Who’s hot and who’s not: All Blacks and Springboks shine in greatest Rugby Championship while it’s been a bad week for Worcester Warriors

Adam Kyriacou
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Who's hot and who's not on September 4

It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.

THEY’RE ON FIRE!

New Zealand hit their straps: That was so much better from the All Blacks. They dominated the set-piece battle in last weekend’s match but they had no creativity as Argentina were rock solid in defence, leading to a shock home defeat. However, there was much more variety in their fixture on Saturday which kept the visitors’ rearguard honest. It was, even accounting for their triumph over South Africa at Ellis Park, their best performance of the year, simply because they produced a style that could serve them well long-term. You could see the influence Joe Schmidt is having and the fact it worked so emphatically is a positive sign, with a 50-point winning margin something to be proud of.

Springboks end barren spell against the Wallabies: After nine years, South Africa finally beat the Wallabies in Australia and it was done in emphatic style. Akin to the All Blacks, they controlled the set-piece battle last weekend, but it was about expanding their game and becoming effective in other areas of play. The addition of Willie le Roux certainly helped the backline as they showed much more in attack than they have done previously this year. As a result, the hosts could not handle the sheer power and skill of the Springboks as they threw their name right back into the Rugby Championship title mix. Away and home games against Argentina conclude their tournament.

Greatest Rugby Championship: With only two rounds remaining, just one point separates the four sides in what is the closest Rugby Championship ever. The All Blacks are now top and, for many, may well be the favourites while South Africa tackle the so-called ‘weakest’ team on paper in Argentina, so logically it will be between those two. But when has logic ever dictated this year’s tournament? Los Pumas were brilliant against Australia and New Zealand over consecutive rounds, with the Wallabies dominating the Springboks in Adelaide. The All Blacks and Boks are probably the most complete outfits, but you certainly cannot write off the other two. It is set to be a thrilling finale.

Gloucester’s new arrival in 2023: The Cherry and Whites might have to wait until 2023/24 but when that season rolls around they will have an outstanding signing in Zach Mercer joining the club. It was announced last week that the Montpellier number eight, who has been excellent in the Top 14 and Europe over the past 12 months, will be coming back to England to join the Kingsholm outfit. It’s not just good news for Gloucester but England fans too as that would make him available for the Rugby World Cup, should head coach Eddie Jones wish to bring him into his squad. On current form he would be foolish not to as Mercer is a great talent whose stint in France has worked out well.

COLD AS ICE!

Argentina playing like they spent a week on the lash: Slightly harsh maybe but Los Pumas certainly didn’t have the same intensity or organisation as they did last week. You could certainly understand it, given the emotional investment of the Christchurch clash and how they would have celebrated afterwards, but it is a performance which will have disappointed coach Michael Cheika. Even so, the South Americans have improved greatly this year and also learned a lot about where they stand. Hopefully their Rugby Championship doesn’t end in a damp squib and they show up well against the Boks as it would be very disappointing if they went down to two more emphatic losses in the run-in.

Australia overwhelmed by Boks: A Boklash was expected and that’s exactly what arrived at the Wallabies’ door in Sydney on Saturday. Australia could not live with South Africa’s power game while the visitors also played some high-octane attacking rugby that proved they’re not just a one-trick pony. For the Wallabies though this defeat brings them right back down to earth with a thud as their 6-2 bench gamble backfired, with Jake Gordon having to fill in on the wing and their long injury list was clear to see. They are by no means out of the title race yet though and thankfully have time to recover before their next game, versus New Zealand on Thursday, September 15. They must improve.

Situation at Worcester Warriors: What a nightmare period it has been for the players and staff at the Premiership club. One story on Friday revealed that young scrum-half Ollie Wynn had been made homeless before a team-mate offered him a place to stay, which gives an insight into how many rugby players are living pay cheque by pay cheque. Despite all the positive talk from Warriors director of rugby Steve Diamond at the Premiership season launch, unfortunately the wages were not paid on Friday and that understandably enraged players such as Fin Smith, who wants answers from Worcester’s top brass. Several players have subsequently issued breach of contract notices which will enable them to leave if they did not receive their salaries for August within two weeks. On Sunday, one report said the wages had now been paid (65% to staff) but it’s hard to become positive about the future at Sixways, especially with the new Premiership kicking off this weekend.

Double injury blow for Springboks: The injuries to Handre Pollard and Lukhanyo Am after Round Three’s action has ruled the crucial backline pair out for the rest of the Rugby Championship in what is a major blow for the Springboks. While Damian Willemse played well at 10 last weekend and Jesse Kriel was solid, losing both Pollard and Am will leave a rather large hole in the Bok leadership group. They have both returned to their clubs – Leicester Tigers and the Sharks – for medical care and while we’ve seen Am have knee surgery, the severity of Pollard’s injury is less known, with one report suggesting he could be out for six weeks. South Africa and their clubs hope both recover well.

READ MORE: Sunday Social: On-field bust-ups in the Rugby Championship, heartfelt moments and clean changing rooms

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