Who’s hot and who’s not: Scott Barrett’s return but trouble for All Blacks and England while Fiji kick off in style

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!

Fiji kick off in style: The Flying Fijians were hugely impressive in their Pacific Nations Cup opener as they thrashed Samoa 42-16 on Saturday. They touched down six times in total, with Kitione Salawa Jr. leading the way with a hat-trick. Iosefo Masi, Frank Lomani and Vuate Karawalevu also crossed the whitewash as they began the tournament superbly. Fiji were disappointing against the All Blacks but this was much more like it from Mick Byrne’s men.

Scott Barrett’s return: In a significant boost for the All Blacks, the second-row returned to the squad for their two games in South Africa. He missed the matches with Argentina and his absence was notable as they were stunned in their Rugby Championship opener, going down 38-30 to Argentina. Their lineout struggled, while Los Pumas controlled the physical battle. Although New Zealand stepped it up a week later, Barrett certainly gives them more of an edge as they prepare for the big challenge of the Springboks.

All Blacks newbies: Scott Robertson has selected two uncapped players in his 36 for the tour to South Africa with Ruben Love and Harry Plummer named in the wider group. While it would be a surprise to see them selected, their selection is just reward for their performances in 2024. In particular, Love starred for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific with his pace and creativity proving to be a point of difference for the Wellington outfit. Meanwhile, Plummer took over as Blues fly-half following the injury to Stephen Perofeta and helped guide them to the Super Rugby Pacific title. He’s not quite as flashy as Damian McKenzie, but the playmaker is a very steady player who kicks and passes well.

Springboks call-ups: Rassie Erasmus has been able to call upon several returning players, including five World Cup winners. Steven Kitshoff, Canan Moodie and Jaden Hendrikse are among those to recover from injury to be selected in the 37, while Andre Esterhuizen and Jasper Wiese are back from suspension. However, the inclusion of one-cap back five forward Nico Janse van Rensburg is perhaps the most interesting. Janse van Rensburg is perhaps the most like-for-like replacement for Franco Mostert and he may well come into contention for a place in the 23.

Springboks: Who is Nico Janse van Rensburg and why has Rassie Erasmus recalled the one-cap forward?

BROKEN THERMOSTAT

Eddie Jones and Japan end drought: Jones’ second stint in charge of the Brave Blossoms has not gone according to plan thus far, this after losing three matches on the spin and five out of six overall. The former England and Wallabies head coach will be pleased that monkey is off his back but it was far from plain sailing against a struggling Canada side. Granted, Japan led 38-7 at half-time in a one-sided first 40 minutes but Canada would win the second half 21-17 to somewhat take the gloss off this victory. Still, plenty of work to do for Jones’ Japan.

COLD AS ICE!

All Blacks coaching exit: In what was a huge shock, attack guru Leon MacDonald departed the New Zealand set-up after a clash with Robertson. The All Blacks head honcho was incredibly honest, revealing that it simply was not working between the two, but it does raise a few questions. MacDonald was one of Robertson’s first appointments when he was announced as Ian Foster’s successor, so surely they knew what each other was about before they entered the environment together, especially since they both played and coached together. The right decision has been made but it is yet another hint that the All Blacks have not truly settled in this new era.

Siya set to stay? In most circumstances, Racing 92 would be happy that one of their stars, Siya Kolisi, looks set to remain at the club but, given owner Jacky Lorenzetti’s comments in June, that might not be the case. According to reports, Kolisi is unhappy in Paris and wants to return to South Africa, and has been linked with a return to the Sharks. However, negotiations have hit a snag over the transfer fee with the Top 14 club wanting R17 million (around £726,000) for the Springboks captain. The Sharks have offered to pay that in instalments over two or three seasons, but that has been rejected by Lorenzetti. Kolisi is the ultimate professional and will give his all to Racing should he stay, but it is never good to keep an unhappy player.

Scrum concerns for All Blacks: When facing the Springboks, the last thing you want is to see one of your props pick up an injury, but that’s what happened to New Zealand. They will be without world-class loosehead Ethan de Groot for their games in South Africa due to a neck injury, which is a blow for Robertson. Although they still have four very good props, with Tamaiti Williams impressing as De Groot’s deputy, the 26-year-old’s absence no doubt makes them weaker.

Bad to worse for England: Just a couple of weeks after head of strength and conditioning Aled Walters departed, they have seen another world-class coach leave the set-up. On Saturday, it was widely reported that Felix Jones will depart, citing an “unstable working environment” as the reason for his decision, which suggests something is seriously wrong at the Red Rose. It could well be a problem with head coach Steve Borthwick but, equally, it would not be a surprise should Jones have an issue with how the RFU operates. Whatever it is, it is a huge for England, who have made excellent progress over the past few months, with the Irishman central to their improvement.

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