International Rugby
SBW to front Pieter Muller in my dream Springbok vs World XV Test match
Mark Keohane, in his post 1992 Springbok and international stand out players, reveals his Dream Team Bok No 12 and who would oppose him in a World XV.
You can’t but help like Jean de Villiers as a person and absolutely love him as a rugby player. De Villiers, a veteran of 109 Test matches, was as popular with the opposition as he was with his own teammates. He would captain the Springboks in the Heyneke Meyer era and when he called time on his Test career he had transformed from the joker in the team to a highly respected international captain.
De Villiers made his international debut in 2002 on the end of year tour. I was working as the Springboks Communications Manager and his first Test against France in Marseilles lasted six minutes. De Villiers fell awkwardly in a tackle and in a freak accident tore his knee ligaments.
The Boks took a 30-10 beating that night in Marseilles, which was the precursor to a disastrous month. The following weekend the Boks lost 21-6 to Scotland at Murrayfield, before ending the season in disgrace, when a 14-man Boks took a 53-3 beating against England at Twickenham.
De Villiers had been in wonderful form in 2002. He had done his thing for Chester Williams’s Sevens Springboks and was on fire for Western Province in the Currie Cup. He had such natural class and the only thing that was going to prevent him from playing many a Test match was injury. It has been well documented that De Villiers was cursed with injury, prior to the 2003 World Cup, at the 2007 World Cup, at the 2011 World Cup and at the 2015 World Cup. If World Cups weren’t his thing, then a celebrated decade of excellence was his thing. This guy could play rugby. Early on in his career, he told me that he didn’t believe in kicking a rugby ball and it came from when a very famous Springbok, John Gainsford, who was a family friend, visited. A six year-old De Villiers was in the garden with a rugby ball and his first instinct was to grubber kick the ball or punt it high into the heavens. Gainsford left the braai area to give the youngster his first rugby lesson. Gainsford told him the rugby ball was a thing of beauty when in one’s hands and it wasn’t something to be let go of, let alone kicked away. ‘Run with it or pass it to a teammate who is in a better position to run with it’ were Gainsford’s words to a young Jean de Villiers.
This would become De Villiers’s mantra for his career, whether he was playing wing, outside or inside centre. De Villiers was a disciple of letting the ball work through the hands and not via the boot.
De Villiers, in 2003, was invited to the final Rugby World Cup camp at the Pretoria High Performance Centre. He had been in outstanding form for Western Province, had suffered a knee injury and was once again fit to play. The then Bok coach Rudolf Straeuli wasn’t convinced with De Villiers and put the player, along with a few others, through gruelling fitness tests that were more army-like than anything to do with rugby. De Villiers, with his tender knees, was made to go up and down hills and do excercises with a player on his back. It defied logic and common sense and no professional athlete would be put through such stupidity in this age.
Naturally, his knees took strain and this was enough to convince Straeuli to send De Villiers home and not select him for the World Cup. De Villiers, prior to getting into a mini-van that was to take him to the airport from the HPC, jokingly told me to tell the coach that he may not be able to go up and down hills all day but he knows how to play rugby!
And the charismatic De Villiers would be true to this as he consistently showed his class in a decade of international contests against the best in the world, of which he was undoubtedly one of the best.
De Villiers, on his return from the HPC, played for Western Province and won three successive Man of the Match awards. It prompted a late call-up to the Springboks World Cup squad but he got injured in a warm-up match in South Africa.
De Villiers may not have fond memories of World Cups, but as a Springbok player the highs were plenty. He scored a try against the All Blacks in New Zealand within 27 seconds of the start, which at time was the quickest try ever scored against the men in black. His intercept try at Newlands, when playing on the wing against the All Blacks in 2005, was also monumental. The All Blacks had destroyed the British & Irish Lions three-nil in a Test series the previous month and De Villiers’s try would be the only Bok score in a stunning 22-16 win.
The respect there was for De Villiers internationally was showcased when All Blacks captain Richie McCaw dedicated a specially signed All Blacks jersey, bottle of champagne and purple prose to De Villiers in a wonderful public speech after De Villiers had made his 100th Test appearance in Wellington, New Zealand.
Jean de Villiers, ordinarily, would make most World XVs and I am sure he would be many a supporter’s first pick as the best Springbok No 12 since 1992.
In the last 20 years De Villiers, as a No 12, has consistently been outstanding. Most recently, at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Damian de Allende was world class and produced his best ever year in Test rugby. He certainly has come good and justified Rassie Erasmus’s belief that he could be one of the best midfielders playing the game.
Heinrich Fuls was someone who made an immediate impression on me. He was just 21 years-old when he played for the Springboks, as a replacement wing in the inaugural post isolation Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park in 1992. Fuls was big and strong and his specialist position was wing. He would play seven Tests in 1993 before injury derailed his international career. He joined Rugby League’s Super League in 1996, returned to South Africa when Super League didn’t happen, and ultimately quietly left the rugby scene because of the continued effects of injury.
I thought, back in 1992, he was going to be around for a long time.
De Wet Barry was a very good inside centre, who I worked with and wrote about. He was bloody tough and was seen as the natural successor to Japie Mulder, when it came to the backline enforcer role. Barry also understood defensive patterns and was as bright as he was tough in the tackle. He was also one of those good okes that everyone enjoyed.
Frans Steyn, easily the most versatile and talented Springbok backline player of his generation, played wing, fullback, outside centre, inside centre and flyhalf for the Springboks. Steyn won a World Cup as a 20 year-old in 2007 and was imposing when replacing the injured De Villiers at inside centre.
The 2007 World Cup-winning coach Jake White said he knew the first time he saw Steyn play for Grey College as a schoolboy that he was going to select him in his 2007 World Cup squad. White had taken the 2004 Boks, based in Bloemfontein pre the Ireland two-Test series, to watch a match at Grey College. White told the senior Bok leadership to watch the schoolboy Steyn because he would be an international teammate by the time of the World Cup.
Steyn, who most thought would be the first Springbok to play closer to 150 than 100 Tests, raced to his first 50 Tests, but would then primarily play for Racing Metro and Montpellier in France. He had a season in Japan and returned to the Sharks for a season when White was the coach, but for the most he was a star in France and the club versus country battle limited his Springbok appearances. He was exceptional at the 2011 World Cup before injury ended his tournament in the last play of the final pool match against Samoa at the North Harbour Stadium in Albany. I was in the stands when his shoulder went and a big part of the Bok World Cup challenge went with Steyn’s shoulder.
He missed out on the 2015 World Cup as he and Meyer didn’t connect as player and coach, and it was only when Rassie Erasmus took over that Steyn was reintroduced to the Bok set-up. His role in the victorious 2019 campaign was more in a supporting role than the superstar status of 2007, but it was no less important and effective.
Steyn makes my Bok 23 because of his quality and versatility in playing four positions and because of his goalkicking and dropkicking ability, but he doesn’t start at No 12. Neither does De Villiers.
My selection at No 12 is Pieter Muller, who was a mountain, whether he played 12 or 13.
Muller wore the No 12 jersey as a youngster against the All Blacks in 1992, with the legend Danie Gerber on his outside in No 13. Muller scored a try in the historic one-off Test against the All Blacks and would be the mainstay in the Boks midfield in 1992, 1993 and 1994 before breaking his neck in early 1995, which ruled him out of the 1995 World Cup.
It was feared he would never play rugby union again and this may also have contributed to him signing for the Penrith Panthers for the proposed 1996 Super League, especially with rugby union’s war on professionalism creating an uncertain future for players in 1996.
Super League in Australia fell flat in 1996 and Muller returned to rugby union through a season at French club Toulouse in 1997 and finally came back to South Africa in 1998.
He was immediately picked for the Springboks and started against Ireland in the home series. He was a permanent fixture in the Bok midfield throughout the 1998 and 1999 season and played the last of his 33 Test matches in the winning bronze medal play-off against the All Blacks in Cardiff in 1999.
Muller was colossal defensively, but was by no means a one-trick defensive pony. He could distribute the ball, but his physicality was his biggest weapon and he invariably made inroads when taking the ball to the line.
WATCH: MULLER’S HUGE TACKLE ON ERIC ELWOOD
The most magnificent individual effort I saw from a Springbok midfielder was Muller’s performance against the All Blacks in Wellington in 1998. It was the last match at the old Athletic Park Stadium and I was there to experience Muller flying into and stopping anything that wore black. He made a record (for a back) 23 tackles as the Boks repelled the All Blacks for 80 minutes to keep them tryless and secure a famous 13-3 win.
WATCH: MULLER’S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
If you asked me to select the best Bok midfield pairing since 1992 then I’d go with De Villiers and Fourie and give an honourable mention to Barry and Joubert, but for my Dream Team I am going on individual selections and my No 12 belongs to the brute that is and was Pieter Muller.
Similarly, if you asked me to select an overseas midfield pairing, then it would be New Zealand’s Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith or Australia’s Tim Horan and Jason Little. New Zealand’s Walter Little and Frank Bunce were also good but not quite a Nonu and Smith.
Scott Gibbs and Jeremy Guscott were the best British Lions midfield I saw play and Mike Tindall and Will Greenwood deserve every accolade for the potency of their combination between 2000 and 2003 for England’s World Champions.
Tana Umaga, Fiji’s Sera Rubeni, England’s Owen Farrell (at No 12 and No 10), England’s Manu Tuilagi at 12 or 13 and Samoa’s Brian Lima have all been huge.
Lima, who played in a record five successive World Cups, played 14, 13, 12 and 11 throughout his career, but in his last years mostly lined up in the midfield. South Africans will recall his tackle on Derick Hougaard at the 2003 World Cup in Australia. Lima, nicknamed the Chiropractor for the way he rattled opposition bones, cut Hougaard in two. It says everything about Hougaard’s character that he actually got up. Lima nearly repeated the Hougaard treatment on Andre Pretorius at the 2007 World Cup. Fortunately for Pretorius, Lima misjudged his flying coathanger of a tackle and ended up concussing himself.
Ireland’s Gordon D’Arcy was the less charismatic of the D’Arcy/O’Driscoll midfield, but he was never lacking in quality. Equally Wales’s Jamie Roberts.
I always enjoyed the artistry of France’s Yannick Yauzian and Maxime Mermoz, although neither was as good defensively, and France’s Wesley Fofana would excel in a No 12 and No 13 jersey. Argentina’s Felipie Contemponi was as good at inside centre as he was as a flyhalf and the same could be said of Australia’s Matt Giteau.
France’s Philippe Sella, between 1992 and 1995, wasn’t the player of the late 1980s that was rated the best in the world and New Zealand’s Otago captain John Leslie was a star when he played for Scotland at the 1999 World Cup. He was part of the six-strong Kilted Kiwis who qualified for Scotland through ancestry.
There have been some ferocious international No 12s since 1992 and you wouldn’t get too many arguments in picking a Tim Horan and Brian O’Driscoll midfield combination. Many would rate that as potentially the best combination from different countries.
For me, in all my years of writing about rugby, no one inside centre made an impression quite like New Zealand’s Sonny Bill Williams, whose best years were between 2010 and 2015. Williams at the 2015 World Cup was at the peak of his rugby union career. His ability to commit anything between one and five defenders and still release an effective ‘in the tackle’ offload set him apart from any other No 12 in the game. Any YouTube highlights package showcases Williams’s range of offloads and the quantity of them. He was also very strong defensively.
WATCH: SOME OF SBW’s GREATEST OFFLOADS
Williams tore his Achilles heel playing for the New Zealand Sevens at the Rio Olympics in 2016, returned to play Test rugby for the All Blacks in 2017, but was never quite the same player. He was outstanding in his final Test against Wales in the 2019 RWC third-place play-off but the Williams who dazzled was at his most potent in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. He took a year off to return to Rugby League in 2013, won a Premiership with the Roosters, led the Kiwis to the Rugby League final and was voted Rugby League’s Player of the Year.
In my dream team I have SBW on the inside, getting his hands through the tackle, committing a few more defenders and unleashing the bulldozer Scott Gibbs on his outside.
I also shudder to think of the hits Williams and Gibbs, in their prime, would make when playing in tandem.
Wow, just imagine Sonny Bill Williams and Scott Gibbs fronting Pieter Muller and Japie Mulder. The collisions, to quote Gibbs when I let him know he was my World Dream Team No 13, would be ‘Richter Scale’.
