The South Strikes Back: A New Era in World Rugby?

[@johntumai827]

“There’s a fine line between success and failure in international rugby, it’s called the equator”, TikTok meme.

[@JulianShawofficial]

🤣

[@randomlyfactual1943]

I'm so proud of my Southern Brothers!! But I think we can all agree, the Wallabies get the chicken dinner. Up the South! 🇿🇦🇦🇷🇳🇿🇫🇯🇦🇺 Special mention to little brothers Brazil and Chile 🇧🇷🇨🇱

[@Spencer-z6k]

"Who let the dogs out, woof woof woof woof, NZ, SA, AUS , ARG and FIJI.... Southern Nations get the job done baby...

[@JulianShawofficial]

Yes, go the wallabies. They did so good!

[@Starry_i_CPT]

I love chicken.

[@Goggawie]

I feel UNITED with previous rivalries, feeling good 🇿🇦

[@woesmevrou5673]

Great rugby weekend - such a great win for Wallabies! Long time Boks/ABs/Pumas supporter. And after the World Cup a Fiji fan. The Southerners have such style and grit.

[@colinlekas8324]

Thank you Julian. I'm a South African Kiwi, all my life. I will not change. Rooting for the All Blacks is part of my DNA. It is part of my inner being. 😊

[@JulianShawofficial]

Yes! I’ve spent most of my life in Australia and now the US and my love of the All Blacks has only grown stronger. 🖤🇳🇿

[@salomiodendaal4473]

You sound like me! Not always easy, but so worthwhile!🖤🖤

[@sandorclegane3658]

Title of the video should be "just another day at the office"

[@JulianShawofficial]

Here’s hoping it continues! The North had had a good run in recent times…

[@ravenblack7052]

​@@JulianShawofficialRecent times? Does that hark back to RWC2023? NH Teams barely got out of the stables! Semi finals = 3 SH Teams and we went all the way to the finals! SH = 9 World Cup 🏆 NH = 1 World Cup 🏆 But ja, where Autumn Nations/NH end of year tours are concerned, we need a scoreboard. We'd just love a record of our beat downs of the NH.

[@Goggawie]

😂

[@FineLineDrawing]

Imagine having international teams - SH vs NH! Saffas +Wallabies + ABs + Argentina + Fiji would be insane 🙏🙏🙏

[@alpozongo1485]

1. Ox 2. Taylor 3. Frans 4. Eben 5. Vaai 6. Botia 7. PSTD 8. Valetini 9. Grant 10. Tomas 11. Clark 12. Damian 13. Waisea 14. Kolbe 15. Fassi

[@FineLineDrawing]

@@alpozongo1485 u a saffas fan? also pls explain PTSD it's probs funny but i don't get it

[@wellington12able]

⁠@@FineLineDrawing😂suppose to be PSDT I think, Pieter-Steph du Toit

[@randomlyfactual1943]

Google "Rugby Aid". I'm there ks a Wikipedia page. So after the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004, a match was organised early on in 2005 as a fundraiser for the horrific tragedy. The match was a South vs North game, which featured pretty stacked sides. South won by a handsome margin. They tried doing this again a few times (once after the Japanese earthquake I think) but this time round, the top teams were a little more wary about lending their players to the cause. You don't want your star players getting injured playing essentially a friendly, after all (which is the same reason a World XV has never gained any real traction). AFAIK 2011 was the last time this was done.

[@ravenblack7052]

​@@FineLineDrawing Many a player who gets tackled by PSTD, ends up with PTSD.

[@altazuma]

why is this a surprise when 3 out 4 sem-finalists and both finalists in the RWC were SH teams,

[@JulianShawofficial]

You have a point there. But the North have dished out some good results in recent years and in particular the ABs 2021 end of year tour left a foul taste in my mouth. 🤢

[@randomlyfactual1943]

The world cup was close, mate. NZ and Ireland were neck and neck. SA vs France and England didn't even have a neck.

