G’day G&GRs. A heartbreaking loss for the Wallabies, and a flogging for the Kiwis! But this year’s Rugby Championship is harder to pick than a broken nose. And who’d have thought it, the Wallabies are on top of the TRC ladder. Like what the actual fark!
So let’s look at the Kiwis v Bokke encounter and then have a quick revision of the Wallabies game. I haven’t even had a chance to watch any of the Ladies RWC yet. That is this week’s viewing to play catch-up. I will leave that for our man ‘RAWF’ to cover in Tuesday’s news. So, prepare yourself for another bumper edition, Brisney style. Pour a large cup of the good stuff☕, and let’s talk rugger, a game undergoing a resurgence.
The Rugby Championship 2025 – Round 4
Argentina 28 defeated Wallabies 26
If you haven’t done so, make sure you read Hoss’s brilliant and painfully honest match review here.
Pumas Hang On to Silence Sydney – Wallabies Fall Just Short – Well, this one had it all – drama, handbags, a bit of Biff almost, and a Wallabies comeback that had 41,912 fans roaring at the death. Sadly, our lads left it just a little too late, with Los Pumas holding on for a nail-biting 28-26 win at a heaving Sydney venue.
Felipe Contepomi’s crew had been talking up “revenge week” after last year’s heartbreakers, and they sure delivered. Santiago Carreras turned his right boot into a metronome, slotting seven penalties and making us chase the game all afternoon.
First Half – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back – The boys actually got on the board first, with Suaalii smashing his way through to grab his fourth try in gold – but that was just about where the good news ended in the first forty. A comedy of errors (of the kind that would make Joe Schmidt pull out what little hair he has left) kept handing possession back to the Pumas, and Christophe Ridley’s whistle was blowing like a train station on Cup Day – 14 penalties conceded in the first half alone.
Montoya picked up a meat pie off an Edmed brain fade, Carreras kept punishing us from the tee, and poor Max Jorgensen had ten minutes in the naughty chair for a knockdown. Somehow, the damage was “only” 19-7 at oranges, but the Wallabies had a mountain to climb.
Second Half – Here Come the Golds. Things got even worse when Carreras slotted another couple early in the second half, and when the lead stretched close to 20, you could almost hear the Pumas fans sharpening the asado knives. But then – bang! – The Wallabies woke up. Carreras binned for throwing the ball away (rookie move, Santi!), and suddenly the men in gold were running everything. Kellaway dotted down, Daugunu grabbed one, then another, and all of a sudden the gap was just two points with a minute to play.
The final play had us on the edge of our seats – 90 metres to go, ball in hand, and Sydney was losing its collective 💩. Sadly, a stray pass from O’Connor to Suaalii hit the deck, the Pumas dived on it, hoofed it into the stands, and that was all she wrote. A brave comeback, but ultimately we paid the price for 60 minutes of ill-discipline and butterfingers.
Three Things We Learned
- Discipline Is Still Our Kryptonite – Fourteen first-half penalties. Fourteen. You can’t gift a world-class kicker like Carreras that much target practice and expect to win.
- The Finishers Have Real Bite – Credit where it’s due – the last 20 minutes showed what this Wallabies team can do when they cut loose. Kellaway, Daugunu, and co. nearly pulled off the heist of the year.
- Joe Schmidt Will Be Both Encouraged and Fuming – encouraged because the comeback shows heart and fitness. Fuming because we made it that hard for ourselves with basic errors.
South Africa 43 defeated New Zealand 10
Boks Smash ABs – Wellington Gets a History Lesson – Well, GAGR faithful, if you thought last week’s one-score loss in Auckland was going to keep the Springboks quiet, you were wrong. Dead wrong. The men in green and gold (well, the other green and gold) came out in Wellington and absolutely monstered the All Blacks 43-10, handing them their biggest-ever defeat on home soil and reclaiming the number one spot in the world rankings for good measure.
This was no smash-and-grab. This was an 80-minute demolition job. The Boks scored six tries to one, including a Cheslin Kolbe brace, and completely blew the All Blacks off the park.
How It Happened – The game started promisingly enough for the home crowd. New Zealand debutant Leroy Carter dotted down after a lovely sweeping move that stretched the Bok defence to its limit. Damian McKenzie added a penalty, and suddenly the men in black were 10-7 up at oranges despite being smashed in collisions and somehow surviving a few butchered South African chances.
But after the break? It was all over, folks. Kolbe got his second almost straight after half-time, Damian Willemse punished a stolen lineout, and from there it was like the Boks flicked the “destroy” switch. Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, and Andre Esterhuizen all joined the try-fest as Wellington descended into stunned silence.
The Boks were so dominant up front that the All Blacks’ scrum looked like it was on roller skates, and the lineout turned into a free buffet for the visitors. Add in the trademark rush defence and ferocious breakdown work, and the hosts had absolutely no answers.
The 36-0 second half was the most sobering stat of all — the All Blacks didn’t just lose, they disintegrated. Scott Robertson will have some very tough questions to answer about where his team goes from here.
Three Things We Learned
- The Boks Aren’t Done Yet – Anyone writing off South Africa as “past their peak” needs to crumple that take-up and throw it in the bin. The world champions are still the biggest, meanest bullies on the block when they click.
- Razor’s ABs Have a Glass Jaw – New Zealand looked fine in the first half, but completely collapsed when the Boks turned up the heat. That’s two poor fourth-quarter efforts in a row – worrying signs for a side that built its reputation on never fading.
- The Rugby Championship Is Alive and Kicking – With all four teams sitting on 2-2 records, this thing is wide open. One bonus point is all that separates first from last. Strap yourselves in, folks — the last two rounds are going to be spicy.
The Rugby Championship Ladder – 2025
Well, if you had told me two months ago that the Wallabies would be leading the Rugby Championship after four rounds, I would have taken that, right then and right there. So lo and behold, here we are! Even with that mediocre performance on Saturday.
I don’t think that the TRC has even been this tight across all four positions in its history. I will throw that at people who actually use statistics and facts, to prove me wrong there? Everyone has played 4, won 2, and lost 2. The Wallabies’ losing bonus point has proven to be extremely valuable. Well, that and a positive ‘for and against’ points ratio too.
Anyway, enough of the old man gibbering shite. Over to you, GAGRs! Have at it!
