Who’s hot and who’s not: All Blacks silence critics and Springboks flex their depth while Los Pumas come crashing back down to earth

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!

All Blacks quieten the critics: That was one way to prove a point after the criticism of the past week. Granted, they were helped by a terrible Argentinian display (more on that later), but New Zealand were exceptional at Eden Park. In fact, it was quite comfortably their best display under Scott Robertson. In difficult conditions, their skill levels were superb as they racked up the tries in the first half, with the game over as a contest by the interval. TJ Perenara, who came in for plenty of criticism during the week, was excellent while the other playmakers, Damian McKenzie, Jordie Barrett and Beauden Barrett, controlled the game via the boot. Youngster Tamaiti Williams also had a fine game, dominating in the scrum and giving plenty around the field. It’ll be fascinating to see if New Zealand can build on this result in South Africa.

Springboks gamble works a dream: Eyebrows were raised when Rassie Erasmus made 10 changes to his starting line-up from the side that won in Brisbane for the Round Two game in Perth. But such is the quality at the Springboks‘ disposal, it had little impact on the result. There is a wealth of talent currently in this squad and Erasmus was right to fire back at those who criticised his selection, as the head coach said it’s a “slap in the face” to those playing in Perth that they are not as good as the Round One side. Ultimately it was another healthy win.

Canan Moodie back and impressing: The talented young player missed the start of the Rugby Championship through injury but he has proved his fitness in the Currie Cup and could well be involved in the Rugby Championship. On Friday night, Moodie played his third match of the campaign and starred as the Blue Bulls claimed a 40-24 triumph over the Pumas, setting up one of the tries for Devon Williams with a delightful pass out of the back of the hand. He looks ready to return to international action if Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus calls on him.

Rugby Championship Team of the Week: Key All Blacks bounce back but Springboks edge the count

Springbok stars’ UFC moment: Two of rugby union’s greats, Eben Etzebeth and Siya Kolisi, led UFC fighter Dricus du Plessis out for his middleweight bout against Israel Adesanya on Sunday. With the fight taking place in the same city as Saturday’s clash between the Wallabies and the Springboks, the forward duo were front and centre as rugby fan Du Plessis made his way to the Octagon. It was a great opportunity for the sport with UFC hugely popular around the world but particularly in the US, which is a target market for World Rugby at the moment.

🇿🇦 Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth walked out #UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis out for his successful title defence!pic.twitter.com/sEFfIjm76D

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) August 18, 2024

World Rugby eligibility law switch: The global governing body has tweaked its eligibility criteria to make it easier for players to represent different countries that they haven’t been born in or have close family connections. Previously this would have required a continuous five-year residence in the country before the player could represent that nation. Now if that player leaves the country only to return later the count does not reset as it did before. For example, someone can spend two years in a country, live elsewhere for one and then come back to do three years to complete their residency. It is a positive change as the old variation of the law saw Spain being disqualified from the 2023 Rugby World Cup over a complication with South African-born prop Gavin van den Berg.

COLD AS ICE!

Dreadful Argentina: We thought this Los Pumas side were different but, ultimately, we were wrong. Once again following a big result they failed to show up in the next game and simply collapsed. Felipe Contepomi’s men were comprehensively outplayed in all facets, particularly physically. That was in stark contrast to the previous meeting in Wellington where they put New Zealand under significant pressure through their intensity and power. It was basically a repeat of the tour two years ago when they won in Christchurch before leaking 50 the next week.

Lood de Jager injury update: It is a huge shame that the Springboks lock will miss the remainder of the 2024 Test season after suffering a shoulder injury while playing in Japan. De Jager, who was in line for a Test recall before this setback, also missed the Rugby World Cup after being diagnosed with a heart condition. It was awful luck for the hugely gifted forward and we hope to see back at the top level in 2025.

More swapping of broadcast rights: The Champions Cup and Challenge Cup moving to Premier Sport in the UK is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that once again fans have to think about where they put their hard-earned money. TNT Sports, who also televise the Premiership, held the European rights for several years but they will now be taken over by the home of the United Rugby Championship. In the UK, it now means that rugby is split between Sky Sports, TNT and Premier Sport, while Amazon Prime have also dipped their toes in for the internationals. It is ridiculous and doesn’t help grow rugby, as supporters once again have to dip into their pocket to enjoy the sport.

Blow for Dafydd Jenkins: Wales and Exeter Chiefs second-row Dafydd Jenkins is set to spend several weeks on the sidelines after the Premiership outfit confirmed that he had surgery on knee and shoulder injuries. Exeter Chiefs director of rugby, Rob Baxter, revealed that it’s difficult to provide a timeframe for the 21-year-old lock’s return to action but he will definitely miss the start of the Premiership season. Hopefully the 21-year-old makes a full recovery from this double surgery as he’s shown incredible promise in his early professional career.

READ MORE: Australia v Springboks: Takeaways as Bomb Squad mauls Wallabies while Rassie’s ‘experiments’ pay off