[@sanitydweller]

Something else, I dont think theres much talking point to, but I'm happy to see Brazil and the US climb that ladder, more competition is always a good thing for the sport, and those 2 nations are a wealth of untapped potential in the rugby scene. I'm keeping a close eye on the MLR, I want so badly for those bigger nations to bring the competition!

[@JulianShawofficial]

I’m really rooting for the USA. I live in the States and I’m super excited for the RWC in 2031 (a long time to wait I know!) Hoping the eagles keep developing.

[@LuisoscarBalbi-do2xf]

Creo hay que seguir a sudamerica, ha crecido mucho toda la region, Chile, Uruguay ,Paraguay estan por encima de Brasil , esos 4 paises vienen en ascenso . Saludos desde Arg.

[@theruffiankj4164]

An ebullient, insightful and articulate overview. Did I mention your hallmark succinctness?

[@Lesssvav]

The state of the most interesting Rugby nations right now: Boks: well and truly in full stride, 6 years deep in Rassies regime. At their PEAK. New talent coming through. NZ: nearing the end of the rebuild. Still figuring things out but getting better and better. 2025 going to be big. Ireland: Not as clinical as in 2022-2023, but still world class. France: Still dangerous. England: unfortunate! Missing the killer instinct at the end of games. Still a team to take seriously no matter. Wallabies: On the way UP! They are going to keep surprising teams!

[@JulianShawofficial]

Agree!!!! 👏🏼

[@DavidSmith-yi8ou]

My guess is Ireland will remain competitive while slowly drifting out of the top 3. They’re quite old as a side and their depth is not of the same quality as SA, France or NZ. They had a generational XV, that unfortunately for them, tripped when it mattered most last year. I would be surprised if they were as strong in 2027. I could be completely wrong though.

[@JulianShawofficial]

I’m keeping an open mind but one does feel they had a golden generation and didn’t seize the moment.

[@PatstarDeluxe]

I absolutely agree with you. They'll always be a good, competitive team but the days of them being #1-3, I think, is over. And you're right about the depth, they just don't seem to have those amazing players coming through.

[@jbayi3340]

They seem to have great player developement structures going. Add the odd NZ, SA or Aus expat and they might continue their form.

[@Argenswiss]

As an Argentinian I would absolutely love for Fiji to join the RC, we have shown that iron sharpens iron and what a decade of top level rugby does to a team with great potential. The onl issues are 1) Fiji would absolutely need their France based players to compete at that level, and we all know that's not very likely to happen during the top 14 and 2) we would have to be 6, and Japan currently is nowhere near the level required, and neither are Tonga and Samoa

[@JulianShawofficial]

Well said! The evolution of Argentina in the past decade has been the big story of world rugby. Fiji would absolutely grow and could get to a point of beating the ABs and Boks in time.

[@AE-ix2iz]

Spot on analysis my Argentinian friend. I hope super rugby can help Moana Pasifika and Drua sooner so Fiji/Samoa/Tonga don’t need to rely on their Europe-based players

[@Hrodwulf9]

your prediction of the Boks over England by 10 to 20 points? I'm here for it let's go Bokke!

[@Vasuperviso]

Totally agree on nearly all your points J..Fiji and Aussie being strong is pleasing as it makes our comp (Super Rugby)stronger... Jury is still out on whether the "Rush defense"code has been worked out..as I still think it catches the Abs out sometimes.. Lastly Boks by 10 against England and I feel it will be a heated and ugly game ..France and The Abs will be closer.....

[@JulianShawofficial]

I reckon France will be the hardest test for the ABs by some margin!And a fair point about Rush D. While there are promising signs we might be getting around it when we are playing near our best, that blitz style does still catch us out on an off day.

[@Vasuperviso]

Right on the money J... The Abs coaching staff has implemented subtle kicks behind and across with really quick passing to keep rush defence on side but really like where we are going with it ...and as for France it's gonna be tough...real tough😮

[@fredkelly6953]

Since when was the north ever dominant, not in my lifetime.

