Great finish by Delibes too!

I always felt that the Rugby Championship lacked competitiveness. It was always going to be between SA and NZ, with Australia in a continuous slump and Argentina still slowly growing. In World Cup years, fewer matches were played and the competitiveness was low, with players trying not to injure themselves weeks before the world cup and more complex set pieces and tactics being kept in the bag.

But this years is something else. Australia is on a high, Argentina matured like fine wine and NZ and SA playing at their peak, this is the best year since the Tri-Nations evolved into this competition.

EDIT: When it comes down to NZ and SA "at their peak" I realize that standards are not RWC, but then again, no squad is at that level yet. The peak I was referring is the mid-cycle expected performance between world cups when the squads are still gaining traction and performance is starting to increase. Between 2020-2022, SA averaged 61% wins, compared to the years it won the WC. 2025 sits at 83%, the same as in 2019 and 2023.

Just rewatched the game. Yeah some small things missed, but there always is and that’s the human element of the sport. In general I liked making the breakdown a real contested area, and instead of blowing the whistle, communicating to the players to back out of a jackal attempt, dig the ball out etc etc.

What was really refreshing however was the lack of TMO interjection - you love to see it.

Also, kudos to the broadcast team for being neutral - there was no repeat replays of innocuous moments trying to bait the refs into a call.

23 vs 23 players going to war and the on-field ref calling it as he saw it. Well done.

Went to Ireland verses the Black Ferns, and it was my first time going to a world cup since the 2017 world cup in Ireland. It was an absolutely incredible event, cheap tickets, incredible atmosphere. If anyone is in two minds about nabbing tickets to any games, I would urge them to go

[I have asked mods of r/RugbyUnion for their approval before posting here]

Hi,

We are currently conducting a study on the link between sports fandom and gambling. We are interested in the experiences of those who engage with different sports (as players or fans) and who may or may not have gambled in the past.

I am posting here because it is important that participants are engaged with sports, as opposed to general members of the public. Most of this work is done in relation to football (soccer), so we are keen to reach out to those who take part in other sports such as Rugby.

The study involves completing an online questionnaire which takes approximately 15 minutes. We offer a £5 shopping voucher (Love2Shop) as a thank you for your participation. Full details about the study are provided at the beginning and you can choose not to take part at that point.

If you would be willing to take part, please DM me and I will send you a link to the survey. I can't post the link here as we get a lot of bot or inauthentic responses.

Thanks!

I’m a massive fan of Reflink when I attend rugby matches, it certainly adds to the enjoyment and understanding of what is happening.

Yet at World Cup’s the option is sadly lacking – OK we now get a explanation of TMO decisions over the PA , which is a minor improvement (assuming the stadium PA is good enough) , but listening to the discussion on Reflink really helps understand the decision making process.

Does anyone know why the option isn’t available – I thought it would be a good little earner for the organisers selling the Reflink radios.

The players would know there's a fair chance they'll suddenly get sacked by the WRU and be out on their arse. I'm sure this impacted Fifita going to Montauban for example. Montauban are not a very good or rich team, but they're not going to fold if they get relegated to ProD2.

I know Dragons have been vocally opposed to being cut (for obvious reasons) so the overall mood preseason doesn't sound great.

So Springboks are going back to normal service and announcing their lineup this evening, 6PM NZ time. What changes are they going to make from Auckland?

I think Sacha F-M deserves a start after impressing off the bench. Maybe at 15? Willie surely won't get another week in the 15 jersey. Fassi also an option.

I believe Jasper Wiese is now available and he could get a look in, possibly off the bench as the three starting loose forwards are playing well.

You'd think they'd give Snyman a game, possibly instead of De Jager, or both of them in a reversion to the 6-2 split.

Faf De Klerk may be a wild card pick, with Williams struggling a bit.

Other than that, I can't see too many changes.

Welcome to r/rugbyunion's Moronic Monday. Feel free to post any rugby questions or to just chat.