WATCH: WILLIAMS IN ACTION ACROSS CODES
International Rugby
Bielle-Biarrey owns the Six Nations stats sheet
In the 2026 Six Nations, France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey owned the stats charts. Nine tries, four assists and a presence across ten statistical categories tell the real story of France’s title.
The Six Nations 2026 stats sheet was owned by France’s magnificent left winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, with teammate Thomas Ramos the best of the many support acts within the squad that won the Six Nations title.
Ramos, without comparison off the kicking tee, kicked a penalty after the final buzzer, to beat England 48-46 in Paris, and ensure France were not denied a second successive Six Nations title.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
The win was France’s 10th European title (Five Nations/Six Nations) in the last 30 years.
France’s Five and Six Nations titles since professionalism began in 1996
| Year | Competition | Title type |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Five Nations | Winners |
| 1998 | Five Nations | Grand Slam |
| 2002 | Six Nations | Grand Slam |
| 2004 | Six Nations | Grand Slam |
| 2006 | Six Nations | Winners |
| 2007 | Six Nations | Winners |
| 2010 | Six Nations | Grand Slam |
| 2022 | Six Nations | Grand Slam |
| 2025 | Six Nations | Winners |
| 2026 | Six Nations | Winners |
*Grand Slam indicates an unbeaten tournament.
Six Nations 2026 stats
Bielle-Biarrey’s nine tournament tries in 2026 is a record, and he is the first player to score in every match in two successive Six Nations campaigns. He has 18 Six Nations tries in 14 matches, with retired Ireland centre Brian O’Driscoll’s Six Nations record of 26 tries having come in 65 matches.
His strike rate is unmatched at Test level, with 29 tries from 27 Test matches.
Bielle-Biarrey, supreme as a try-scoring finisher, was everywhere the game lived.
Top of the try charts. Among the leaders for metres made. Present in try assists. Leading initial breaks. High in metres per carry. Involved in attacking catch success. Even appearing in the kicking metrics.
Bielle-Biarrey, who played every minute of the Six Nations, featured in 10 categories.
His back three teammate Ramos was as good, in a different way. Ramos featured in eight categories: Carries, metres, offloads, assists and, crucially, points. Ramos missed just four kicks at posts in 32, for an 88% return. He was also the tournament’s leading points scorer and one of the busiest players on attack.
France No 10 Matthieu Jalibert, who played four of the five matches, was top of the offloads, try assist and in the top bracket for defenders beaten. Add in his kicking influence, in tandem with captain and scrum half Antoine Dupont, and Jalibert is prominent in seven categories.
If France owned the attacking narrative, Ireland’s No 12 Stuart McCloskey owned the gainline. Seven categories tell the story: carries, offloads, assists, defenders beaten, dominant contact, post-contact metres and turnovers. There was no cleaner or more complete midfield presence in the tournament. Every carry broke the initial wall and every collision advanced Ireland’s attack.
The little generals in Dupont and Wales’s Tomos Williams don’t dominate tries, but they dominate territory. Kicks in play, kick metres, box kicks, retained kicks meant both No 9s are leading contributors in six categories.
Italy’s mighty midfielder Tommaso Menoncello has a presence in six categories: Metres made. Defenders beaten. Initial breaks. Turnovers, Jakkals and Metres per carry. He was as consistent in his defence and attack and his Six Nations will be remembered for the try and try assist in Italy’s historic first win against England in Rome in Round 4.
England’s Ben Earl is the forward outlier. Leading carries. Leading post-contact metres. Dominant in contact. A four-category presence in a game that increasingly separates roles. He is the closest England has to a proper hybrid international player. Earl, best at No 8, can also play in the midfield.
Scotland’s versatile winger and Glasgow Warriors captain Kyle Steyn. The South African born former Stellenbosch University and Griquas star was a standout in defenders beaten, top tier in metres made and elite in metres per carry. Steyn enjoyed his most influential tournament, and was strong in Scotland’s wins against England and France at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.
Multi-Category Leaders – Six Nations 2026
| Player | Categories Featured |
|---|---|
| Louis Bielle-Biarrey | 10 |
| Thomas Ramos | 8 |
| Matthieu Jalibert | 7 |
| Stuart McCloskey | 7 |
| Antoine Dupont | 6 |
| Tomos Williams | 6 |
| Tommaso Menoncello | 6 |
| Ben Earl | 4 |
| Kyle Steyn | 4 |
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | BP | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | +81 | 21 |
| 2 | Ireland | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | +38 | 19 |
| 3 | Scotland | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | -1 | 16 |
| 4 | Italy | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | -38 | 9 |
| 5 | England | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | +2 | 8 |
| 6 | Wales | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | -82 | 6 |
International Rugby
From bolter to banished: Augustus defines Bok 2026 omissions
The Springboks 2026 alignment camp is, by definition, Rassie Erasmus naming his best 70 players. That is the starting point for any analysis, and it is why the omission of Juarno Augustus is the story.
Springboks 2026 alignment camp
A year ago ‘Trokkie’ Augustus was the bolter.
He forced his way into the 2025 alignment camp on the back of consistent performances in Europe, carrying with authority and playing with the kind of physical edge that traditionally translates to Springbok rugby. His inclusion suggested momentum and acknowledgement from Erasmus that the player, formerly of the Stormers, had moved from the periphery into genuine national contention.
Augustus made the on-field statement playing for Northampton Saints, but never made it to the Springboks camp because he had not passed a transfer medical to Ulster at the time.
Post this injury-enforced failed medical, Augustus moved to Ulster and has been a strong influence when fit. He had been on the sidelines in early 2026 but showed no rust in dominating the collisions as Ulster beat Edinburgh in the United Rugby Championship last weekend.
Augustus, in the 2025/26 season, has started seven of nine matches for Ulster, with an average playing time of 54 minutes. He has played seven URC matches and two EPCR Challenge Cup matches.
In 2024/25, he started 15 of Northampton’s 19 matches, averaged 56 minutes a game, went past 1000 on-field minutes and was a star performer as the Saints marched toward the Investec Champions Cup final. Augustus missed the losing final against Bordeaux because of injury, but was fabulous in the semi-final win against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Less than a year ago, Augustus, a former Junior Springboks Player of the Year, was a headline for all the right reasons. This week, his omission is the headline, given just a few days ago he was named Player of the Match
It does not seem like a minor selection call from Erasmus.
In a system where the alignment camp reflects the coach’s thinking and pretty much his strongest available player pool, absence is definitive. Augustus has not been managed out. On the surface he has been left out, and the distinction matters. It tells you that, right now, he is not viewed as one of the leading options at No 8 or within the broader loose forward mix.
And that is where the context becomes important.
The Springboks are not short on depth in the back row. Established internationals remain in the system, while younger players have been backed through consistent exposure and selection. The competition among No 8 options is intense and Erasmus never selects on sentiment or for the sake of a good news story.
What is perplexing is what has changed regarding Augustus because his on-field performances remain as imposing as they did a year ago.
Erasmus has omitted players from alignment camps previously and picked them to play Test rugby that season.
The exclusion, this week when Erasmus named a virtual alignment camp group of overseas-based South African players eligible for the Boks, does not mean the door is locked, but it certainly doesn’t promise an easy way back in when the reality is that Erasmus has invited 70 players to his two respective camps, 49 for the early March camp in Cape Town, and a further 21 for the virtual camp.
Six players drop out of the Springboks 2026 alignment camp from 2025, but it is the absence of Augustus that defines the shift – from bolter to outside the Bok top 70.
2025 vs 2026 – Players OUT
Forwards omitted (2025 → not in 2026)
| Player | Position | 2025 Status | 2026 Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juarno Augustus | No 8 | Virtual camp (overseas) | ❌ Omitted | Biggest omission |
| Vincent Koch | Prop | Local camp | ❌ Omitted | Senior tighthead depth |
| Bongi Mbonambi | Hooker | Local camp | ❌ Omitted | Double RWC winner |
| Renzo du Plessis | Loose forward | Local camp | ❌ Omitted | Uncapped Test player |
Backs omitted (2025 → not in 2026)
| Player | Position | 2025 Status | 2026 Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willie le Roux | Fullback | Local camp | ❌ Omitted | Double World Cup winner |
| Ntokozo Makhaza | Wing | Local camp | ❌ Omitted | Varsity Cup standout |
Springbok fixtures 2026:
International:
Saturday 20 June: Springboks v Barbarians (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha) – TICKETS
Nations Championship:
Saturday 4 July: Springboks v England (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday 11 July: Springboks v Scotland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday 18 July: Springboks v Wales (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry:
Saturday 22 August: Springboks v All Blacks (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday 29 August: Springboks v All Blacks (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday 5 September: Springboks v All Blacks (FNB Stadium, Johannesburg)
Saturday 12 September: Springboks v All Blacks (M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA)
For available RGR tickets in SA, CLICK HERE
Once-off Tests:
Saturday, 8 August: Argentina v Springboks (venue TBC)
Sunday 27 September: Wallabies v Springboks (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Nations Championship:
Saturday 7 November: Italy v Springboks (venue TBC)
Friday 13 November: France v Springboks (Stade de France, Paris)
Saturday 21 November: Ireland v Springboks (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November: Finals Weekend (Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London) – SOURCE
International Rugby
Europe reacts to France’s dramatic Six Nations title
France claimed the 2026 Six Nations title in extraordinary fashion, beating England 48-46 in Paris after Thomas Ramos landed a penalty with the final kick of the match.
The Stade de France thriller produced 94 points and 13 tries, making it one of the highest-scoring Tests in the history of the rivalry.
For France it was their 10th Six Nations title in the professional era, while England’s defeat denied Ireland the championship after a weekend that had swung wildly between contenders.
Across Europe the reaction was dramatic – French media celebrated the spectacle, English outlets lamented the heartbreak and Irish newspapers reflected on a title that slipped away in the final seconds.
France media reaction: ‘A victory of nerve and spectacle’
L’Équipe
Headline: “Ramos au bout du suspense: la France championne!”
(Ramos at the death: France champions!)
France’s leading sports daily focused on the composure of Ramos and the brilliance of winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who scored four tries in a match that will be remembered as one of the greatest “Crunch” encounters.
The paper called the final moments “pure theatre in front of a roaring Stade de France.”
Midi Olympique
Headline: “Un Crunch de folie: les Bleus sacrés au bout du pied de Ramos.”
The rugby weekly described the match as one of the wildest finales in Six Nations history, praising France’s attacking intent but warning that conceding 46 points to England exposed defensive vulnerabilities.
Rugbyrama
Headline: “Un final historique: Ramos offre le Tournoi aux Bleus.”
Rugbyrama highlighted the emergence of Bielle-Biarrey as the star of the tournament, noting his try-scoring feats while praising the resilience of Fabien Galthié’s side.
Le Figaro
Headline: “Les Bleus arrachent le Tournoi dans un Crunch irrespirable.”
Le Figaro framed the victory as a triumph of nerve, describing the contest as an instant classic of French attacking rugby.
England media reaction: ‘Heartbreak in a Paris epic’
The Guardian
Headline: “France win Six Nations with last kick as England fall just short.”
The Guardian described the match as an epic finale, praising England’s attacking ambition but noting discipline and key moments ultimately cost Steve Borthwick’s side.
The Times
Headline: “England heartbreak as Ramos penalty steals Six Nations title.”
The Times focused on England’s inability to close out the match after taking the lead late in the contest, questioning game management in the final minutes.
BBC Sport
Headline: “Last-gasp Ramos penalty denies England in Paris thriller.”
BBC analysis praised England’s seven tries but said the defeat would haunt the players after producing their most attacking display of the championship.
The Telegraph
Headline: “Brave England fall short in 94-point Paris epic.”
The Telegraph labelled the match one of the most extraordinary attacking Tests between the nations, highlighting the spectacle despite the defeat.
Ireland media reaction: ‘Title dreams shattered at the death’
Ireland began the final day of the championship still in the hunt for the title and, for several minutes late in the Paris match, looked set to benefit from an English victory.
Ramos’ penalty changed everything.
Irish Times
Headline: “Ireland denied as France snatch Six Nations in Paris drama.”
The Irish Times described the closing minutes as “a cruel twist” for Ireland, who had earlier completed their own victory but were forced to watch events unfold in Paris.
Irish Independent
Headline: “France break Irish hearts with last-kick title win.”
