Monday 2 October 2017 15:39, UK
Stuart Barnes talks All Blacks dominance, time ticking for Argentina and Zebre's win over Ulster.
1. Another Rugby Championship for New Zealand. Can there have been an easier competition from the All Black perspective?
They were officially champions before even getting on the team bus to take them to the stadium for what would prove to be another wide margin win against Argentina. Five in the last six years (the loss was the truncated tournament in the 2015 World Cup build-up) and 15 titles in its 22-year history.
What local rivalries, what ancient grudge matches? Southern Hemisphere rugby has been reduced to a monopoly at Test level while Super Rugby is driven by the quality of the Kiwi teams and their derby matches. The gap between top and bottom has grown too great.
2. The skill level of some of the All Blacks was exceptional. In the first half Beauden Barrett seemed intent on matching his reverse flip moment from the 57-0 win over the Springboks as he produced a sizzling break and one-handed slip of a pass outside him, leading to yet another Kiwi try. Then there was the through-the-legs pass. All the fun of the circus. 29-3 at half-time and out of sight.
The second half was much messier. Errors overwhelmed ambition. The title in the bag, the match done and dusted, there was an air of experimentation combined with some disciplinary issues that took the steam out of the visitors. 36-10 is a respectable result when you play New Zealand in the Rugby Championship.
3. Even so, that is nine defeats from the last 10 matches for Argentina. The Kiwi commentators pointed out the one win was against Georgia. They didn't reiterate that the Rugby Championship remains a challenging standard for the Pumas.
The problem is that a World Cup semi-final achievement heaped the long-term pressure on Argentina. Expectations are great. They are no longer the 'best of the rest'. In the second half there was a noticeable tightening of the Argentine game. More pick and drive, more aggression around the breakdown.
Performance is critical for teams with serious aspirations but there comes a time when results matter even more. When morale needs fixing. The clock has ticked its way to that point for the Pumas. Any way, any how will do against Australia. A win is essential.
4. Kurtley Beale bucks the trend. While the rest of the world wants less playing time for rugby's professional, Kurtley is up for extra time. A five-minute break at full-time, a suck on an orange and off again. I admire the centre's will to win but what is so wrong with the draw?
South Africa and Australia have drawn their last two games against one another and the Lions famously drew the third Test to draw a series. You win some, you lose some, you draw on the odd occasion. Cricket matches end in draws, football is full of them. It's all part of the process. This paragraph is a paean in praise of the draw. Anyway, extra-time would make a mess of your Sky Plus recording....or am I being a Luddite?
5. On the subject of Australia, I reckon they have had a decent tournament to date. One fine effort against the All Blacks, a couple of draws with the Springboks. A win in Argentina will see them heading to Europe in solid shape. Australian rugby is a constant state of transition between World Cups.
Two years out Michael Cheika is probably not too dissatisfied with the state of the Wallabies. The backs are brilliant in patches. That first phase try of Israel Folau's was outstanding. Bernard Foley is in superlative form and they have themselves an interesting recruit from league in the looming shape of their winger, Marika Koroibete.
6. Club matters; Glasgow are the last team standing with a 100 per cent winning record in Europe's three major leagues. They took their time putting Treviso away Friday night but Ulster, the only other unbeaten team in Pro 14, fell at Zebre.
A bad result for Ulster, a great one for the tournament. With four wins from their last six games, the Italian teams are starting to look competitive. Here's to the time when an Italian win is not considered a shock (as Zebre's win was undoubtedly thought on Saturday.)
7. Another five pointer for the Cheetahs. Were we premature in dismissing the South African challenge in their initial season? Sure, the Southern Kings are in disarray but the boys from Bloemfontein are creating carnage for visiting teams.
These bonus-point wins mean a few away wins and they are bang in contention for the top three. As for the Ospreys, it goes from bad to worse.
Scott Baldwin's stupidity (he of Lion stroking notoriety) was far from funny. These are the sorts of incidents that end with innocent animals being put down, for doing nothing alien to their nature. I hope the Lion has not been punished. Nothing would have happened had it not been provoked.
8. From the comfort of the Barnes living room, I watched the majestic Enable win the Arc on Sunday afternoon. A pleasing bottle of Brunello was uncorked a few hours pre-race, so confident was I of the filly's victory and my bolstered bank account. Post race, feeling pleased with life, I lingered on the Super Slow motion replay of the champion racehorse in full stride. Froze the picture. What a majestic sight. Wasps and Bath, with their huffing and puffing was a reminder that even the fittest and finest tuned humans are clumsy in comparison with other well-bred animals. There's a lot more to this planet than humans blundering around.
9. Bob Dylan wrote, "....you find out when you reach the top, you're on the bottom" (Idiot Wind, from Blood on the Tracks). After one week London Irish were on top of the world, having beaten their local rivals, Harlequins. Since then they have steadily charted their way down the table....haven't reached the bottom quite yet. As for the Saints. They suffered one of the most humiliating eighty minutes in their history against Saracens but are now, four matches later, on top of the table. No wonder wise old Jim Mallinder says he isn't getting carried away.
10. Bristol - the Championship Super Power - was given a rare old hurry-up by Ealing Trailfinders. They were ten minutes from being Trail Blazers. In the end Bristol not only prevailed but nicked a bonus point. Ealing lost the game but not their pride. Bristol took what might well be seen at the end of the season as a first step back towards the Premiership.