[@ObiePaddles]

Bit harsh. England won the World Cup in 2003. Since and before then?

[@jimsquire-chestnuts8381]

@@ObiePaddlesEngland won with a drop goal in the 100th minutes and France had 40 points put on them in the Bronze game. That’s hardly the north dominating

[@jonathonmerson93]

yep every now and again the Northern Hemisphere get lucky ,lucky fools i call them because they belt out so much social media crap .

[@ObiePaddles]

@@jimsquire-chestnuts8381 #sarcasm

[@mthunziphakathi4215]

England for about 18 months leading up to their WC win. That was a dominant outfit

[@Charlie-it1kk]

Would be massive to have a combined southern hemisphere team formidable team north would stand no chance

[@JulianShawofficial]

I will probably do a combined Southern Team video after the tours are over!

[@kitdyer8968]

Yeah all the southern teams are in form but still a long way to the world Cup still more room for improvement

[@JimmieCooper-le6vj]

I said it before.Ireland are lost without Sexton.They have a flyhalf crisis.Feel bad for Flawley.Supporters were crying out for him to start,but he had a absolute shocker.

[@salomiodendaal4473]

Sexton seems to have left a massive hole in the team.

[@jackb4837]

Its interesting that we say the south strike back, but the south dominated the world cup from the quarters onward. More that the wallabies strike back. Super happy for them!

[@randomlyfactual1943]

Dominated? I wouldn't use that word. NZ/Ireland could have gone either way. And as a Bok fan, I still have nightmares about those 1 point wins.

[@JulianShawofficial]

Yes, wallabies really showed up. It was great to see!

[@richardscanlan3419]

@@randomlyfactual1943 nah,NZ had dominance,it just didn't reflect on the scorebord.When the ref started to penalise the irish coming off their feet and illegally disrupting kiwi ball at the back of rucks,it was game over for the irish. The scoreline flattered them.

[@randomlyfactual1943]

@richardscanlan3419 Man, I watched that game and I was rooting for you guys. That last 18000 phases that the Irish were building was killing me.

[@jjvanwyk7037]

A South African, I too was happy for the Wallabies for the same reasons

[@MAGA2024TRUMP-y8q]

How exactly is this a new era when the south has always been the pinnacle of world rugby?

[@Damudean]

Why do you say a strike back? How many northern atmosphere teams were there in the World Cup final last year? When the northern atmosphere was saying Ireland vs France for the final before the World Cup started.

[@JulianShawofficial]

A fair call. North were having a great run heading into RWC 2023 with Ireland and France favorites for the title. But their capitulation there combined with this Northern tour is certainly pretty damning. Let’s see how this weekend goes. If Boks beat England and NZ beat France it will seem pretty comprehensive.

[@Damudean]

@ I’m not confident about the French game it’s like winning a 1/4, semi and a final it’s not easy winning 3 tough games in a row against 3 different opponents

[@richardscanlan3419]

@@Damudean yep,it's a 50/50 game.maybe even 60/40 in favor of the frogs.

[@rory7590]

I’d wait till the end of November and all the results are in before saying that a particular hemisphere is on top of another. Each match result can be analysed for mitigating circumstances. In the case of Ireland, missing Tahg Furlong at Tighthead may have ceded set piece authority to NZ; for England, losing Tim Curry after 20 minutes compromised their defensive patterns. All I am saying is another week, different selections and team performances may be different. It sets things up for some great matches ahead also. France v All Blacks will be spectacular and I personally rate the French a bigger threat on their day than any of the NH teams. They have a higher ceiling with their individual talent than Ireland and England. For England, they’ll need a hard tackling replacement for Curry but they can match the physicality of SA when they get it right. For Ireland, they’ll be wanting to re-establish their team reputation against a slightly up-down Argentina team. The Wallabies beat Wales twice this year already, but they were quite tight affairs to be honest. If SH teams do manage a load of results in their favour next week, it will be seismic.