The paper wrote that Ireland’s title hopes were alive until the final whistle, only to be extinguished by Ramos’ decisive kick.
The42.ie
Headline: “Ireland’s title hopes dashed by Ramos’ dramatic penalty.”
Ireland’s leading rugby platform described the finish as “a brutal reminder of the margins that define championship rugby.”
One of the greatest Six Nations finales
Across Europe there was a rare consensus.
The match will be remembered as one of the greatest Six Nations finales ever played a contest that combined relentless attacking rugby, scoreboard chaos and a title decided with the final kick.
International Rugby
France Rugby World Cup Record: Finals, History & Why They Never Won
France has produced unforgettable Rugby World Cup moments, yet in 10 tournaments, over 40 years, they have never won the tournament. Their Rugby World Cup record betrays their status as one of the great rugby nations.
France Rugby World Cup Record Explained
The France Rugby World Cup record includes three final appearances and three silver medals, but they remain the strongest rugby nation never to win the Rugby World Cup.
Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images
They have enjoyed success in the Six Nations, with their 2026 title win their 10th in Europe’s premier international rugby tournament, which started as the Five Nations and is now the Six Nations, with Italy’s inclusion.
Understanding France rugby World Cup record requires looking at several factors: their repeated finals heartbreak, the inconsistency of the professional era, and their historical struggles against southern hemisphere opposition.
France in World Cup finals
France have reached the Rugby World Cup final three times, but have lost on every occasion.
|
Year |
Host |
Final |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1987 |
New Zealand |
New Zealand vs France |
Lost 29–9 |
|
1999 |
Wales |
Australia vs France |
Lost 35–12 |
|
2011 |
New Zealand |
New Zealand vs France |
Lost 8–7 |
|
Overall |
|
3 finals |
0 wins – 3 losses |
The closest France have come to lifting the trophy was in 2011. In a dramatic final at Eden Park, they pushed New Zealand all the way before losing 8–7 in one of the tightest finals in Rugby World Cup history.
France’s journey to that final was turbulent, including internal disagreements within the squad, yet they still produced one of the most spirited performances seen in a World Cup final.
Across tournament history, France have also reached the semi-finals six times, confirming their status as a consistent contender even without a title.
France rugby World Cup record
France have competed in every Rugby World Cup since 1987, maintaining one of the stronger overall tournament records among northern hemisphere nations.
|
Tournament |
Played |
Won |
Lost |
Drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1987 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
|
1991 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
|
1995 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
|
1999 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
|
2003 |
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
|
2007 |
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
|
2011 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
|
2015 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
|
2019 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
|
2023 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
|
Overall |
57 |
40 |
17 |
0 |
France’s 70% tournament win rate reflects a team that regularly progresses deep into the competition, but they have struggled to finish the job when facing the world’s strongest sides in knockout matches.
Most capped French players at the World Cup
| Rank | Player | RWC Matches | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fabien Pelous | 18 | 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007 |
| 2 | Philippe Sella | 17 | 1987, 1991, 1995 |
| 3 | Raphaël Ibanez | 16 | 1995, 1999, 2003 |
| 3 | Olivier Magne | 16 | 1999, 2003, 2007 |
| 5 | Thierry Dusautoir | 15 | 2007, 2011, 2015 |
| 5 | Vincent Clerc | 15 | 2007, 2011 |
| 5 | Serge Blanco | 15 | 1987, 1991 |
| 8 | Frédéric Michalak | 14 | 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 |
| 8 | Fabien Galthié | 14 | 1999, 2003 |
| 8 | Abdelatif Benazzi | 14 | 1991, 1995, 1999 |
Most tries at the World Cup
| Rank | Player | Tries | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vincent Clerc | 11 | 2007, 2011 |
| 2 | Christophe Dominici | 8 | 1999, 2003, 2007 |
| 3 | Jean-Baptiste Lafond | 6 | 1991 |
| 3 | Émile Ntamack | 6 | 1995, 1999 |
| 3 | Damian Penaud | 6 | 2019, 2023 |
| 6 | Didier Camberabero | 5 | 1987 |
| 6 | Philippe Saint-André | 5 | 1991, 1995 |
| 6 | Philippe Sella | 5 | 1987, 1991, 1995 |
Most points at the World Cup
| Rank | Player | Points | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thierry Lacroix | 124 | |
| 2 | Frédéric Michalak | 116 | |
| 3 | Christophe Lamaison | 65 | |
| 4 | Jean-Baptiste Elissalde | 61 | |
| 5 | Didier Camberabero | 59 | |
| 6 | Camille Lopez | 53 | |
| 7 | Gérald Merceron | 50 | |
| 8 | Morgan Parra | 48 | |
| 9 | Romain Ntamack | 45 | |
| 10 | Thomas Castaignède | 45 |
Professional era inconsistency
One of the key reasons often cited when asking why France never win the World Cup is inconsistency during the professional era.
Since rugby union turned professional in 1995, France have often struggled to maintain continuity at international level. Their domestic league, the Top 14, is one of the richest and most demanding competitions in the world. While it produces elite players, the long season and physical toll can make it difficult for the national side to build stability.
Between 2011 and 2019, France experienced a turbulent period marked by coaching changes, fluctuating performances and inconsistent results against top-tier opponents.
However, the current generation has helped restore stability. Under head coach Fabien Galthié, France won the 2022 Six Nations Grand Slam and re-established themselves as one of the world’s leading teams.
Record vs southern hemisphere
Another key factor behind France’s World Cup struggles is their historical record against the southern hemisphere powers.
France vs southern hemisphere nations (all-time Tests)
|
Opponent |
Played |
France Wins |
Opponent Wins |
Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
67 |
15 |
51 |
1 |
|
|
47 |
12 |
29 |
6 |
|
|
64 |
28 |
34 |
2 |
|
|
56 |
40 |
15 |
1 |
|
|
Overall |
234 |
95 |
129 |
10 |
France have historically struggled against New Zealand and South Africa, with both nations holding dominant head-to-head records.
Australia have also maintained a slight advantage, while France hold a strong record over Argentina.
Despite these numbers, France have produced some of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, including their famous 1999 semi-final victory over New Zealand and the 2007 quarter-final win against the All Blacks in Cardiff.
Those matches highlight France’s unique reputation in world rugby: a team capable of defeating anyone on the biggest stage.
Why France are different at home
France have traditionally been a very different team when playing at home.
The passionate atmosphere in French stadiums, combined with the emotional style of play often associated with Les Bleus, has helped the team produce some of their best performances on home soil.
This advantage was evident during the build-up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, when France entered the tournament among the favourites after several strong seasons.
Crowd support, momentum and confidence have often played a major role in France’s performances in major tournaments.
Can they win in 2027?
Looking ahead, France appear well positioned to challenge for the Rugby World Cup again in 2027.
The current generation of players has developed within a strong domestic system and has gained valuable experience competing at the highest level. Combined with the tactical clarity introduced under Fabien Galthié, France have become one of the most balanced teams in world rugby.
However, the ultimate challenge remains the same as it has been throughout their World Cup history: defeating the southern hemisphere giants in knockout matches.
If France can consistently overcome teams like New Zealand, South Africa and Australia when it matters most, they may finally end their long wait for a first Rugby World Cup title.
International Rugby
Springboks v All Blacks: Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry
The Springboks and All Blacks have played 110 Tests and produced the fiercest contest in rugby. Here is the full head-to-head record, rivalry history, biggest wins and why it remains rugby’s greatest rivalry.
The Springboks and All Blacks is Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. The two nations have played 110 Tests and produced the fiercest contest in rugby. Here is the full Springboks vs All Blacks record and rivalry history.
Springboks vs All Blacks: Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
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What is the Springboks vs All Blacks record?
-
The biggest Springbok win over the All Blacks
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The biggest All Blacks win over the Springboks
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Why this is rugby’s greatest rivalry
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The latest chapter in the rivalry
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Springboks vs All Blacks: the verdict
There is no bigger fixture in rugby than the Springboks against the All Blacks.
LATEST NEWS ON RUGBY’S GREATEST RIVALRY
This is the one.
It is rugby’s most loaded rivalry, the one with the deepest history, the greatest tension, and the strongest claim to excellence. Between them, South Africa and New Zealand have set the standard for what Test rugby should look like: hard, clever, physical, unrelenting. They don’t just play for points. They play for hierarchy.
As of the end of the 2025 Rugby Championship meetings, the teams had met 110 times in Test rugby. The All Blacks lead the all-time series with 63 wins, the Springboks have 43, and there have been 4 draws.
That number matters, but it only tells part of the story.
Every era has had its own version of South Africa versus New Zealand. The early tours gave it its edge, but the apartheid years also gave it political charge. Professionalism gave it speed and scale, and the rivalry, in the Rassie Erasmus era, is at its most intense.
ALL BLACKS COACH DAVE RENNIE IS A RED FLAG FOR RASSIE’S BOKS
What is the Springboks vs All Blacks record?
The raw record is straightforward enough.
The Springboks and All Blacks have played 110 Tests. New Zealand have won 63, South Africa 43, with 4 draws. That makes New Zealand the only major nation with a positive all-time record against South Africa, which is why every Springbok win over the All Blacks carries outsized value.
The recent trend, however, tells a sharper story.
South Africa beat New Zealand twice in 2024 31-27 at Ellis Park and 18-12 in Cape Town to reclaim the Freedom Cup. In 2025, the All Blacks won 24-17 at Eden Park, but the Springboks answered a week later with a seismic 43-10 win in Wellington, a result SA Rugby described as the biggest defeat ever inflicted on the All Blacks.
So while New Zealand still lead the century-long rivalry overall, the modern contest is tighter, nastier and far less predictable than the old numbers suggest.
The biggest Springbok win over the All Blacks
South Africa’s biggest win, 35-7 at Twickenham a month before the 2023 World Cup, was the Boks benchmark 100-plus years in the making, but within two years that record was broken.
The new high-water mark came in Wellington on 13 September 2025, when the Springboks demolished the All Blacks 43-10. SA Rugby explicitly called it the All Blacks’ biggest defeat ever, and noted that it surpassed the 35-7 margin from London in 2023.
That matters historically and psychologically.
South Africa have always believed they can beat New Zealand. But there is a difference between belief and force. The 43-10 result was force. It was a reminder that when the Springboks got their collision game, bench impact and tactical pressure exactly right, they could break even the All Blacks in New Zealand.
The biggest All Blacks win over the Springboks
New Zealand’s biggest win in the rivalry remains the brutal 57-0 victory in 2017, still South Africa’s heaviest defeat in Test history. SA Rugby itself referred to it in retrospect as a record defeat by New Zealand.
That result remains one of the rivalry’s most important reference points because it sits at the opposite end of the emotional scale from the Springboks’ recent resurgence. It was humiliation then. The modern Bok revival has been built, in part, on making sure that kind of capitulation never happens again.
Why this is rugby’s greatest rivalry
The phrase is not marketing fluff.
South Africa and New Zealand have been the sport’s two most imposing rugby nations across generations. They have the tradition, the depth, the public pressure, the tactical intelligence and the expectation. More than that, each has usually been measured most accurately by how it performs against the other.
SA Rugby itself now brands the fixture as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, and the 2026 tour has been designed around that idea, with four Tests scheduled between the Springboks and All Blacks, including a Test in Baltimore, USA. That commercial packaging works because it is built on a truth rugby people already understand: no fixture carries more historical weight.
There are bigger sporting events globally, but in rugby, nothing feels more final than Springboks versus All Blacks.
The latest chapter in the rivalry
The latest sequence of matches has added another layer to the story.
In 2024, South Africa beat New Zealand twice in one Rugby Championship campaign, first at Ellis Park and then in Cape Town. The second win secured the Freedom Cup and kept the Springboks unbeaten in that championship stretch.
In 2025, the All Blacks protected Eden Park with a 24-17 win in Auckland, before South Africa hit back with the 43-10statement in Wellington. The official Springbok record published before the Auckland match was 108 played, 42 won, 62 lost, 4 drawn; after Auckland it became 109 played, 42 won, 63 lost, 4 drawn; and after Wellington the all-time tally moved to 110 played, 43 won, 63 lost, 4 drawn.
Springboks vs All Blacks: the verdict
The All Blacks still lead the rivalry on total wins.
But the modern Springboks have changed the feel of the contest. They have beaten New Zealand in World Cup finals, beaten them back-to-back in South Africa, and in 2025 handed them the heaviest defeat in their history in their own country.
