This week, we mourn the passing of the Rugby Championship as we know it, as we’re sadly not all that excited about its replacement next year by a self-indulgent exposition of what is supposedly Rugby’s greatest rivalry. We also look at the hottest debate in rugby right now as to who really is the fairest fly-half of them all in Ireland Coach Andy Farrell’s mirror, as he ponders who gets to start in the number 10 jersey against the All Blacks in just over a week. Finally, we look ahead to another weekend of rather intriguing URC action, to say the least.
That’s what’s been keeping our pints frothy this week, so let’s get into it!
Although many in South Africa and New Zealand seem overly excited by a resumption of efforts to recreate the glorious old touring histories of days gone by, a lot of rugby fans have genuinely mixed feelings. At the same time, Argentina and Australia are excluded from the hijacking of the Rugby Championship.
If you ever wanted a room full of divided opinion, bring up this subject. Let’s face it, we all thoroughly enjoyed this year’s roller coaster Rugby Championship, which left us all hungry for more. Sadly, though, we’re going to have to wait until at least 2027 to fill our plates again, and even that looks questionable. South Africa and New Zealand have opted themselves out of next year’s Rugby Championship, leaving Australia and Argentina, two teams who did so well this year, wondering what they are supposed to do instead. South Africa and New Zealand have decided instead to recreate the glories of old by reinventing the Springbok/All Black Tours of yesteryear.
As a result next year there will be no Rugby Championship and instead New Zealand will travel to South Africa to play against the four South African URC franchises and three Tests against the Springboks. In addition, for some reason best known to themselves they will play a fourth Test outside of South Africa with locations such as Twickenham or Dublin’s Croke Park being put forth as possible venues. A lot of South African and New Zealand fans seem ecstatic about the idea while the rest of us feel less so. It’s been also interesting to note that even in South Africa and New Zealand there have been some dissenting voices who genuinely lament the passing of the Rugby Championship just as it was really starting to count for something. Let’s face it there were four intense rivalries this year that looked set to only grow from four quality sides.
We’ll be honest: we’re in the decidedly unenthusiastic camp, even though we have some strong South African loyalties amongst us. The tours of old had a certain history to them that will be hard to replicate, and the political landscapes that made some aspects of the rivalry spicier and more contentious at times are also thankfully relics of the past.
As for the Tour itself, currently labeled Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, even that doesn’t sit quite right with us, much in the same vein as the Six Nations being constantly billed as Rugby’s Greatest Championship, which also leaves a slightly uneasy taste on the palate. South Africa vs. New Zealand is a classic, intense rivalry with deep history and, at times, an intensity hard to match or beat. For South African and New Zealand fans, the ultimate measure of their team’s status is whether or not they can get one over their most prestigious foe. However, you could also argue that “Le Crunch” between England and France every year in the Six Nations has equal stature and relevance to their respective fans, or the Calcutta Cup between Scotland and England as another example.
International Rugby has now become so competitive that such rivalries are important, but perhaps no longer the benchmark they once were. There is the point that’s hard to argue against that, between them, South Africa and New Zealand have won 7 out of the 10 World Cups to date. They are likely to win plenty more, but surely it is only a matter of time before countries like France, England, and perhaps a resurgent Australia start putting their names on the trophy, with the English and Wallabies already having done so. Even countries like Ireland and possibly Argentina may get the engravers busy, though the Irish have to somehow overcome their Quarter-Final mental block. In short, South Africa vs New Zealand may be for now and in the past one of Rugby’s most intense rivalries, but to say it’s the greatest is debatable. Like we say, though, we’ll take the terminology as a marketing gimmick, just like the Six Nations being Rugby’s greatest Championship, and leave it at that.