[@DavidSmith-yi8ou]

@@rory7590 I agree. France, especially France at home, have the higher ceiling potential. NZ will need to play smart Rugby to defeat them this weekend.

[@JulianShawofficial]

Yup, totally. As I mentioned, one weekend of positive results doesn’t irrevocably change the pecking order of world rugby. But backing it up again next weekend would be more decisive.

[@Wolf-hh4rv]

Interesting that you call the rush defense a NH thing. It has its origin with Jake White’s 2005 SA team. After 2007 RWC it was Nienaber that introduced it to SA again in 2017. SA has kept the blits defense since and been through several incarnations. After 2019 RWC victory some teams have adopted various versions of it. England recently attempting a replica but with some critical flaws. (they keep hiring people from SA). Of course Nienaber coached at Munster and is now with Leinster so the ideas have travelled. Rugby is rapidly evolving and today the blits has many variations. Aussie and NZ have won games in the last few years by exploiting the risks that are associated with it.

[@JulianShawofficial]

There’s no doubt SA innovated in this space and has been a world leader when it comes to Blitz D. I have vivid (painful) memories of the Boks dealing to the ABs in the mid to late 2000s with this style of D. However in terms of the Southern Hemisphere I haven’t seen NZ, Aus or Argentina follow suit, which makes the Boks stand alone. The North on the other hand adopted it en masse in the last decade. It’s a notable feature of Ireland, England and even Scotland. Not to mention many NH clubs.

[@Wolf-hh4rv]

@ i was at SA’s Blits defense debut at Newlands v NZ I think 2005, it was incredible, this great NZ attack just obviously panicking…. We won… and of course NZ studied it - but on balance it has done well for us on balance over the years. The problem with England’s replica attempt is -- no organised sweepers and scramble defense behind the Rush. But hey we conceded a lot of tries in the early days. Even recently against NZ that big outside space was exploited.

[@marianoguaycochea6652]

Our problem in the south is the distance. If we could have a seven nation championship that would be amazing: NZ, SA, Aus, Arg, Fiji, Tonga anda Samoa ❤

[@Goggawie]

HOT STUFF!!!!

[@Gavsta60]

I'm not convinced that NZ is now becoming a top side again as much as it's the Irish coming back down to earth and going back to their true level of about 5/6 in the world rankings. They've been flying way above their station in life for the last couple of years.

[@wakaroawaata1586]

CLEAN SWEEP, ABs, WALLABIES, FIJI, BOKS, ABs 15, ARGENTINA, CLEAN SWEEP. PS- THE NORTH WILL GET THE REFS ON THERE SIDE.

[@waynerockman1242]

Ireland actually took a beating.

[@JulianShawofficial]

10 point loss in Dublin is huge for them. That’s been their fortress.

[@Darkside.315]

South hemisphere should be called global south😂

[@BraamBezuidenhout]

Bro South Africa created the Rush defence not the north and South Africa are the best at it?

[@TheBuildKingR]

When Razor took over I was ranting about him, but I'm happy that NZ won the English and the Irish, especially the Irish. Slightly off topic, I also enjoyed the comments made by Reiko giving a little back to Sexton. He was a good player, but as a person an *ssh*le. SH hopefully for the win this weekend too.

[@salomiodendaal4473]

I thought Scott Barrett's reaction to an Ireland player's dangerous play near McKenzie was his coming of age. That's what AB captains do!

[@davidr5597]

Go watch the latest Squidge Rugby video to see that, in fact, the Irish weren't that rusty or even subpar. With his deep analysis, you see how the ABs were successfully able to shut down Ireland.

[@DimitriMartinez-cai]

Aguante el Sur, Sudafrica, All Blacks, Pumas, Wallabies y Fiji🤜🤛

[@rabbitss11]

Fiji's shape and improved discipline is due in no small part to Caleb Muntz; a shame he missed the world cup

[@JulianShawofficial]

Great call. It was really notable. I think the set piece has come a long way and there are more occasions now where they think it’s prudent to kick a penalty. In the past I feel there was an ‘attack at all costs’ mindset and they’re benefiting from tempering that way of thinking.