That is why the Springboks versus All Blacks fixture remains unmatched. It is not just the best rivalry because of the past. It is the best rivalry because the next chapter still matters.
And in this rivalry, more than any other in rugby, history is never finished.
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour fixtures 2026
Friday 7 August: DHL Stormers v All Blacks at DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Tuesday 11 August: Hollywoodbets Sharks v All Blacks at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Saturday 15 August: Vodacom Bulls v All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday 22 August: First Test – Springboks v All Blacks at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Tuesday 25 August: Lions v New Zealand at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Saturday 29 August: Second Test – Springboks v New Zealand at DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Saturday 5 September: Third Test – Springboks v New Zealand at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg Saturday 12 September:
Saturday 12th September: Fourth Test – Springboks v New Zealand in Baltimore, Maryland
SPRINGBOKS v ALL BLACKS – EVERY TEST RESULT
| Date | Status | Team | Score | Team | Score | Venue |
| 13/08/21 | Test | South Africa | 5 | New Zealand | 13 | Dunedin |
| 27/08/21 | Test | South Africa | 9 | New Zealand | 5 | Auckland |
| 17/09/21 | Test | South Africa | 0 | New Zealand | 0 | Wellington |
| 30/06/28 | Test | South Africa | 17 | New Zealand | 0 | Durban |
| 21/07/28 | Test | South Africa | 6 | New Zealand | 7 | Johannesburg |
| 18/08/28 | Test | South Africa | 11 | New Zealand | 6 | Port Elizabeth |
| 01/09/28 | Test | South Africa | 5 | New Zealand | 13 | Newlands |
| 14/08/37 | Test | South Africa | 7 | New Zealand | 13 | Wellington |
| 04/09/37 | Test | South Africa | 13 | New Zealand | 6 | Christchurch |
| 25/09/37 | Test | South Africa | 17 | New Zealand | 6 | Auckland |
| 16/07/49 | Test | South Africa | 15 | New Zealand | 11 | Newlands |
| 13/08/49 | Test | South Africa | 12 | New Zealand | 6 | Johannesburg |
| 03/09/49 | Test | South Africa | 9 | New Zealand | 3 | Durban |
| 17/09/49 | Test | South Africa | 11 | New Zealand | 8 | Port Elizabeth |
| 14/07/56 | Test | South Africa | 6 | New Zealand | 10 | Dunedin |
| 04/08/56 | Test | South Africa | 8 | New Zealand | 3 | Wellington |
| 18/08/56 | Test | South Africa | 10 | New Zealand | 17 | Christchurch |
| 01/09/56 | Test | South Africa | 5 | New Zealand | 11 | Auckland |
| 25/06/60 | Test | South Africa | 13 | New Zealand | 0 | Johannesburg |
| 23/07/60 | Test | South Africa | 3 | New Zealand | 11 | Newlands |
| 13/08/60 | Test | South Africa | 11 | New Zealand | 11 | Bloemfontein |
| 27/08/60 | Test | South Africa | 8 | New Zealand | 3 | Port Elizabeth |
| 31/07/65 | Test | South Africa | 3 | New Zealand | 6 | Wellington |
| 21/08/65 | Test | South Africa | 0 | New Zealand | 13 | Dunedin |
| 04/09/65 | Test | South Africa | 19 | New Zealand | 16 | Christchurch |
| 18/09/65 | Test | South Africa | 3 | New Zealand | 20 | Auckland |
| 25/07/70 | Test | South Africa | 17 | New Zealand | 6 | Pretoria |
| 08/08/70 | Test | South Africa | 8 | New Zealand | 9 | Newlands |
| 29/08/70 | Test | South Africa | 14 | New Zealand | 3 | Port Elizabeth |
| 12/09/70 | Test | South Africa | 20 | New Zealand | 17 | Johannesburg |
| 24/07/76 | Test | South Africa | 16 | New Zealand | 7 | Durban |
| 14/08/76 | Test | South Africa | 9 | New Zealand | 15 | Bloemfontein |
| 04/09/76 | Test | South Africa | 15 | New Zealand | 10 | Newlands |
| 18/09/76 | Test | South Africa | 15 | New Zealand | 14 | Johannesburg |
| 15/08/81 | Test | South Africa | 9 | New Zealand | 14 | Christchurch |
| 29/08/81 | Test | South Africa | 24 | New Zealand | 12 | Wellington |
| 12/09/81 | Test | South Africa | 22 | New Zealand | 25 | Auckland |
| 15/08/92 | Test | South Africa | 24 | New Zealand | 27 | Johannesburg |
| 09/07/94 | Test | South Africa | 14 | New Zealand | 22 | Dunedin |
| 23/07/94 | Test | South Africa | 9 | New Zealand | 13 | Wellington |
| 06/08/94 | Test | South Africa | 18 | New Zealand | 18 | Auckland |
| 24/06/95 | RWC | South Africa | 15 | New Zealand | 12 | Johannesburg |
| 20/07/96 | Test | South Africa | 11 | New Zealand | 15 | Christchurch |
| 10/08/96 | Test | South Africa | 18 | New Zealand | 29 | Cape Town |
| 17/08/96 | Test | South Africa | 19 | New Zealand | 23 | Durban |
| 24/08/96 | Test | South Africa | 26 | New Zealand | 33 | Pretoria |
| 31/08/96 | Test | South Africa | 32 | New Zealand | 22 | Johannesburg |
| 19/07/97 | Test | South Africa | 32 | New Zealand | 35 | Johannesburg |
| 09/08/97 | Test | South Africa | 35 | New Zealand | 55 | Auckland |
| 25/07/98 | Test | South Africa | 13 | New Zealand | 3 | Wellington |
| 15/08/98 | Test | South Africa | 24 | New Zealand | 23 | Durban |
| 10/07/99 | Test | South Africa | 0 | New Zealand | 28 | Dunedin |
| 07/08/99 | Test | South Africa | 18 | New Zealand | 34 | Pretoria |
| 04/11/99 | RWC | South Africa | 22 | New Zealand | 18 | Cardiff |
| 22/07/00 | Test | South Africa | 12 | New Zealand | 25 | Christchurch |
| 19/08/00 | Test | South Africa | 46 | New Zealand | 40 | Johannesburg |
| 21/07/01 | Test | South Africa | 3 | New Zealand | 12 | Cape Town |
| 25/08/01 | Test | South Africa | 15 | New Zealand | 26 | Auckland |
| 20/07/02 | Test | South Africa | 20 | New Zealand | 41 | Wellington |
| 10/08/02 | Test | South Africa | 23 | New Zealand | 30 | Durban |
| 19/07/03 | Test | South Africa | 16 | New Zealand | 52 | Pretoria |
| 09/08/03 | Test | South Africa | 11 | New Zealand | 19 | Dunedin |
| 08/11/03 | RWC | South Africa | 9 | New Zealand | 29 | Melbourne |
| 24/07/04 | Test | South Africa | 21 | New Zealand | 23 | Christchurch |
| 14/08/04 | Test | South Africa | 40 | New Zealand | 26 | Johannesburg |
| 06/08/05 | Test | South Africa | 22 | New Zealand | 16 | Cape Town |
| 27/08/05 | Test | South Africa | 27 | New Zealand | 31 | Dunedin |
| 22/07/06 | Test | South Africa | 17 | New Zealand | 35 | Wellington |
| 26/08/06 | Test | South Africa | 26 | New Zealand | 45 | Pretoria |
| 02/09/06 | Test | South Africa | 21 | New Zealand | 20 | Rustenburg |
| 23/06/07 | Test | South Africa | 21 | New Zealand | 26 | Durban |
| 14/07/07 | Test | South Africa | 6 | New Zealand | 33 | Christchurch |
| 05/07/08 | Test | South Africa | 8 | New Zealand | 19 | Wellington |
| 12/07/08 | Test | South Africa | 30 | New Zealand | 28 | Dunedin |
| 16/08/08 | Test | South Africa | 0 | New Zealand | 19 | Newlands |
| 25/07/09 | Test | South Africa | 28 | New Zealand | 19 | Bloemfontein |
| 01/08/09 | Test | South Africa | 31 | New Zealand | 19 | Durban |
| 12/09/09 | Test | South Africa | 32 | New Zealand | 29 | Hamilton |
| 10/07/10 | Test | South Africa | 12 | New Zealand | 32 | Auckland |
| 17/07/10 | Test | South Africa | 17 | New Zealand | 31 | Wellington |
| 21/08/10 | Test | South Africa | 22 | New Zealand | 29 | Soweto |
| 30/07/11 | Test | South Africa | 7 | New Zealand | 40 | Wellington |
| 20/09/11 | Test | South Africa | 18 | New Zealand | 5 | Port Elizabeth |
| 15/09/12 | Test | South Africa | 11 | New Zealand | 21 | Dunedin |
| 06/10/12 | Test | South Africa | 16 | New Zealand | 32 | Johannesburg |
| 14/09/13 | Test | South Africa | 15 | New Zealand | 29 | Auckland |
| 05/10/13 | Test | South Africa | 27 | New Zealand | 38 | Johannesburg |
| 13/09/14 | Test | South Africa | 10 | New Zealand | 14 | Wellington |
| 04/10/14 | Test | South Africa | 27 | New Zealand | 25 | Johannesburg |
| 25/07/15 | Test | South Africa | 20 | New Zealand | 27 | Johannesburg |
| 24/10/15 | Test | South Africa | 18 | New Zealand | 20 | London |
| 17/09/16 | Test | South Africa | 13 | New Zealand | 41 | Christchurch |
| 08/10/16 | Test | South Africa | 15 | New Zealand | 57 | Durban |
| 16/09/17 | Test | South Africa | 0 | New Zealand | 57 | Albany |
| 07/10/17 | Test | South Africa | 24 | New Zealand | 25 | Cape Town |
| 15/09/18 | Test | South Africa | 36 | New Zealand | 34 | Wellington |
| 6/10/18 | Test | South Africa | 30 | New Zealand | 32 | Pretoria |
| 27/07/19 | Test | South Africa | 16 | New Zealand | 16 | Wellington |
| 21/09/19 | RWC | South Africa | 13 | New Zealand | 23 | Japan |
| 25/09/21 | Test | South Africa | 17 | New Zealand | 19 | Queensland |
| 2/10/21 | Test | South Africa | 31 | New Zealand | 29 | Queensland |
| 6/08/22 | Test | South Africa | 26 | New Zealand | 10 | Mbombela |
| 13/8/22 | Test | South Africa | 23 | New Zealand | 35 | Johannesburg |
| 15/7/23 | Test | South Africa | 20 | New Zealand | 35 | Auckland |
| 25/8/23 | Test | South Africa | 35 | New Zealand | 7 | London |
| 28/10/23 | RWC | South Africa | 12 | New Zealand | 11 | Paris |
| 31/8/24 | Test | South Africa | 31 | New Zealand | 27 | Johannesburg |
| 7/9/24 | Test | South Africa | 18 | New Zealand | 12 | Cape Town |
| 6/9/2025 | Test | South Africa | 17 | New Zealand | 24 | Duneden |
| 13/9/2025 | Test | South Africa | 43 | New Zealand | 10 | Wellington |
| Total Points: | 1785 | 2225 |
| Games Played | South Africa | New Zealand | Drawn | |
| Played | Won | Won | Drawn | |
| Overall Record | 110 | 43 | 63 | 4 |
| At South African Venues | 54 | 28 | 25 | 1 |
| At New Zealand Venues | 47 | 10 | 33 | 3 |
| RWC | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Name | Country | Points | Tries | Conversions | Penalties | Drop Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Carter | NZ | 221 | 3 | 25 | 51 | 1 |
| Andrew Mehrtens | NZ | 209 | 0 | 19 | 53 | 4 |
| Beauden Barrett | NZ | 174 | 4 | 23 | 36 | 0 |
| Handre Pollard | SA | 109 | 2 | 18 | 19 | 2 |
| Percy Montgomery | SA | 103 | 1 | 16 | 19 | 3 |
| Carlos Spencer | NZ | 84 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 0 |
| Morne Steyn | SA | 71 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 1 |
| Joel Stransky | SA | 54 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 2 |
| Christian Cullen | NZ | 50 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Naas Botha | SA | 44 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
| Andre Pretorius | SA | 41 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| Joe Rokococo | NZ | 45 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Braam van Straaten | SA | 40 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0 |
| Bryan Habana | SA | 40 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
RUGBY’S GREATEST RIVALRY – IT DOES NOT GET BIGGER THAN SPRINGBOKS v ALL BLACKS
FAQ
What is the Springboks vs All Blacks record?
