 43-12 thumping of Australia before falling to a 35-20 defeat to an impressive All Blacks performance.

Jacques Nienaber opted to split his squad, sending players over early to New Zealand in the build-up to the Wallabies Test, and it somewhat backfired in round two.

However, it is clear that the Springboks are undoubtedly looking to play a more expansive game. Nienaber’s charges were forced to chase the game after 20 minutes against the All Blacks but even against Australia; they showed more willingness to keep the ball in hand and attack from areas of the pitch they usually would not.

The influence of Willie le Roux cannot be understated as he continues to thrive on attack, slotting in at first receiver and assisting the less experienced pivots in Manie Libbok and Damian Willemse.

While there are notable improvements to the attack, the Springboks are still wasteful once they get into the opposition’s 22, averaging just 2.9 points per entry against the All Blacks.

Time is running out for the Boks to get their attack firing on all cylinders, and one has to feel that the absence of Handre Pollard is taking its toll.

The World Cup-winning fly-half adds a lot of direction and calmness to the Bok attack and is quite happy to hang up a kick up or carry himself when needed. The Springboks also struggled under the high ball against New Zealand, an error where Pollard thrives. He was also in excellent form for Leicester Tigers before injury, making his absence even more disappointing.

While Libbok is pressing for a starting role and Willemse is a decent emergency stand-in at fly-half, Pollard is still the go-to man for the number 10 jumper.

Eddie Jones’ ‘Smash and Grab’ job is not an easy one

It’s been a tough start to his time in charge of the Wallabies, suffering back-to-back defeats as Eddie Jones finds out just how much work needs to be done with Australia.

The charismatic coach was asked after the crushing defeat to Argentina whether the job was more difficult than he thought, and while he didn’t give a straightforward answer, he did say, ‘Well, I’m sleeping less’.

The last gasp-try that sealed the loss last week won’t aid Jones’ insomnia in the slightest as Australia looked to have won the game a few minutes before thanks to an 80-metre intercept try from Mark Nawaqanitawase.

Jones previewed his return to the Wallabies set-up, dubbing it a ‘Smash and Grab’ as they looked to win the Rugby Championship, Bledisloe Cup and Rugby World Cup. The first of those three trophies is now out of their reach, but attention will now turn to the second and third.

It looks like a mighty task to knock over the impressive All Blacks off the back of two defeats, only compounded by the injury to key back Len Ikitau, but if they are able to do, the third trophy looks far more plausible.

Los Pumas can still surprise a few

Argentina are notoriously slow starters to the Rugby Championship, and this year was the same as they fell flat in their opener against New Zealand, losing 41-12 on home soil.

However, Michael Cheika’s side bounced back to produce a far more controlled and compelling performance against Australia to grind out a 34-31 victory.

The lapses in defence will still be somewhat of a concern for the Pumas, but the sheer brutality and drive to hit back one final time to sink the Wallabies after a gut-wrenching intercept that seemingly put the game to bed will give Cheika hope and sound out a warning to their World Cup opponents.

The Pumas are still missing some key players like Juan Cruz Mallia, Guido Petti and Marcos Kremer, who will all be a big boost once they return, but there are a few areas, like the scrum and defence, where Argentines can undoubtedly improve.

If they get those improvements right, Argentina are more than capable of stunning the top teams in world rugby, and even if they don’t, they have shown the kind of heart and desire in the past that could get them over the line.

🇦🇷 VAMOS!

Juan Martin Gonzalez with the winning try!#RugbyChampionship #AUSvARGpic.twitter.com/E8D2Z6gS94

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) July 15, 2023

Veteran All Blacks are still among the world’s best

Last year there were concerns over the likes of Codie Taylor, Dane Coles, Aaron Smith and Beauden Barrett and whether they could still produce the match-winning performances they had in the past in the build-up and during the World Cup.

The quartet have gone a long way in silencing those concerns. Taylor had an outstanding run of form during the latter stages of the Super Rugby Pacific season and continued that form against the Boks in his first start of the Test season after Coles shone against Argentina.

Meanwhile, Smith and Barrett were near-on unplayable in both games as they ripped the Pumas and Springboks’ defence apart.

The decision to start Barrett at full-back in both fixtures was heavily debated, but the All Blacks centurion showed his class in those games, putting his underwhelming Super Rugby form well and truly behind him.

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