[@JulianShawofficial]

also, Muntz is still a very young fella. Only 25! He should have a couple of World Cups in him all going well

[@Gavsta60]

It's a pity we can't see a fixture that pits a SH side against a NH side!!

[@Goggawie]

Agree

[@musawenkosibrianmajola6729]

It's good South dominated but I wonder is it because they recently had competition as compared to the Northerns who last had competition during February in 6n. That should be considered a factor❤😂

[@JulianShawofficial]

Ireland were certainly cold and short of a gallop. The southern hemisphere teams have the same issue in June. I suppose teams have to find a way to get up to speed through intra-squad matches or other warm up games.

[@musawenkosibrianmajola6729]

@JulianShawofficial yeah I noticed South Africa had the same issue when they lost to Ireland early in the year. As much as they tired they couldn't complete with an Ireland team who qere fresh from a 6n winning run

[@ppDonjuanes]

almost clean sweep, Tonga lost sadly :(

[@JulianShawofficial]

Good point! Fair play to Romania, they’re a much improved side.

[@10clapbaacs78]

Listen stuff got sed feelings got hurt ,I'm just here to play footy and win games

[@martindekock4719]

Stop looking for excuses 90%of the test players in the URC in Ireland play for Leinster how can they be rusty ,they are so arrogant ,win before even played.

[@whiteybester9160]

The South play rugby and do not complain about tackling. Why does the North need a referee to help them win a game. 😅

[@neilshrekpurves4521]

The Irish "bounce back" may be hampered by the fact that AF hasnt started blooding the next generation, and he will shortly be off to the Lions training camp, not ideal for Ireland

[@benvandermerwe4934]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻⚡🥃🇿🇦

[@JulianShawofficial]

🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@Eduardo-nr5te]

Rise again? When did it fall?

[@jonathonmerson93]

welll put its called regression towards the mean .....Ireland may well regress we have to wait and see .

[@williambrown5966]

Smith was the only English player on the pitch. Bocks will elimminate England.

[@JulianShawofficial]

I wouldn’t rule out England being cornered into a big performance. But I share your view that if the English form line continues as it has this past fornight, and the Boks lift as I expect them to, it won’t even be close.

[@WayneCalsen]

It means that Ireland will never win a world cup and France.

[@JulianShawofficial]

Never say never! I feel France is due one when we least expect it.

[@JimmieCooper-le6vj]

Everybody that still saying super rugby is worse than the URC comp.,must put a sock in it. Super rugby teams just beat the URC teams ,or whatever other comps they participate in.💪💪💪💪

[@JulianShawofficial]

That’s true. Somewhat vindicates Super Rugby altho I’d love to see an Argentina team back in there and a strong Cheetahs side.

[@kobuslouw9533]

SA plays in URC, a lot of Argie players in EU comps. So there goes 50% of your argument.

[@icefarrow7959]

​@@kobuslouw9533No one ever said SA or Argentina. Only you. We're talking about NZ and Aus.

[@JimmieCooper-le6vj]

@kobuslouw9533 Really !! You must be one of those clowns that say super rugby is no good.Typical saffa supporter.

[@JimmieCooper-le6vj]

@@icefarrow7959 Excuse these saffa supporters.They think the world 🌍 evolves around them only.

[@phillipmiga3961]

Julien my saffa sister says you look good with a beard face need to stop shaving them clean those cheek bones needs to be covered 🎉🎉

[@JulianShawofficial]

I will defer to her judgment. I usually grow a beard in winter!

[@ianjacobs2998]

Springboks played sh.t!! Hendricks 🤮 and still won!!! (From SA 🇿🇦🇿🇦

[@kingkongkong2204]

I remember irish news prediction for the world cup not only were the irish gona win the world cup but it also will be a clean sweep😂from the northern hemisphere powerhouse oh ffs get it right southern hemisphere powerhouse all day son