The All Blacks lead the all-time Test rivalry 63 wins to 43, with 4 draws after 110 matches.
What is the Springboks’ biggest win over the All Blacks?
South Africa’s biggest win over New Zealand is the 43-10 victory in Wellington on 13 September 2025.
What is the All Blacks’ biggest win over the Springboks?
New Zealand’s biggest win over South Africa is 57-0 in 2017.
Why is Springboks vs All Blacks called rugby’s greatest rivalry?
Because it combines more than a century of Test history, elite winning standards, repeated title-deciding matches and consistent relevance at the top of world rugby. SA Rugby now officially uses the term “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” for the fixture. The two nations have combined for seven World Cup titles.
Rivalry snapshot
The Springboks and All Blacks had played 110 Tests by the end of the 2025 meetings. New Zealand lead the rivalry 63 wins to South Africa’s 43, with 4 draws. South Africa’s current split is 25 wins, 28 losses and 1 draw at South African venues; 10 wins, 33 losses and 3 draws at New Zealand venues; and 4 wins, 2 losses, 0 draws at Rugby World Cup meetings.
The rivalry began with South Africa’s 1921 tour of New Zealand. That first official Test series finished 1-1 with one draw, the decider ending 0-0 in Wellington. The 1928 All Blacks tour of South Africa finished 2-2. Those two tours established the rivalry’s core pattern: long tours, brutal series, and no easy separation between the teams.
Team records
Most wins in the rivalry: New Zealand 63.
Most losses in the rivalry: South Africa 63.
Most draws in the rivalry: 4.
Springboks’ biggest win over the All Blacks: 43-10 in Wellington on 13 September 2025. SA Rugby called it the All Blacks’ biggest defeat ever.
Previous Springbok record win over New Zealand: 35-7 at Twickenham on 25 August 2023. SA Rugby stated that the 28-point margin was then a new South African record against the All Blacks and that it was New Zealand’s heaviest defeat at the time.
All Blacks’ biggest win over the Springboks: 57-0 at Albany on 16 September 2017. SA Rugby’s 2017 annual report described it as the Springboks’ heaviest defeat in history.
Highest score by South Africa against New Zealand: 46, in the 46-40 win at Johannesburg on 19 August 2000. NZ Rugby Stats also credits that match with South Africa’s rivalry high for tries in a Test, at 6.
Highest score by New Zealand against South Africa: 57, in the 57-0 win in 2017.
Highest combined score in a Springboks-All Blacks Test: 86 points, South Africa 46 New Zealand 40, Johannesburg, 19 August 2000.
Highest aggregate scores – Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry
In New Zealand
-
90 points
-
All Blacks vs Springboks Eden Park Test 1997
-
New Zealand 55–35 South Africa
-
Source: NZ Rugby Stats
In South Africa
-
86 points
-
Springboks vs All Blacks Ellis Park Test 2000
-
South Africa 46–40 New Zealand
-
Source: NZ Rugby Stats
Neutral venues (Australia / UK / Rugby World Cups in Wales, Australia, England, Japan & France)
-
60 points
-
Springboks vs All Blacks Gold Coast Test 2021
-
South Africa 31–29 New Zealand
-
Source: NZ Rugby Stats
Lowest-scoring draw: 0-0, Wellington, 1921 series decider.
Most emphatic South African shutout of New Zealand: 17-0 in Durban in 1928, still South Africa’s biggest winning margin in the rivalry according to SA Rugby Stats.
Longest Springbok winning streak: 6 Tests, from the 1937 tour to New Zealand through the 1949 whitewash in South Africa. SA Rugby states the six-match run lasted from 1937 to 1949.
Longest All Blacks winning streak: 8 Tests, from 21 July 2001 through 24 July 2004, based on the full official chronological results list.
Best Springbok run in New Zealand in the professional era: the Boks were unbeaten in three straight Tests at Sky Stadium, winning in 2018, drawing in 2019, and winning 43-10 in 2025.
Eden Park hoodoo: SA Rugby stated before the 2025 Auckland Test that South Africa had not beaten New Zealand at Eden Park since 1937. The All Blacks won there again on 6 September 2025.
Ellis Park edge: Planet Rugby’s venue audit put the rivalry at Ellis Park at 15 Tests, with South Africa winning 9 and New Zealand 6, and South Africa leading points 352-328 there.
Rugby World Cup records
The teams have met 8 times at Rugby World Cups, with 4 wins each. SA Rugby’s 2019 pre-match official numbers had the rivalry at 4 World Cup meetings and 2-2 before Japan; adding South Africa’s wins in the 2023 final and New Zealand’s pool win in 2019 brings the current World Cup ledger to 4-4, which matches the full results list.
World Cup finals between them: 2. South Africa won both: 15-12 after extra time in 1995, and 12-11 in Paris in 2023.
Other World Cup meetings: South Africa won the 1999 bronze final 22-18; New Zealand won the 2003 quarter-final 29-9, the 2015 semi-final 20-18, and the 2019 pool match 23-13.
Freedom Cup records
The Freedom Cup was first contested in 2004. By the end of the 2025 matches, New Zealand had won it 25 times to South Africa’s 14, with one drawn edition in the official Freedom Cup record. South Africa won it in 2024 for the first time since 2009 and retained it in 2025.
Individual scoring records
The cleanest verified rivalry-specific individual table available in the sourced material is the SA Rugby Stats head-to-head page.
Top points scorers in Springboks-All Blacks Tests
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Dan Carter 221
-
Andrew Mehrtens 209
-
Beauden Barrett 174
-
Handre Pollard 109
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Percy Montgomery 103
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Carlos Spencer 84
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Morné Steyn 71
-
Joel Stransky 54
-
Christian Cullen 50
-
Naas Botha 44
Top try scorers in the rivalry from the same verified table
Christian Cullen (NZL) 10; Joe Rokocoko (NZL) 9; Bryan Habana (SA) 8. The same table also shows Dan Carter scored 3 tries, Beauden Barrett 4, Handre Pollard 2 and Percy Montgomery 1 as part of their points totals.
Captaincy and streak notes
Siya Kolisi captained South Africa to four consecutive wins over New Zealand across 2023-24 before the Eden Park loss in 2025. SA Rugby’s official build-up to Cape Town 2024 said a fourth straight win would be only the second such Bok sequence in history, after the 1937-49 run; South Africa then won in Cape Town, and Rugby365 described the Boks as having recorded four consecutive victories over the All Blacks.
Tour history: All Blacks to South Africa
1928 first official All Blacks tour of South Africa; Test series drawn 2-2.
1949 Springboks won the series 4-0, one of the defining series results in rugby history. NZHistory says the whitewash plunged New Zealand into despair.
1960 All Blacks toured South Africa; Springboks won the four-Test series 2-1 with one draw.
1967 planned All Blacks tour cancelled because South Africa refused to accept Māori players.
1970 All Blacks toured after the “honorary whites” compromise; Springboks won the series 3-1.
1976 All Blacks toured South Africa; Springboks won 3-1. The tour triggered major international backlash and helped drive the African-led boycott of the Montreal Olympics.
1985 planned official tour stopped by the New Zealand High Court.
1986 Cavaliers rebel tour, not an official All Blacks tour; South Africa won that unofficial series 3-1.
1992 first official meeting after readmission, one-off Test at Ellis Park, won 27-24 by New Zealand.
1996 the great professional-era watershed. New Zealand won the away Test series 2-1, their first official series win in South Africa. SA Rugby’s 2025 announcement called 1996 New Zealand’s last major tour of South Africa.
2026 officially announced return tour, the first major All Blacks tour of South Africa since 1996, with matches against the franchises and a four-Test Bok series.
Tour history: Springboks to New Zealand
1921 first Springbok tour to New Zealand; series drawn 1-1 with one draw.
1937 Springboks won the series 2-1; SA Rugby Stats notes that side was called “the best team to ever leave New Zealand.”
1956 All Blacks won 3-1, their first series win over South Africa. NZHistory calls it one of the bitterest series ever played.
1965 All Blacks won 3-1.
1973 planned Springbok tour to New Zealand was blocked by Prime Minister Norman Kirk on public-safety grounds.
1981 Springbok tour went ahead despite the Gleneagles climate; New Zealand won the series 2-1. NZHistory records the tour as one of the most divisive episodes in New Zealand history.
1994 first full Bok series in New Zealand after isolation; All Blacks won 2-0 with one draw.
1996 South Africa played a three-Test mid-year series in New Zealand and lost all three.
2030 officially announced as South Africa’s first professional-era tour to New Zealand.
Strong “interesting stats” file
South Africa have won only 10 of 47 Tests at New Zealand venues, which tells you how rare Bok wins in New Zealand really are.
The Springboks’ 36-34 win in Wellington in 2018 was, per SA Rugby, the first time any team had scored 36 points against the All Blacks on New Zealand soil.
The 35-7 win at Twickenham in 2023 was New Zealand’s heaviest defeat until the 43-10 loss in Wellington in 2025 overtook it. SA Rugby stated both records at the time.
South Africa’s 1949 whitewash and New Zealand’s 1956 series win remain two of the rivalry’s great reference points; NZHistory treats both as nation-shaping rugby events.
The rivalry has produced two Rugby World Cup finals and eight World Cup meetings overall. No other fixture in men’s Test rugby carries that combination of depth, volume and silverware history. The record book backs the mythology.
International Rugby
Andre Esterhuizen is the STECO hybrid power tools hero
Andre Esterhuizen and his hybrid rugby qualities have reaped reward off the field. He is the STECO Hybrid Power Tools Hero and Hybrid Craftsman for South Africa’s hottest new power tool brand, with 40 years of RYOBI credibility.
RUGBY’S FIRST HYBRID TEST PLAYER
Esterhuizen, recently on the cover of SA Rugby Magazine, has been outstanding for the Springboks and the Sharks, whom he captained in his 100th match and continues to lead in the United Rugby Championship.
John Stevens, RYOBI Africa and STECO CEO, in confirming the alignment with Andre ‘the Giant’ and the Hybrid Craftsman campaign, said it was a giant step into the rugby landscape for them as a business, but one that made for a perfect fit, given Esterhuizen’s role as Test rugby’s first proper hybrid player and the power of STECO’s hybrid tools.
‘The Shark’s captain and Springbok utility back has been moulded by coach Rassie Erasmus into the world’s first hybrid player; essentially he is versatile enough to perform at the highest level, globally, as both a back and a forward. This is a perfect metaphor for our STECO offering.’
‘Most power tools are walled gardens, but we have designed STECO batteries to work on RYOBI products and vice versa. Our industry-leading 20v batteries last longer, perform better, and offer the performance and power needed for residential and commercial building projects.’
Esterhuizen says, ‘It’s an absolutely synergistic partnership that just makes sense. The STECO team is proudly South African with several decades worth of credibiity. The Stevens and co team have built one of the most envious power tools offerings on the continent but their after sales, hands on approach, puts the customer at the heart of everything that they do. I’m honoured to represent my country, when given the opportunity. I am relishing the hybrid role that was created for me, and I’m excited to get to work with STECO as the hybrid craftsman, with the hybrid tools that I have at my disposal.’
STECO has been a partner of Keo.co.za and the Keo & Zels show for the past 18 months, with Keo & Zels dedicating a section of the show to the STECO Power Play of the weekend.
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That Power Play will now be the Hybrid Power Tools Hero of the weekend, with great competition prizes to be won.
BOKS SCRUM A STECO POWER PLAY OF BRUTALITY AND BEAUTY
International Rugby
France: Rugby’s Most Seductive Illusion
France are rugby’s great illusion: Celebrated as royalty at home, but on the road they have too often travelled as peasants, as witnessed with the Murrayfield massacre in Scotland scoring 50 points.
The Six Nations match ended 50-40 to Scotland, but don’t be fooled. The story is Scotland scoring 40 unanswered points in the 20 minutes before half time and the 20 after the break.
Charitable tries to France in the final five minutes was never going to change the result, and it should not change the reflection of the match.
Rugby has always been seduced by France. The jerseys, the flair, the romance, the idea that somewhere inside the chaos lies genius. But the professional record, since 1996, tells a colder story.
