Rugby Round Table ׀ Excellent rugby in the first two rounds

The premier matches in the Championship fully justified the expectations. South Africa were safe in Australia while Argentina surprised New Zealand in the first match.

If you grew up with the 3 Nations Cup, later the 4 Nations, then you are used to fast and very interesting rugby. Let’s not forget the high quality, because the competition includes three teams that played in the ½ finals of the last World Cup, along with Australia, which will host the next one. When you look at the level of rugby, when you look at the atmosphere of the matches, you get a real spectacle that simply must be seen if you love rugby.

South Africa confident against Australia

The current World Champions lived up to expectations. In two matches they were very convincing and certainly against Australia. In the first match, the Springboks were better with a score of 33-7, where the score could easily have been higher. In the second match, Australia played a better game, but again they were behind South Africa and lost 30-12. Rasi Erasmus gave an opportunity to a large number of players, for example in the second match, all 8 players on the bench were World Cup winners. As for Australia, realistically not too much could be expected from the under-construction team to provide much resistance to the two-time world champions. We expect better editions from them in the next matches.

Argentina surprised the All Blacks, who responded strongly in the second match

Argentina showed class in the first match and defeated New Zealand away with a score of 38-30. An incredible display from Los Pumas who became the highest scoring team on New Zealand soil ever. An incredible achievement. However, New Zealand is a serious team that has taken the lesson very seriously. They defeated Argentina 42-10 and thus responded to last week’s defeat, like big teams. With this victory, Argentina definitely cemented Tier 1 status in world rugby.

Of course, we gathered round table rugby players who analyzed the matches of the first two rounds. If you followed the matches, you will find our analyzes very interesting.

Rasi Erasmus combined a lot against Australia, and got a few more players he can count on for the next World Cup. What impressed you the most about the Springboks game?

Milan Orlović: A tailor-made opponent. He took advantage of Razi’s moment and gave a chance to more players than would have been the case if it wasn’t for the big win in the first match despite slightly different requirements in attack. Especially the 1-4-1-1-1 formation. The main impression is the depth they possess and the control of the game from start to finish. They are trying to use the pass game more than they did against Ireland. It will be interesting to see if he continues that in the match against the Allblacks.

Nemanja Babić: One word – efficiency. Rasi not only introduced innovations at the global level, he also has many strange methods and gave a new dimension to the game for the Springboks. It’s not about the number of points they will have at the end of the game, but the percentages in rucks won, scrums won, stolen balls in the outfield, and so more segments can be listed. The next SK is far away, but they have nothing else to worry about against the World Champions.

Bogdan Mihajlović: Definitely the biggest impression is disbelief that Australia could not have played a better game. South Africa are the best team in the world and they are proving that even though they are missing a few first-team players, they always have players eager to prove themselves who can take the game and score points routinely.

Photo Sky Sports

Dragan Petrović: The biggest impression for me in both games is the defense of the Springboks, which is still fantastic and the best in the world. Simply any line-up that Rasi can perform, she is superb in defense. The team playing against the Springboks struggles to score a try against the Springboks. No one in the world plays defense as well and aggressively as the Spingboks.

Marko Žeravica: As far as I could see, he played with a different team. First of all, he put a new scrumhalf and opener in the organization of the game, and later he put a new scrumhalf again and combined with Pollard as the second opener in the game in addition to the reserve opener. It seems to me that he is playing them in some emphasis on the change of generation. It’s still early for them, because when it’s tight, experienced players make a score while new ones still have a lot of mistakes.

Stevan Ilijašević: Width in the game and great efficiency in every segment of the game. Excellent opponent scouting and adaptation in attack. When you pay attention to South Africa’s attacking play, you will notice that they exploit every weakness of their opponents and score points in the easiest way possible. I think the Ozzies had 4 or 5 tackles in the two matches that prevented the Springboks from securing points, so the score difference is less than realistic, especially when you look at how the scrums looked.

Australia were pretty lackluster on their home turf against the reigning World Champions. In two matches, they scored only one essay, and that was in the first game when everything was decided, and that with two more players. What do the Ozzies need to fix for the next matches?

Milan Orlović: The team is undergoing restructuring and they are not playing for the result, and the world champions know how to take advantage of that, so it seems. The Wallabies lack a little physicality in the scrum and a little confidence in some moments with the ball, the rest will just come. You need to raise the level of physical activity and play a little more diversely and widely, it seems to me that this is somehow their game. We will see them against Puma.