As for the Tour itself, though, we’re just not that enthused. Is watching the All Blacks pummel a hapless Lions side in a half-empty Ellis Park going to be enjoyable? Not really. Sure, the other three games against the Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls provincial sides should be more entertaining, but even then, question marks remain. Much like a Lions Tour, will these provincial sides be depleted as a result of their best players being kept in reserve for those all-important 4 Tests, to the point that it’s simply no contest? Agreed, the 3 Tests in South Africa should be absolute crackers, but once again, they are not all that evenly distributed. Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Bloemfontein won’t see a Test while Johannesburg gets two. Finally, don’t get us started on that 4th Test. We simply can’t see the point, especially as it’s not even being played in South Africa, other than it being a blatant cash grab by the South African and New Zealand Unions. Furthermore, what happens if it ends up being a drawn Series at 2 apiece as a result of this fourth Test? Nobody at this level likes a draw; they want a winner, plain and simple, so why can’t it just be the best of 3 in South Africa?
Apparently, a full Rugby Championship will be held in 2027 and 2030 with all four countries, but once again, we question its validity for the 2027 edition. In World Cup years, the Rugby Championship has been played, but shortened to each team playing each other once, for a total of three games, as opposed to the usual home-and-away six-game format. Do Australia, Argentina, South Africa, and New Zealand really want a full-blown tournament right before the World Cup and all the injury risks it entails? We can’t imagine the Six Nations countries would be up for playing their tournament a few weeks out from the start of the World Cup. While we appreciate that all countries invariably play warm-up games before the World Cup, they don’t have the intensity or the high-stakes value of a designated Championship.
While we appreciate that we’ve wittered on long enough about this, we nevertheless feel quite strongly about it. The Rugby Championship was working rather well, we thought —really didn’t need fixing —and, most important of all, we really enjoyed it. It did wonders for all four countries, exposing them to a high-stakes competition full of intensity and different playing styles, something New Zealand and Australia have missed since the departure of South Africa and Argentina from Super Rugby. While Australia has struggled in recent years, they showed signs of being at a real turning point in this year’s Championship, and the same could be said of Argentina. To be honest, the side that looks to benefit the most from this is New Zealand, as they still get to keep their Bledisloe Cup fixtures with Australia after next year’s Tour to South Africa. As a result, in 2026, New Zealand gets to play South Africa and Australia in the traditional Rugby Championship window. South Africa only gets to play New Zealand. Australia only gets to play New Zealand, and Argentina doesn’t get to play anyone. Is it just us, or does this seem slightly one-sided in favor of one particular team in the fabled black jerseys and all the marketing moolah that goes with it?
We wish South Africa and New Zealand, and their fans, all the best next year, and will grudgingly admit that we will watch — and most likely enjoy —the three Tests in South Africa, but not as much as we would have enjoyed an old-school Rugby Championship. Perhaps the lack of one next year and an inconclusive drawn Series between South Africa and New Zealand will suddenly make fans long for what got thrown away. The nostalgia for the Rugby Championships will ultimately replace these old-fashioned Tours, and before we know it, we’re back where we started. Besides, the Rugby Championship already had a tour-style format. Anyway, enough said, and time will tell!
After the Croke Park epic last weekend, the Crowley/Prendergast debate just got so much spicier and, dare we say it, a lot more obvious
Well, if you ever needed a game to seal an argument, we certainly got one last weekend. Speaking of rivalries, as they seem to have set the tone for this week’s musings, that between Irish provinces Munster and Leinster is right up there. Intensity in games between the two is always an absolute given, with no prisoners taken. Add in an exhibition of available talent and opportunities missed right after Ireland’s November selections had been announced by Irish Coach Andy Farrell, and fireworks were always going to be guaranteed. Of the two sides, it would appear Munster had the biggest axe to grind, as despite being the best Irish team in the URC this year so far, and a whopping 9 places ahead of defending Champions Leinster at second on the standings table, only four representatives from Limerick and the surrounding areas made Irish Coach Andy Farrell’s selection lists compared to the 21 from Leinster who got seats on the bus for Ireland’s November Internationals.
