Autumn Nations Series Review: Southern Hemisphere

The Southern Hemisphere showed its strength in the early stages of the Autumn Nations Series, but the Northern Hemisphere teams fought back strongly as the series progressed. Bet Central reviews how the Southern Hemisphere teams fared during the competition.

South African Sweep

The Springboks showcased their dominance by winning all three of their Tests in the Northern Hemisphere, achieving this feat for the first time since 2013. They ended the year with an impressive record of 11 wins from 13 Test matches.

Their victory over a resilient England side was perhaps the most significant of their tour. The depth of talent in Rassie Erasmus’ squad remains unmatched, ensuring that South Africa will continue to be a formidable force leading into 2025.

Most Valuable Player: While several players stood out in a heavily rotated squad, Pieter-Steph du Toit earned the World Rugby Player of the Year title. However, Cheslin Kolbe, who narrowly missed out on the award, was in exceptional form throughout the series.

Australia On Track

After a challenging mid-year period, Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies began to show their potential during the Northern Hemisphere tour.

Impressive wins against England and Wales highlighted the promise within this group, but their inconsistency was exposed in a loss to Scotland. The style and manner of their victories, however, were encouraging signs for the future.

Most Valuable Player: Several players made their mark during the series. Rob Valentini and Len Ikitau were standouts, but Tom Wright’s contributions were particularly invaluable to the team.

Contepomi’s Magic for Argentina

Argentina has never lacked talent, but consistency has often eluded them. Under Felipe Contepomi, the Pumas appear to have found a coach capable of unlocking their full potential.

Close losses to Ireland and France showcased the team’s newfound resilience, while a strong performance against Italy secured their only win of the tour. The Pumas can be proud of their grit and growth during this series.

Most Valuable Player: The usual stars, such as Pablo Matera and Juan González Samso, were excellent. However, Thomas Albornoz emerged as a mature and creative playmaker, offering great promise for Los Pumas.

All Blacks Exceed Expectations

Heading into the series, the All Blacks faced a daunting fixture list, with Italy seemingly their only guaranteed win. However, they surpassed expectations with a strong showing.

Winning three of their four matches eased the pressure on Razor Robertson in his first year as head coach. Their highlight was a hard-fought victory over their modern rivals, Ireland. Although they lost narrowly to France by a single point and edged out Italy, the All Blacks left the tour in a positive position.

Most Valuable Player: Tyrel Lomax has become a key figure for the All Blacks in recent seasons, but Cam Roigard’s return provided the backline with much-needed direction and composure during the series.