Nemanja Babić: Honestly, the first half of the second game was not bad for me. They showed that they know what they want and in which direction they should continue to work. It is normal that the results after the change of coach and system have yet to be seen through several matches. I am of the opinion that it is early to judge and that we should let the players and the coaching staff pack up and do as they imagined for a few more games and then make a judgment. There is definitely change and a potential bright future.

Bogdan Mihajlović: If I ask myself, they have to fix everything. They may seem to have the desire and will, but in this game they were below all expectations. The defense must play more aggressively with as few mistakes and penalties as possible.

Photo: Wallabies

Dragan Petrović: Literally everything! Australia pales in both matches. A big disappointment for me personally. I expected them to provide more resistance to the Springboks. Pale and toothless in attack and soft in defense. I think they failed in all components of the game especially individually where the players were not up to the task starting from the scrum to the handball. I think Schmidt will have a lot of work to do with this team. Matches with Argentina await them, and Argentina rarely loses at home. A difficult period for the Wallabies is coming.

Marko Žeravica: Something is seriously wrong in the team. They have great individual players, but they are not connected. I think the coaching staff must be better and a good team of experts must be found.

Stevan Ilijašević: The Australians have a long way to go. Although they are a team that is in the reconstruction phase, they embarrassed themselves quite a bit at home. It is quite certain that Smith and the team will first of all work on the scrum, where, for example, Tup was lacking. The formation of any team requires time and strong matches, and there are plenty of those. We will see how Ozzie will use this competition.

Argentina beat New Zealand in the first match with the most points scored by anyone in the toughest away game in rugby. Pumas were defeated in the second match convincingly. What was the most positive thing Contemponi brought to Argentina's game?

Milan Orlović: Nothing, Pumas are a great team capable of great deeds. An attacking machine with one of the best third lines in the world. Maybe they took off a bit, especially in contact they were not like in the first game. You can see the determination to play openly, they want to prove themselves and compete, when they do it as a team they are too dangerous, when there is no support then there are problems.

Nemanja Babić: Contepomi has Latin blood but also great experience playing in Europe. It brought control and continuous playing of Picasso for 80 minutes. It is difficult to repeat the game from the first game, but now they know that they can and have succeeded. You have to persevere and as I wrote in the previous text, I am convinced that this competition is the most suitable for Argentina.

Bogdan Mihajlović: I think he brought an excellent game in defense and very fast in attack. It may have been a bad day for New Zealand in the first game, but they sat from the ashes in the second. The problem is that the Argentinians have not been able to outplay the New Zealanders so far, which may cause them a lot of problems in the future, especially against the Argentinians.

Photo: Americas Rugby News

Dragan Petrović: Unpredictable Argentina. It’s just amazing that they managed to beat NZ in the first game which no one expected. I personally am a big fan of Argentina and have been following them for years. I have the impression that the All Blacks and Reizor underestimated them, which annoyed the Argentinians. In the first game, Reizor fielded such a combined team that proved to be insufficient for victory. I think that in the first match Filipe brought with him a good defense and his coaching team. The Argentines punished all the individual mistakes of the All Blacks players. In one word, a well-deserved victory for the Argentines in the first match. In the second game, the angry All Blacks come out with the strongest team. Great play and shots by McKenzie. The great Will Jordan and Rico Ioane came back and tore Argentina apart. I had the impression that the Argentinians were satisfied with the first victory and as if they came out in the second game to play it for the sake of order. I think the All Blacks team from the second game is the winning team that will come out against the world champions South Africa team. It is difficult to get the All Blacks twice in two weeks in NZ. Filipe Contemponi brings everything new to Argentina’s game from attack to defense. The Argentine scrum has always been famous, and Contenponi is an Irish student, so I personally expect him to bring a new breath of fresh air to the Argentina team.

Marko Žeravica: The second match was played in terrible weather, which may have worked in favor of AB. At the beginning, the moment that carried Argentina’s game was shaken by the referee’s crucial decisions to break their continuity and give the ball to AB in their 22, and the experienced AB team immediately paid for it and made a psychological advantage. We know that Argentina is a temperamental team like the whole nation, and when things don’t go their way they fall immediately. We will see in the next match whether the first round was a coincidence for Argentina or something positive has changed the game.

Stevan Ilijašević: What a first match, and what a victory for Argentina. A true match for all rugby connoisseurs. Especially because the Argentinians were exceptional defensively and used all the mistakes of the All Blacks. A fantastic result. Beating New Zealand twice in a row away from home has not been possible even for much better teams in history.

After the initial defeat, the All Blacks, like big teams, showed their power in the next match and celebrated against Argentina 42-10. What weaknesses in the All Blacks' game does Robertson need to correct?