Four wins from 40 Tests in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
No World Cup gold in 8 tournaments over 30 years
No southern hemisphere series victories.
Nine European titles in three decades.
I am among those always seduced by the folklore of the French, by the celebrated one-off World Cup wins against the All Blacks at Twickenham in the 1999 RWC semi-final and the 20-18 win against the All Blacks at the 2007 RWC quarter-final in Cardiff.
What followed was France losing the next match, one in a final and one in a semi-final.
France, when they hosted the 2007 World Cup, lost the opening match to Argentina and they lost the play-off for third and fourth place to Argentina.
France, in hosting the 2023 World Cup, lost to the defending champion Springboks in the quarter-final.
No Test rugby nation has ever enjoyed such continued hype and delivered such consistent failures.
Tests in the southern hemisphere against the Big Three:
-
Played: 40
-
Won: 4
-
Lost: 35
- Drawn: 1
-
Win rate: 10%
The Breakdown:
-
New Zealand in New Zealand: 1 win from 18 Tests
-
Australia in Australia: 1 wins from 14 Tests
-
South Africa in South Africa: 2 wins from 8 Tests
France have not won a Test series in New Zealand, Australia or South Africa since the game turned professional in 1996.
At home against the same three nations:
-
Played: 40 Tests
-
Won: 17
-
Lost: 22
- Drawn: 1
The All Blacks between 2004 and 2017 won seven times in succession in France.
-
27 Nov 2004, Stade de France New Zealand 45-6 France
-
11 Nov 2006, Stade de Gerland New Zealand 47-3 France
-
18 Nov 2006, Stade de France New Zealand 23-11 France
-
28 Nov 2009, Stade Vélodrome New Zealand 39-12 France
-
9 Nov 2013, Stade de France New Zealand 26-19 France
-
26 Nov 2016, Stade de France New Zealand 24-19 France
-
11 Nov 2017, Stade de France New Zealand 38-18 France
The Springboks, between 2013 and 2025, have won five from six
-
23 Nov 2013, Stade de France South Africa 19-10 France
-
18 Nov 2017, Stade de France South Africa 18-17 France
-
10 Nov 2018, Stade de France South Africa 29-26 France
-
12 Nov 2022, Stade Vélodrome France 30-26 South Africa
-
15 Oct 2023, Stade de France South Africa 29-28 France
-
8 Nov 2025, Stade de France South Africa 32-17 France
Even in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, France lose more than they win against the southern hemisphere trio of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
Six Nations / Five Nations (1996–2025):
-
Tournaments: 30
-
Titles: 9
-
Runner-up: 7
-
Third: 4
-
Fourth: 7
-
Fifth: 2
France, under Fabien Galthié, between 2020 and 2025, have finished second, second, first, second, second and first in the Six Nations. They should add a 10th Six Nations title (in 31 attempts) this weekend when they play England in Paris.
But even that renaissance came with its defining moment on home soil in the 2023 World Cup quarter-final in Paris, when France lost to the Springboks in the quarter-final in Paris.
The margin was just that one point, but one point was as powerful at 20 on the night.
The Boks, defending the World Cup title, won the tournament in beating England in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final, each play-off win being with a point.
France felt they had been a dirty but one year later, hyped again, they fell once more to the Springboks, who won 32-17 in Paris, despite playing 14-15 for 30 of the 80 minutes.
The Boks, in their last 11 matches against France, six in France and five in South Africa, have won five in France and five in South Africa. They have lost one, 30-26 in Marseilles in 2022.
Saturday’s visit to Murrayfield was significant in the assessment of a French team that had been dominant against Ireland in Paris, Wales in Cardiff and Italy in Lille.
Scotland, at Murrayfield, would be as good a measure as any to the mental resolve of a French squad that must travel further than the flight to Edinburgh when challenging for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Scotland, at Murrayfield, was a reinforcement of the fragility of the French player psyche when not playing at home.
The defeat, given the hype around France, shocked many, but the manner in which they fell apart was consistent with the past 30 years of professionalism.
FRENCH MEDIA REACTION TO MURRAYFIELD MAYHEM
The World Cup myth
France’s World Cup record since professionalism:
| World Cup | Result |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Finalists |
| 2003 | Semi-final |
| 2007 | Semi-final |
| 2011 | Finalists |
| 2015 | Quarter-final |
| 2019 | Quarter-final |
| 2023 | Quarter-final |
| 2027 | TBD |
World Cups since 1996: 8
Titles: 0
France, on those big rugby days when expectation leads them into battle, are not the aristocrats rugby imagines them to be.
They are the sport’s most celebrated illusion, so magnificent in the telling, but far less imposing in the reckoning.
International Rugby
How the French & Scottish rugby media told the story of Murrayfield’s madness
The French rugby media called it Murrayfield’s madness. The Scottish rugby media called it Murrayfield’s magical night. Scotland’s 50-40 Six Nations win crushed France’s Grand Slam and turned the tournament’s last round into a three-horse race for the title.
France, Scotland or Ireland can win the title.
France hosts England and Ireland is at home to Scotland.
Ireland have beaten Scotland 11 successive times, but this season’s Six Nations has been about rewriting history.
How French Media Reported the Scotland Win
Shock and disbelief France’s Grand Slam hopes destroyed.
Typical framing in L’Équipe-style coverage:
-
“La France renversée à Murrayfield”
-
“La gifle écossaise”
-
“Un match fou”
Meaning:
-
France overturned in Edinburgh
-
A Scottish slap
-
A crazy match
Narrative themes
-
Defensive collapse – France conceding 50 points was central to the coverage.
-
Discipline problems – yellow cards and loss of control.
-
Scottish attacking brilliance – especially Finn Russell’s orchestration.
French outlets emphasised the humiliation of conceding a half-century rather than Scotland’s title credentials.
🇫🇷 Midi Olympique
Editorial tone
Rugby analysis rather than emotional headlines.
Midi-Olympique focused on:
-
France’s defensive structure breaking down
-
Scotland’s tempo and width
-
The tactical battle between Gregor Townsend and Fabien Galthié
Typical angle:
France lost the collision battle and could not control Scotland’s attacking rhythm.
They also highlighted the fact that Scotland scored seven tries, one of the biggest attacking displays against France in modern Six Nations rugby.
🇫🇷 Rugbyrama
Editorial tone
“Match de folie” match of madness
Rugbyrama leaned heavily into the spectacle of the game.
Typical themes:
-
13 tries
-
chaotic momentum swings
-
Scotland blowing the title race open
The site emphasised that Scotland were 40-14 up before France mounted a late comeback, reinforcing the idea that the damage had already been done.
How Scottish Media Reported the Match
🏴 The Rugby Paper
One of Scotland’s greatest modern performances.
Themes highlighted:
-
Scotland scoring seven tries
-
Scotland blowing open the Six Nations title race
-
Finn Russell masterclass
Scottish media leaned heavily on the idea that this was Townsend’s best Scotland performance.
🏴 The Scotsman
Typical narrative:
“A Murrayfield classic.”
Focus points:
-
Scotland’s attacking brilliance
-
Darcy Graham becoming Scotland’s record try scorer
-
belief that Scotland can challenge for the title
The tone was celebratory but also analytical about Scotland’s development under Gregor Townsend.
🏴 Scottish Sun
Tabloid framing:
-
“FRENCH FRIED”
-
“MURRAYFIELD MAYHEM”
The tabloids leaned heavily into the spectacle of 50 points against France, something rarely seen in the Six Nations era.
SIX NATIONS: EVERY PLAYER STAT, TEAM STAT AND LAST ROUND PERMUTATION
International Rugby
How the English and Italian rugby media told the story of Rome
The English rugby media treated Rome – and England’s first ever defeat to Italy – as a national embarrassment. The Italian rugby media media treated Rome as a national coming-of-age. In England, the theme was blame. In Italy, it was belief.
Here’s your summary of Italy’s 23-18 win against England in the Six Nations. It was the first time Italy had beaten England in their 33rd match-up over 35 years.
The English media line
1) The broad English newspaper angle: crisis, collapse, pressure on Borthwick
The dominant English framing was not “Italy were lucky”; it was England hit a new low. The Guardian called it a historic first victory for Italy and linked it directly to England’s worsening form and a potential crisis under Steve Borthwick. The Telegraph’s line was even harsher: England’s Six Nations is “in ruins” and the defeat was “shattering.” The Independent pushed the same direction, focusing on the “horror half-hour,” the squandered lead, and the pressure now building on Borthwick’s future.
2) The rugby specialist English angle: self-destruction and indiscipline
The rugby-first English platforms were even more forensic. RugbyPass framed it as a historic defeat that piles pressure on Borthwick, while Planet Rugby went bigger: a history-making Italy result that leaves Borthwick’s job “on the line.” Reuters, reporting the post-match reaction, zeroed in on Borthwick’s own explanation: ill-discipline. Across those outlets, the common English diagnosis was clear: England were in control, then lost composure, bled penalties/cards, and handed Italy the game.
3) The key English match narrative
Across Sky Sports, Reuters, the Independent and the Guardian, the repeated turning points were the same: England built a lead, then yellow cards to Sam Underhill and Maro Itoje swung the match, Italy attacked the space and momentum, and Leonardo Marin’s late try finished it. So the English press consensus is: this was less an accident than an England implosion under pressure.
4) The official England Rugby tone: controlled, stripped of drama
England Rugby’s own match report was the least emotional of the English sources. It acknowledged the “first-ever” Italy win and the late try, but the wording was institutional rather than alarmist. That contrast matters: where newspapers saw embarrassment and political heat, the RFU house style presented it as a narrow defeat decided late.
The Italian media line
1) The dominant Italian framing: history, taboo broken, national step forward
Italian coverage was almost unanimous in tone: historic breakthrough. Gazzetta dello Sport said Italy “made history” and broke the last taboo in the Six Nations. The FIR official site called it an “heroic” Italy that beat England for the first time. Corriere dello Sport led with “storica impresa,” while Corriere della Sera called it the first historic win over the English and the end of an era of chasing.
2) The rugby specialist Italian angle: Italy are now a real team
OnRugby’s tone was especially revealing. Their post-match report and ratings were not just celebratory; they argued this was proof that Italy is now a proper, dangerous side. Their language around the team being “una squadra vera” was important because it moved the story beyond one upset and into a larger idea: Gonzalo Quesada has built a side with belief, cohesion and edge.
3) The Italian narrative emphasis: courage, crowd, growth, Quesada
Italian outlets kept returning to four ideas: the crowd at the Olimpico, the emotional significance of finally beating England, the character of the comeback, and Quesada’s long-build project. FIR explicitly described Italy as courageous in a messy, difficult match that had seemed to be slipping away. Gazzetta and Corriere framed it not as a freak day but as the latest step in an upward curve.
The real split between England and Italy
The English press mostly wrote the match as an England failure.
The Italian press mostly wrote it as an Italy arrival.
That is the essential media divide.
England’s outlets asked:
-
How bad is this for Borthwick?
-
Why is England so ill-disciplined?
-
How do you lose from there?
-
Is this the tournament hitting rock bottom?
Italy’s outlets asked:
-
How big is this moment for Italian rugby?
-
What does it say about Quesada’s team?
-
Has the final Six Nations taboo now been removed?
-
Can this side go on and make more history?
Outlet-by-outlet quick breakdown
England
-
Guardian: historic Italy win, England crisis, discipline and drift.
-
Telegraph: England implosion, campaign in ruins, serious pressure on Borthwick.
-
Independent: tactical collapse, yellow cards, Borthwick future now a live issue.
-
Sky Sports: historic first Italy win, England misery, inquest mode.
-
RugbyPass: humiliation and heat on Borthwick.
-
Planet Rugby: history made, pressure severe, job-on-the-line framing.
-
Reuters: cleanest straight-news read England lost control through indiscipline.
-
England Rugby: sober official language, late loss, no emotional panic.
Italy
-
Gazzetta dello Sport: history, last taboo broken, emotional national milestone.
-
Corriere della Sera: historic first, comeback, national significance.
-
Corriere dello Sport: “storica impresa,” celebratory and big-picture.
-
OnRugby: detailed rugby reading Italy are now a genuine side, not a novelty winner.
-
FIR / Federugby: heroic, historic, proof of growth under Quesada.
