Shaun Goosen looks back at the weekend rugby as the Springboks caught a hiding, the All Blacks cruised against Argentina and the Blitzboks claimed the Canada title.
Struggling Springboks walloped by Wallabies
The Springboks were beaten 30-17 by the Wallabies at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday to all but end their hopes of retaining the Rugby Championship this season. Jacques Nienaber’s men looked fatigued on Saturday, with the world and Lions series champions missing a massive 19 tackles in Brisbane and unable to match the hosts for intensity over the course of the 80-minutes. To their credit, Australia looked terrific and their offensive game worked wonders this week, cutting the Boks to ribbons. If they can beat Argentina twice in the coming fortnight, they may well end up finishing in second place on the standings.
The All Blacks lie in wait for the Boks this weekend as the sides clash for the 100th time in Test rugby. The New Zealanders will be without the services of Sam Whitelock, Richie Mo’unga and Aaron Smith but will still be considered favourites by many to beat the Boks and win the competition.
New Zealand back to No 1 after Argentina wins
The All Blacks beat Argentina 36-13 in Saturday’s second match at the Suncorp on Saturday to go back to No 1 on the World Rugby rankings. The Springboks dropped a place to second while the Wallabies are now third. Ian Foster’s men, who smashed Los Pumas 39-0 the week before, were again far too powerful for the South Americans, scoring five tries in another resounding result. With two matches against the world champions coming up, the Kiwis have an opportunity to put even more space between themselves and the chasing pack.
Mario Ledesma’s Argentine side have looked fresh out of ideas so far this campaign and face the real possibility of not earning a single win in this year’s edition. With the red-hot Aussies coming up, they better make improvements fast.
Blitzboks take Canada title
The Springbok Sevens claimed the Canada Sevens title for the second time after defeating Kenya 38-5 in the final on Sunday. The Blitzboks found themselves 24-0 up at the break before going on to record a comfortable win in the end. It must be said, though, that the likes of Argentina, Australia, Fiji, France, Japan, New Zealand and Samoa, did not travel to Canada due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Because of this, the Blitzboks will be favourites again to win the Edmonton tournament this weekend.
