5 Takeaways From The Rugby Championship

The Rugby Championship came to a close on Saturday. New Zealand were crowned champions, which came as a surprise because they struggled in the early stages of the competition. The Springboks fell short and Australia and Argentina also couldn’t make good on their early promise. 

Jason Ryan, Joe Schmidt Made A Difference

The All Blacks’ early struggles could be attributed to lack of accuracy and a set-piece that was misfiring. The addition of Jason Ryan as forwards coach at the beginning of the Rugby Championship changed the course of their campaign. Within weeks of him coming in, there was a visible difference in the set-piece through selection and improved accuracy.

Joe Schmidt also assumed a more hands-on role after initially being a selector for the Ireland mid-year series, with his role the All Blacks looked like a far more efficient outfit. These two coaches may well have been the difference as the All Blacks powered to an unlikely title. 

Dave Rennie’s Project Is Progressing

Australia ended their campaign copping a thrashing from the All Blacks on Saturday – partly it was, because Australia did not show up and were sloppy, but also because All Blacks are near unplayable at Eden Park. With all that being said, it was evident throughout the Rugby Championship that Dave Rennie’s team is making progress.

In the past year or so, Australia was unable to be an efficient outfit without the presence of Michael Hooper, Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi in the team. Throughout this campaign, Australia consistently played well without these 3 and the likes of Pete Samu, Noah Loselio, Lalakai Foketi, Fraser McReight showed they can step up in their absence. Rennie is taking significant steps with Australia both in terms of building a formidable squad and developing their game plan.

Youngsters Stepped Up

Across all 4 nations who participate in the Rugby Championship, there were youngsters who burst onto the scene and left a lasting impression none more so than Juan Martin Gonzalez Samso who was terrific for Los Pumas through the Championship. The 21-year-old was arguably the find of the tournament combining a superb work rate, incredible athleticism and power in the loose.

For the runner-up Springboks, Jaden Hendrickse arrived in the nick of time as Faf de Klerk’s form was on the wane – he stepped up superbly. The Wallabies have a special talent at 13 in Len Ikitau, despite making his debut last year, it was in this Championship that Ikitau propelled himself to be one of Australia’s most important players. For eventual winners, New Zealand, Samisoni Taukei’aho was a revelation – one of the factors in the All Blacks’ improvement.

Damian Willemse Elevated His Game

Widely criticised last season by various media personnel and categorized as not being good enough for the Springboks. Damian Willemse was nothing short of brilliant for the Boks in the Rugby Championship and gave all those who doubted his quality a serving of humble pie.

Willemse thrived in every position he was required to play in and it show just how multi-skilled he is as a footballer, he will want to settle into one position, but this Championship showed just how brilliant an attacking he is. He is crucial to the Springboks, becoming a more rounded attacking unit.

Level Playing Field

The one aspect of this year’s Rugby Championship that stood out was how competitive it was across the board, one or two were 1-sided, but most of the matches were well-balanced and all side were in with a chance till the very last moments of the game.

For the neutral spectator, it was a fantastic Rugby Championship as we saw both the Wallabies and the Pumas gain some ground on their more established counterpart. The best Championship in a very long time.