SIX NATIONS: EVERY PLAYER STAT, TEAM STAT AND LAST ROUND PERMUTATION
International Rugby
Six Nations stunner as Scotland fry France & Italy shock England
The romance of the Six Nations reached a peak in Rome when Italy beat England for the first time & in Edinburgh Scotland fried France’s Grand Slam.
What joy for the Italians, the biggest movers in world rugby in the past three seasons.
They won 23-18, having led 10-5 in the 39th minute, then trailed 18-10, only to find something out of the ordinary in 23 year-old midfielder Tommaso Menoncello who scored a spectacular try and made an equally imposing break as the try-assist for the winner in the 73rd minute.
England had beaten Italy 32 times in succession, gone past 50 on nine occasions and blanked the Italians twice in the past 35 years, but in Rome history was there to be written, given England’s Six Nations slump, and Italy duly rewrote history.
It was glorious for the Italians and equally mesmerising for the rugby neutral. This was a win that has been building for a bit. Italy, this season, won against Scotland in Rome, were in touching distance of toppling Ireland in Dublin and trailed France 19-11 with 10 minutes to go in Lille.
France, in scoring three late tries, won more comfortably than the first 70 minutes played out, and Italy took those painful lessons and applied them in Rome. They played until the 81st minute, refusing to cave to expectation or implode in what is among their biggest wins in history.
Italy have won against the Springboks once and Australia a couple of times. They have beaten France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but never England and the All Blacks. Now that list is down to just the All Blacks.
England, in the last month, have gone from a team unbeaten in 12 matches, to one shell-shocked with three successive defeats, hammerings to Scotland (away) and Ireland (home).
Now this result in Rome and France in Paris still to come next weekend.
Their next Test is on the 4th July against the world champion Springboks in Pretoria.
A month ago the English were pleading to play the Boks the next weekend. The ‘Bring on the Boks’ chorus is now on mute.
Scotland, beaten in the opening round in Rome, responded with a comprehensive home win against England before a late seven pointer in the 75th minute downed Wales in Cardiff.
On Saturday, at Murrayfield, Scotland were irresistible in scoring 40 unanswered points in as many minutes in the last 20 of the first half and the first 20 of the second half to turn a 14-7 deficit into a 47-14 lead. France scored two tries in the back end to bring it back to 47-26 with less than 10 minutes to go. Finn Russell kicked a penalty to bring up the 50 and in a bizarre finish to the Test, France scored two more tries in the last three minutes to force a scoreline of 50-40, which was everything but how the match had played out for 65 minutes.
Scotland travel to Dublin in next weekend’s final round with the hopes of winning the title, should France stumble at home to England.
Ireland can also win the title if they beat Scotland and France lose to England.
SIX NATIONS: EVERY MATCH REPORT, PLAYER STAT AND TEAM STAT FROM ROUND 4
*Ireland, on Friday night needed a late try to beat Wales 27-17 in Dublin in what was the round of the tournament.
SPRINGBOKS LEAD LATEST WORLD RANKINGS AND ENGLAND DROP TO 6th
1 South Africa 93.94
2 New Zealand 90.33
3 Ireland 88.89
4 France 87.03 (-1.37)
5 Argentina 84.97 (+1)
6 England 84.34 (-1.28) (-1)
7 Scotland 83.08 (+1.37)
8 Australia 81.53
9 Fiji 81.14
10 Italy 81.09 (+1.28)
International Rugby
Bok Damian de Allende is the best No 12 in the world
Springboks and Wild Knights Damian de Allende continues to set the standards among No 12s in world rugby. He is the best – and has been for some time.
In the Keo & Zels show earlier this week, there was agreement that De Allende remains the standout No 12 in the game.
Keo: Damian de Allende has done it all. Two World Cups. Rugby Championships. Outstanding for Munster in the URC and Investec Champions Cup. A superstar in Japan. A force for the Stormers and Western Province.
Yet when the “best No 12 in the world” debate starts, his name is often an afterthought.
Ireland’s Stu McCloskey has had a strong Six Nations and suddenly some commentators are calling him the benchmark. That’s recency bias. De Allende has been the benchmark for a decade.
He is the glue in the Springbok midfield. When he plays, they are a different side. When he doesn’t, you feel it. Sonny Bill Williams said last season that the most undervalued piece of the South African World Cup puzzle is Damian de Allende. He’s right.
De Allende has strength in contact, a complete passing game and a rugby IQ that the public underrates but coaches don’t. Tony Brown rates him the best passer in the Bok set-up.
The move to Japan extended his career. League One is improving every season, but it’s not the weekly collision of the URC or Top 14. It has preserved him and I believe he has another World Cup in him.
If we’re picking a No 12 tomorrow? I take him. Every time. He is the best No 12 in the world.
ALL BLACKS GREATS RAVE ABOUT DE ALLENDE
Zels:
That’s the difference between media noise and player reality.
In player circles, “Doogz” gets huge respect. It’s the same story as Franco Mostert. At the Lions people asked what he actually did. Then he became a Bok and suddenly everyone understood the work rate and detail.
De Allende does the heavy lifting. He wins collisions. He cleans up. He organises. He makes the right decision more often than not. Players and coaches see it immediately.
In his prime? For me, absolutely – he’s the best 12 in world rugby.
RECALL: HOW RASSIE REINVENTED DE ALLENDE IN 2019
Last weekend he played his 50th match for the Wild Knights in Japan – another reminder of his consistency and professionalism. Whether it was Milnerton High in Cape Town, a World Cup final with the Springboks, Munster on a European night, or League One in Japan, the standard never drops.
ALL BLACKS MIDFIELD MASTER SONNY BILL WILLIAMS GIVES DOOGZ HIS DUES
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International Rugby
URC: Julius stars but the Lions roar loudest at Ellis Park
URC: The Lions, with Morne van den Berg massive, roared the loudest at Ellis Park with an emphatic win against the Sharks, for whom Jurenzo Julius was the best player.
Morne van den Berg was the pick of the Lions and the best player on display in the Lions bonus point win. The Springboks scrum half was at the heart of everything good about the Lions performance, in a Round 8 match that was played between Rounds 11 and 12 of the competition.
The win moves the Lions into seventh place in the URC and it also kept alive the SA Shield. Had the Sharks won, they would have claimed the Shield, given they already had three bonus-point wins in four matches against their South African colleagues.
The Sharks have beaten the Bulls and the Stormers twice and lost in the final play against the Lions in Durban a month ago.
But it is the Lions who now can claim the Shield if they beat the Stormers at Ellis Park next Saturday.
The Sharks will play the Bulls at Loftus in Pretoria next week and the Stormers and Bulls will complete the South African derbies within the URC in Pretoria on the 14th March.
The Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen picked his strongest match 23 and they were too powerful and precise for a Sharks match 23 missing seven of their first choice Springboks. Sharks coach JP Pietersen invested in youth and some hardened veterans, but the collective of the Sharks could not match the individual class of 21 year-old centre Jurenzo Julius, who ran with condition and with reward, scored a try, had one disallowed and always made metres in the tackle.
JULIUS IN BOKS MIDFIELD AUDITION
Veteran lock Jason Jenkins battled hard, but that was the lot for the visitors who are ninth in the URC league standings. They have four wins in 11 matches.
Van den Berg was the general at No 9, his halfback partner Chris Smith did not miss a kick at posts and the Lions midfield of Bronson Mills and Henco Van Wyk were convincing as a pairing.
Wingers Angelo Davids and Kelly Mpeku chased everything and turned every kick into an attacking one.
Lions fullback Quan Horn was confident and flanker Ruan Venter, lock Ettienne Oosthuizen were a menace and a presence. My personal favourite Asenathi Ntlabakanye produced trademark tackles, handled the tighthead side of the scrum effectively and was regular in taking the ball to the line.
Van den Berg was very good and the Lions were very good in responding from the 52-17 defeat a fortnight ago against the Bulls at Ellis Park.
The Lions have beaten the Sharks in the last three matches at Ellis Park in the URC, each time comfortably, and have won five of the last six matches against the Sharks.
UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP LATEST – WATCH THE LIONS v SHARKS HIGHLIGHTS
International Rugby
Ireland find their identity & Scotland find a way to win away from home
Ireland are celebrated for finding their identity in a record 42-21 win against England at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham and Scotland are lauded for finding a way to win a Six Nations match away from home. Here’s your media summary.
What the English media led with
-
England’s recurring fast-start problem became the story again – an opening half-hour where Ireland went 22-0 up and effectively ended the contest.
-
The post-match tone is brutal: “humiliation”, “nightmare”, “questions everywhere” around England’s direction, selection calls, and a side that’s messy under pressure (turnovers, set-piece errors, poor exits).
-
Even where England “had entries”, the message is the same: they didn’t convert pressure into points, and Ireland did – clinically.
What the Irish media led with
-
A statement win built on speed, accuracy and edge – Ireland’s first-half blitz, then second-half control (Sheehan’s early score after the break = the hammer).
-
The Irish framing is “old guard / leaders / selection calls justified” – Crowley steering, Gibson-Park snapping, McCloskey giving them gainline ballast.
-
Farrell’s tone in reaction coverage: values + connection + belief (less “tactics board”, more “identity restored”).
Former players / influential voices (social + pundit loop)
-
Dan Sheehan (via ITV quote carried by SA Rugby Mag): framed it as hunger + belief + emotional lift after the France loss – and called it one of their best performances.
-
The wider pundit theme (echoed across liveblogs + post-match reaction): Ireland’s dominance wasn’t fluke finishing – it was system + tempo + accuracy, with England chasing shadows and confidence.
-
“I backed England” regret content is already circulating (ex-player prediction culture) with former England fullback Mike Brown getting stick in UK rugby-content spaces after calling it wrong. He is just one of many. Andy Goode called for a rethink of Steve Borthwick as head coach and challenged Borthwick for a rethink of his selections.
South African view (SA Rugby Mag)
Two clean angles SA Rugby Mag are pushing:
-
Mocke the notion that three weeks ago England were favourites to win the World Cup, according to their media, and now they have been destroyed, away to Scotland and at home to Ireland on successive weekends.
-
Player-reaction line: Sheehan’s “special” framing – Ireland tapped into travelling support and came out of the blocks.
What Six Nations official platform says …
The official match report leans hard into:
-
Frenetic start, Crowley penalty, then Gibson-Park’s quick-tap try as the tone-setter.
-
The decisive rhythm: England scratched (Dingwall / Lawrence / Underhill), but Ireland had answers (Sheehan + Osborne) and controlled the contest after going 22-0 up.
KEO’S VIEW
I had England to win 30-21 based on Ireland’s lack of form in November against the All Blacks and the Springboks, and their defeat against France in Paris, coupled with their escape at home against Italy a week ago. What I overestimated was the quality of the England team to respond to last weekend’s drubbing against Scotland at Murrayfield. I also thought England would lift for captain Maro Itoje’s 100th Test for England. I underestimated that Ireland would find their identity or play in a way that speaks to the identity that made them a top two side and momentarily had them ranked one in the world. The visitors were superb. This is the first time they have beaten England by more than 20 points. I thought they were as inspiring as England were inept.
EVERY PLAYER AND TEAM STAT AFTER ROUND 3 OF THE SIX NATIONS
WALES v SCOTLAND – Wales improved, Scotland escaped
Result: Wales 23 Scotland 26 (Turner try + Russell conversion in the 75th minute).
Scottish media tone (and Scotland lens generally)
-
The Scotland lens is “not pretty, but champion teams steal these” – resilience, finish, Russell influence, and bench impact (Turner delivering the match winner).
-
Scotland’s broader narrative: they’re alive in the championship picture (table pressure) because they can now win away, even when off their game.
Welsh media tone (and Wales lens generally)
-
The Wales lens is heartbreak with a sliver of hope: this was their best showing of the championship so far, but they still found a way to lose it late (errors, discipline, closing moments).
-
The hard number that will sit in every Welsh recap: 14 straight Six Nations losses (and counting).
Former players / influential voices (social + pundit loop)
-
The Guardian’s live coverage explicitly notes former Welsh captain Sam Warburton praising Wales’ belief/performance despite the late gut-punch.
South African view (SA Rugby Mag)
-
Scotland “snatch” it from a “passionate Wales” – which tells you the editorial emphasis is Wales’ emotional performance and Scotland’s late ruthlessness.
