paced style shines in thrilling France test

The first: Cam Roigard’s second try – a physical manifestation of Rennie’s philosophy, coming after a sustained period of quality All Black phase play.

Quinn Tupaea and Jordie Barrett were involved twice, the passes accurate and timed sweetly.

Ruben Love, Damian McKenzie, Codie Taylor, Luke Jacobson and Caleb Clarke all made thrusts before Barrett’s final pass put Roigard into scoring space. Ball beats man multiple times.

The other: Love and replacement midfielder Billy Proctor clattered into a counter-ruck with an All Blacks attack about to be turned over.

The two relatively small backs went in hard at the breakdown, winning the ball, keeping the move alive.

It ended across field with Jacobson’s instinctive offload for Will Jordan’s second try – but would not have been scored had those two not won the ruck with that level of urgent efficiency.

The France test was part of a bumper first round of the Nations Championship, the new global, north v south competition held every two years (next in 2028).

It must have exceeded World Rugby’s highest hopes; it was as if a memo had been sent to all competing teams, threatening docked points if there wasn’t less kicking, more running and better entertainment.

Tedious kick-tennis and defences smothering attack were largely absent although the box kick was still in evidence and notable for those who did it best (South Africa) and those who didn’t (England, Italy).

Instead, in most of the five test matches, teams produced positive, attacking rugby.

Cynics will maintain there is ample time for negative rugby to make an unwelcome return, specifically in rounds four, five and six in the north in November. Certainly those tactics are a well-known way to beat the All Blacks although, as many experts have attested over the years, the best method is to score more tries than they do.

However, on the evidence of the first round, if this is the Nations Championship, give us more.

For Kiwis, the old July tests in the Southern Hemisphere not involving the All Blacks were mostly of academic interest. Oh, the Irish beat the Wallabies. Okay, then. The Boks thumped the Poms. Yeah? Now, where did I put my car keys?

Now every July test has relevance and World Rugby’s prediction that “every match, every point and every result will matter to every team” stands a firm chance of coming true.

The Nations Championship format sees two groups of six teams, one Southern Hemisphere, the other northern sides. The top team in each group plays a grand final at Twickenham in November.

However, four tour tests against the Boks are coming up, not to mention Bledisloe Cup matches, heightening interest in Nations Championship form.

The All Blacks do not play the Wallabies or the Boks in Nations Championship tests, so Kiwi hopes rest on a Northern Hemisphere team or teams beating the Boks. If not, they will qualify for the final.

England came back from a 17-0 deficit to worry the Boks before the South Africans took command; England lost two players to yellow cards and fell to bits.

Like the All Blacks, the Boks had four locks injured and other senior players out. However, attack coach Tony Brown would have enjoyed the accuracy and width of their passing and the incisions of the world’s best back three – Damian Willemse, Kurt-Lee Arendse and the amazing Cheslin Kolbe – in the 45-21 win.

The Wallabies lost a 33-31 thriller against Ireland after creatively dominating in the first half, with the northerners sometimes looking as if they were feeling the effects of a long, hard season. However, the Aussies couldn’t put the dogged Irish, who scored a key try right on halftime, away.

Ben Donaldson’s last-second, difficult 50m-plus penalty kick missed and, while a kick for touch was also awkward because of the tight angle, penalties were flowing from referee Ben O’Keefe’s whistle. The Australians might have gained a penalty closer to the goalposts and snatched the win if they’d opted for the lineout.

So while it might not yet be the graveyard for defence- and kick-oriented rugby, there’s room to hope it’s caught a very bad chill indeed.

If the Nations Championship can continue to make test rugby as entertaining as this first round, (over 300 points scored across five tests at an average of 63 points per match) then, please, bring it on.

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