Of those four from Munster, now six due to injuries to the original selections from across Ireland’s four provinces, fly-half Jack Crowley did make the cut. As a result, the biggest question on every Irish supporter’s lips is who will get the starting playmaker jersey and the number 10 on their back? Will it be Munster’s Jack Crowley or Leinster’s Sam Prendergast? For us here at the Lineout, there has been no debate for the last two years. We’re with the Munsterman hands down. Sure, he’s fluffed his lines on occasion, but we’d argue that’s simply down to the fact he’s just not getting enough game time in the green of Ireland with any degree of consistency. Instead, Andy Farrell seems to think that anything dressed in the blue of Leinster is the panacea for all of Ireland’s ills.
Don’t get us wrong, Sam Prendergast is an outstanding player and will be a solid servant to Irish rugby in years to come. However, is he a Test level 10 now? Sadly, despite his considerable talents, the answer to that question, in our probably misguided opinion, is no. What Ireland needs from their fly-half is the kind of physicality, consistency, and ability to execute under pressure that Sexton gave them. While we do not believe that teams should try to replicate certain players, many of the essential qualities that made Sexton such a consistent performer for Ireland, Crowley possesses in a much more rounded sense than Prendergast. The skills on display by Crowley last Saturday at Croke Park were exemplary. What Crowley did was impressive and highly skilled, but not flashy. Furthermore, the Munsterman brought an element of physical play to the 10 jersey, both in attack and defense, that Prendergast simply cannot match at the moment. Crowley made 18 tackles last Saturday, and when Leinster were putting the pressure on, assured that Munster, assisted by an impressive defensive effort from the forward pack led by the truly extraordinary Tadgh Beirne, were able to come up with exit strategies from clear and present danger.
In short, it was an assured performance from Crowley. The same could not be said of his opposite number, a trait that has become increasingly prevalent in both the blue of Leinster and the green of Ireland over the last twelve months. Prendergast’s execution can, in one breath, be sublime and then woeful the next. His brilliance is hampered by a lack of consistency and, at times, exceptionally poor decision-making under pressure. Add in the fact that the poor lad just can’t seem to tackle to save his life, and at present, he is potentially more of a liability than an asset for Ireland. Like we say, the purpose of this is not to belittle Prendergast, as we genuinely believe he is a huge talent in the making, but at present, his toolkit is not as well-stocked as it needs to be at the international level.
As a result, we argue in favor of giving Prendergast more time to develop and resisting the temptation to thrust him into the spotlight from the outset. Shatter the young man’s confidence early in his career, and all that promise is snuffed out before it’s really been seasoned and had a chance to shine. Consequently, if Ireland and Andy Farrell need to make a choice, then we’d argue Jack Crowley has to be his starting fly-half. Prendergast has the potential to be a spectacular replacement off the bench, but only when a sense of control and order has been established by Ireland and reflected in the scoreline. For us, Crowley is the player to fill that primary role from the starting whistle. So there you have it, the Lineout’s two cents worth on Andy Farrell’s potentially biggest selection dilemma of November – Crowley first across the finish line and Prendergast a strong second. We can’t wait to see how it all plays out in Chicago in a week, and best of all, we’ll be there to see how the cards are dealt!
Plenty to look forward to in the URC this weekend, but four fixtures and their potential ramifications really stand out
This has been, up to now, a genuinely intriguing and exciting start to the URC season. If you’d asked us at the beginning of the season if, after four Rounds, both Italian teams would be in the top eight while defending Champions Leinster would have only won one of their first four games and find themselves just outside the bottom four, we would have probably asked you what your tipple was and where we could get some. Perhaps even more surprising, given the constant tales of gloom and doom regarding anything related to rugby coming out of Wales these days, is the fact that Cardiff occupy the fourth spot on the log. Consequently, there are plenty of games this weekend that will give us some idea of whether this is all early-season smoke and mirrors or a trend that could be repeated as the season unfolds.