Milan Orlović: They have to adapt faster. It is clear how they want to attack. However, when it doesn’t work, solutions have to be made faster, something in which the Springboks are the strongest. They are still wanted in those floors in which linemen and scrummen participate, the fakes were not in the timing in the first game. Everything will fall into place, although I would prefer the Springboks in the next two matches.

Nemanja Babić: Everything coincided and what you would say set up in that first game against AB. A bad day of relaxation, in the end a good and motivated opponent. But great teams, great champions stand up and keep a cool head. After analysis, motivation and self-criticism, they play a furious first half of the second game and show that they know what they can do and what they are worth. Robertson, another new coach with a new coaching regiment to establish his system. He, like the players, needs time, games. Are there any weaknesses? Yes, there is! How to correct weaknesses? That’s the question we all want to know the answer to… I believe that as far as this AB team is concerned, there are only details that can be easily settled with two or three more games.

Bogdan Mihajlović: Honestly, I didn’t pay attention to the weaknesses. There were a couple of stupid decisions and situations, but I would attribute it more to a drop in concentration or maybe a slight underestimation of the opponent. Perhaps what adorns the game of the New Zealanders could be improved, which are nice actions and moves that, when pressed by the opponent, go to some easier variants, so to speak.

Photo: All Blacks

Dragan Petrović: I think that the All Blacks do not have any major weaknesses, which was seen in the second game against Argentina, when the strongest All Blacks team took to the field. In matches like the one expected against South Africa, the individual quality of the players and the individual errors of the players will be decisive. It will be a draw in my estimation. Tactical outwitting of two old leaves Reizor and Rasi. It is possible that the game will be decided by whoever has the better shot, as happened in the past games of these two national teams. We will see if the All Blacks can break down the South African defence. I can’t wait for those two games.

Marko Žeravica: As far as I could tell, AB started with the first 15 with the fewest appearances for AB, while the bench was mostly with players who had a serious number of appearances. To me, all this seems like a macro cycle of preparation for the next World Cup, where Razor slowly introduces younger players into the program. That is why this Championship will be very uncertain in terms of results.

Stevan Ilijašević: When you have a fantastic group of players, if you have a plan and know what you are doing, every time spent together is a benefit. It will be very interesting to see how Robertson and the All Blacks fare against the Springboks. What kind of matches will they be? Replay of the World Cup final.

Many players have left positive impressions. Which players do you think marked the first two matches?

Milan Orlović: That is always the most difficult question for me, because there is certainly a lot of talent and players who were up to the task. But here are a few names: Carreras, Chocobates, Gonzalez (Ar), Jordan, McKenzie, Savea (NZ), DuTot, Ezebet, Marks (SA), Wright (Au)… Now the real excitement begins.

Nemanja Babić: Personally, after two rounds, I’m not brave enough to name names. The question itself says that several players made a good impression and drew attention to themselves. Look at the lineups in those two first rounds! All rugby connoisseurs and most accomplished players in their positions. I’m not that skilled and brave, and I wouldn’t want to single out 20 players. Let’s wait for the end and then decide who is really above the rest.

Bogdan Mihajlović: Of the players I watched, I would single out Barrett – New Zealand, Chokobares – Argentina and Matt Fassler – Australia, whom I noticed at the 2018 U20 World Championship .

Dragan Petrović: For me personally from Argentina Mateo Carreras and his great essay against the All Blacks. Augustin Crewy the old matador showing he is not for scraps and his winning essay against the All Blacks. Damian McKenzie my favorite All Blacks player who had a great second game and the return of Will Jordan. I am most pleased with the return of Malcolm Marx and his try for South Africa.

Marko Žeravica: In addition to experienced players who showed why they are the best, such as Malcolm Marks from JA, or Savea from NZ, I personally caught the eye of an Australian linebacker whose father, Peter Jorgensen, was also a Wallaby, and that is 19-year-old Max Jorgensen . By the way, I still think that the Uzis have excellent individual players, but they are still connected, and you can see their influence of R13 in the game of R15, where it is difficult to find out at a higher level of the game.

Stevan Ilijašević: Ever since he received a buffer from Mafia in the last action in Japan’s historic victory over South Africa, and the great disappointment in the then young center. Jesse Creel has grown into one of the leaders of the Spingboks and an essential piece of work for Rassi Erasmus. A center who can connect the game defensively and offensively. Cramer and Matera showed what an experienced third line should look like against the All Blacks. Damian McKenzie is definitely Robertson’s first pick as New Zealand’s opener, he is so lethal and versatile in attack that it is very difficult to shut him down.