For us, there are four big games this weekend. Glasgow’s tussle with the Bulls on Friday night is the first game on our radar. Glasgow comes into this almost fully loaded, with many figures set to play a big part in Scotland’s November Internationals. The Bulls are slightly less so, though there are still some big names in Friday’s lineup, most notably forwards Ruan Nortje and front rowers Gerhard Steenkamp and Johan Grobbelaar. Glasgow sits third on the log and looks set for a strong season, and on current form, a shoo-in for the playoffs. The Bulls have not had the brightest start to their season and still appear to be struggling on the road, as they did last season. However, they have a new and proven Coach in the shape of Johan Ackerman, and in winger Sebastian de Klerk, one of the most exciting players South Africa has seen in a while. If the Bulls speedster doesn’t get some big game time in Springbok colors this November, then we’d argue that Coach Rassie Erasmus is clearly not studying his tea leaves properly.
Italian rugby has so far been a pleasant surprise package in the opening stages of this URC season. Benetton’s 43-0 hiding at the hands of Edinburgh last weekend made a bit of a mockery of that statement, but we’d like to think it was simply a blip on the radar for the Italians. Zebre Parma, on the other hand, are genuinely making us sit up and take notice this season. They’ve won two and lost two, but against the table-topping Stormers last weekend, even though they lost, it definitely was not all one-way traffic. However, it’s that Saturday crunch match between Benetton and the Stormers in Treviso that is really piquing our curiosity. Italy will play South Africa this November, and if Benetton, who field a significant representation of the Italian squad, can at least hold their own against the Stormers this weekend, then that November dustup in Turin could be a lot closer than we might think. Italian Coach Gonzalo Quesada will be watching this one closely.
Another genuinely interesting Irish derby takes place on Saturday at Munster’s legendary Thomond Park as the West of Ireland does battle when Connacht comes to town. If you ask us, both Connacht and even more so Munster got seriously short-changed in Ireland Coach Andy Farrell’s November selection. That imbalance has been slightly redressed with two last-minute Munster call-ups, but expect to see plenty of others put their hands up for inclusion on Saturday should the stretcher bearers get busy at the start of Ireland’s November campaign. Munster and Connacht will be without the services of those players already called up for Ireland duty, as the squad left this Tuesday for their opener against New Zealand in Chicago in a week. Consequently, this fixture will give us a fascinating look at another level of Irish depth and potential last-minute call-ups.
Finally, is Wales in the shape of Cardiff starting to breathe fire again? Cardiff have looked good value for money so far this season and fully deserve their fourth place on the log. This weekend will see a genuine Test of where they are at and what hope there is for Welsh interests in this year’s competition when they host Edinburgh. Edinburgh are looking a lot sharper than their ninth-place standing in the current standings would suggest. They are getting better with every outing, and you can’t help but get the feeling that the pendulum is about to swing any moment now and see the Scotsmen start propelling themselves up the ladder at a rate of knots. Their significant variable appears to be the injury clouds hanging over the squad, but so far, they have managed to maintain a clean bill of health. If all the lights come on at once for Edinburgh, as they look increasingly likely to do, this could be a very long afternoon for Cardiff, but if not then Welsh fans can head to the Principality Stadium on November 9th for that game against Argentina with a cautious sense of optimism as they embrace life under new Coach Steve Tandy, whose time with Scotland certainly made an impression.
Glasgow vs Bulls – Friday, October 24th – 2:45 PM (Eastern) – Sportsnet+, Premier Sports Asia, FLO Rugby
Benetton vs Stormers – Saturday, October 25th – 12:30 PM (Eastern) – Sportsnet+, Premier Sports Asia, FLO Rugby
Munster vs Connacht – Saturday, October 25th – 2:45 PM (Eastern) – Sportsnet+, Premier Sports Asia, FLO Rugby
Cardiff vs Edinburgh – Saturday, October 25th – 2:45 PM (Eastern) – Sportsnet+, Premier Sports Asia, FLO Rugby
That’s it for this week, folks, and bring on Chicago next week!!
The Lineout 