What Six Nations official platform says …
The official report makes it very usable for your structure:
-
Wales deserved the first-half lead: Carre + Adams tries, Costelow kicking, and a genuine edge in the arm-wrestle.
-
The swing: Scotland’s second-half surge, and Wales being denied their first win again a “remarkable comeback” headline win for Scotland.
KEO’S VIEW
The question is what hurts most for the hapless Welsh supporters; to concede 50 points each time at home or to be five minutes away from winning and then to lose by a late converted try after leading 20-5 early in the second half? Scotland showed composure in the final 10 minutes and Wales, so desperate and filled with desire, had nothing left in the tank once Scotland took the lead 26-23. For a neutral it was a bloody good Test, filled with every drama.
International Rugby
Round 3 of Six Nations: Everything you need to know
Teams, kick-off times, data, match-ups. Look no further. We have everything you need to know for Round 3 of the Six Nations as France plays Italy, Wales host Scotland and England take on Ireland.
The big talking point this weekend will be the flamboyant England loose-forward Henry Pollock’s first start at No 8.
AFRICA PICKS: WHERE TO MAKE YOUR SIX NATIONS MONEY THIS WEEKEND
WHO’S RUNNING THE HOTTEST IN SIX NATIONS
Six Nations Round 3: Pollock’s Call, Ireland’s Test, Scotland’s Edge, France’s Warning
The headline is at Allianz Stadium. Henry Pollock gets his first start at No 8 for England against Ireland. It is refreshing from England coach Steve Borthwick and it changes the shape of England’s loose trio. Pollock joins Tom Curry and Ben Earl in a back row built for tempo and confrontation.
ENGLAND v IRELAND
Kick-off: 18:00 (UK), Saturday 21 February
Venue: Allianz Stadium
England
Steward; Freeman, Lawrence, Dingwall, Arundell; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Itoje (capt), Chessum, T Curry, Earl, Pollock.
Replacements: George, Rodd, Davison, Coles, Pepper, Underhill, Van Poortvliet, M Smith.
Ireland
Osborne; Baloucoune, Ringrose, McCloskey, Lowe; Crowley, Gibson-Park; Loughman, Sheehan, Furlong, Ryan, McCarthy, Beirne, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).
Replacements: Kelleher, O’Toole, Bealham, Conan, Timoney, Casey, Frawley, O’Brien.
England’s 12-match winning run ended at Murrayfield, but at home they remain reliable. Their last defeat in London came in November 2024. Since then, nine straight wins. That matters.
Ireland, though, have owned this fixture recently. Five wins from the last six. The only loss in that stretch was a last-minute drop goal in this stadium two years ago.
Andy Farrell reshapes his spine. Jack Crowley starts at fly-half for control. Tadhg Furlong returns to strengthen the scrum. Beirne, Van der Flier and Gibson-Park are back. Ireland are leaning into experience because England at Twickenham demands it.
Recent results:
2025 (Dublin): Ireland 27–22 England
2024 (London): England 23–22 Ireland
2023 (Dublin): Ireland 29–16 England
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WALES v SCOTLAND
Kick-off: 16:40 (UK), Saturday 21 February
Venue: Principality Stadium
Wales
Rees-Zammit; Hamer-Webb, James, Hawkins, Adams; Costelow, T Williams; Carre, Lake (capt), Francis, Jenkins, Carter, Plumtree, Mann, Wainwright.
Replacements: Elias, Smith, Griffin, F Thomas, Botham, Hardy, J Evans, Murray.
Scotland
Kinghorn; Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu (capt), Van der Merwe; Russell, White; McBeth, Cherry, Z Fagerson, Williamson, Cummings, Brown, Darge, M Fagerson.
Replacements: Cherry, Schoeman, Millar-Mills, Williamson, M Fagerson, Horne, Hastings, Graham.
Wales are 0-from-2 and hurting. Scotland arrive confident after reclaiming the Calcutta Cup against England. Momentum says Scotland, recent history in this clash and Wales’s woeful two wins in their last 25 Tests, says it has to be Scotland.
Welsh coach Steve Tandy has made changes. Sam Costelow takes over at 10. Taine Plumtree strengthens the back row and Ben Carter’s form earns him reward. Blair Murray offers bench spark. Scotland have recalled power winger Duhan van der Merwe and Toulouse fullback Blair Kinghorn.
Recent results:
2025 (Edinburgh): Scotland 35–29 Wales
2024 (Cardiff): Wales 26–27 Scotland
2023 (Edinburgh): Scotland 35–7 Wales
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FRANCE v ITALY
Kick-off: 15:10 (UK), Sunday 15 February
Venue: Stade Pierre Mauroy
Italy left Dublin believing they are good enough to beat the very best, but still vulnerable in the big clutch plays. They pushed Ireland and were frustrated not to get the job done. The problem now is scale. France have opened this championship with authority and pace.
Last year in Rome, France dismantled Italy, but the more relevant match is the 13-all draw in Lille in 2024. Paolo Garbisi hit the post from a penalty attempt with the last kick of the match. It would have been Italy’s first win against France in France.
Italy’s backline is ambitious and their pack is no longer passive, but France, in the 2025 Six Nations and in the opening fortnight of 2026, have set the standard.
Recent results:
2025 (Rome): Italy 24–73 France
2024 (Marseille): France 13–13 Italy
2023 (Rome): Italy 24–29 France
If you want a snapshot of the weekend’s matches, England have entrusted youth in the name of Pollock, Ireland have opted for experience and the old guard, Wales, well they continue to search for relevance, and Scotland want consistency. Italy have belief but they are up against the best team in the competition who are playing with the authority of a champion.
International Rugby
Who’s running the hottest in the Six Nations
France have dominated the first fortnight of the Six Nations and they will continue the dream start to the 2026 tournament when hosting the improving Italy. Individually, the French players are also making the biggest statistical statements.
The French backs Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Theo Attissogbe and Matthee Jalibert are the most prominent in attack, with the two wingers three tries each second only to England winger Henry Arundell’s four.
No 10 Jalibert has scored two tries and made 32 carries, three more than his halfback partner Antoine Dupont, and four less than fullback Thomas Ramos’s 36. England’s No 8 Ben Earl has made the most carries (41).
Ramos, Bielle-Biarrey, Jalibert and Attissogbe are placed second to fifth in metres made, with Wales’s Louis Rees-Zammit topping the list with 238.
Jalibert, who was sensational for Bordeaux in the Investec Champions Cup Pool rounds, has been as good for France in the Six Nations.
No player has such a presence in so many facets of play.
Jalibert (10), Ramos (8) and Dupont (5) have made the most offloads, and Jalibert’s four try assists is the most.
Jalibert (10), along with Rees-Zammit, England’s Tommy Freeman and Scotland’s South African-born winger Kyle Steyn, has beaten the most defenders.
Jalibert (21) and Dupont (29) have combined for 50 kicks in play. England flyhalf George Ford leads the list with 34. Ford’s kick metres are the most, 1245, while Dupont (third with 827 metres) and Jalibert (sixth with 610 metres) total 1437 metres.
Jalibert (7) and Dupont (6), as a halfback duo, have no equal in the competition, combining for 13 kicks retained. Scotland’s Ben White, individually, is the leader with 10.
Jalibert (13) has bounced the most kicks, with Ford (11) in second place and Dupont third with 10.
Lineout steals have been minimal and Italy’s Manuel Zuliani and Michele Lamaro are the best with two each.
Defensively, Wales’s Aaron Wainwright (9) and Freeman (9) lead the dominant contact, with France’s Charles Ollivon and Earl (7) the next best.
Wainwright, with this dominance in contact, has the most post contact metres (55), followed by Freeman and Earl with 53 each.
The French attack has been on fire but defensively the French have been as good. Lenni Noguchi and Oscar Jegou, along with Italy’s Manuel Zuliani and Lorenzo Cannone and Steyn are grouped at the top with four each in the dominant tackle category.
(Lorenzo) Cannone, with 37, has the most successful tackles. Niccolo Cannone has 35 and Jegou 34.
Scotland’s Rory Darge (6) has won the most turnovers, with Zuliani second (5) and France’s Michael Guillard and Ireland’s Stuart McCloskey on four each. Winger Attissogbe has won three turnovers.
Wingers understandably dominate the attacking catch success with Ireland’s James Lowe, Arundell, Italy’s Louis Lynagh and Bielle-Biarrey all successful with two catches.
Ramos and Ford have scored the most points and they are the two most accurate sharpshooters, with Ramos tops with 85.7 percent and Ford striking at 81.8 percent.
EVERY PLAYER AND TEAM STAT FROM THE 2026 SIX NATIONS
International Rugby
France on fire as rugby’s media react to Six Nations
France are on fire, dispatching Wales with ease in Cardiff in Round 2 of the Six Nations. Scotland were the Brave and Ireland were the fortunate in Dublin. But on the evidence of two Rounds the world champions and No 1 ranked Springboks are still some way ahead of the chasing pack, which is more France than anyone else.
For those who don’t have time to scan every rugby site for Six Nations reaction, here is your summary, with the scanning brilliance of Chat and my own wrap and understanding of what unfolded.
AFRICA PICKS: DID YOU CASH IN ON YOUR SIX NATIONS BETS?
WALES v FRANCE (Cardiff) Reaction: “France are ruthless; Wales are broken”
Result context: France ran in 8 tries and hammered Wales 54–12 in Cardiff.
Six Nations official tone: “record-breaking” French performance; clinical, fast, and brutal.
The Northern Hemisphere themes (what the NH media agreed on)
1) France’s attack is now operating at “Grand Slam pace.”
The common thread: France didn’t just win – they stacked pressure, scored early, and never came down. Their execution looked title-ready, not “round-two ready.”
2) Jalibert ran the game; the French back three feasted.
Reuters singled out Matthieu Jalibert as “masterful”, with France’s shape and kicking hurting Wales repeatedly.
The Guardian focus: wings/finishers cashing in, with Théo Attissogbe front-and-centre.
3) Wales’ defensive system was the story and not in a good way.
Wales missed 31 tackles, with a 68% tackle success figure doing the rounds.
It also wasn’t lost on anyone that the crowd mood and attendance reflected a nation’s frustration.
-
Six Nations official: framed France as the tournament’s most clinical force; “run riot / record-breaking” framing.
-
Reuters: Jalibert masterclass; Wales defensive collapse; low attendance noted.
-
The Guardian: Attissogbe-led romp; France’s young backs looked fearless; Wales outclassed.
South African view (SA Rugby Mag / SA angle)
-
SA Rugby Mag (digital): blunt headline energy – “Rampant France rout woeful Wales” and the key SA takeaway: France are the only side still tracking a Grand Slam after two rounds.
-
Times Live: explicitly positioned this French run as a Springbok warning shot, tying it to SA’s own demolition job in Cardiff last November.
SCOTLAND v ENGLAND (Murrayfield) Reaction: “Scotland ambushed them; England had no Plan B”
Result context: Scotland beat England 31–20 and lifted the Calcutta Cup, ending England’s long winning run.
The Northern Hemisphere themes
1) Scotland’s start won it (and England never truly recovered).
Reuters captured it cleanly: Scotland sprinted into an early lead and played with belief; England spent the match chasing field position and control.
2) Finn Russell ran the show.
Across reports: Russell was the conductor control when needed, ambition when it was on.
3) Discipline (and Arundell) became England’s headline.
The red-card narrative dominated English-facing reaction, especially tabloid coverage.
4) “Plan A stalled” became the RugbyPass verdict.
RugbyPass pushed the familiar critique: England look blunt when their first pattern doesn’t land.
-
The Guardian: Scotland “stunned” England; big tries, big moments, and England’s errors/discipline issues.
-
Reuters: Scotland’s recent Calcutta Cup dominance underlined; Russell masterclass; Arundell card pivotal.
-
The Sun: framed it as Arundell “hero-to-zero”, Grand Slam hopes crushed on the Murrayfield hoodoo.
-
Sky Sports: breakdown angle on why England unravelled (discipline, start, game control).
South African view (SA Rugby Mag)
-
SA Rugby Mag: “Storming Scotland end England’s winning run” straightforward: England’s streak snapped; Scotland revived their campaign; Townsend milestone context.
-
SA Rugby Mag follow-up: quotes/angle pieces include Borthwick acknowledging England “gave them too big a start.”
IRELAND v ITALY (Dublin) Reaction: “Italy proved they belong; Ireland survived”
Result context: Ireland won 20–13, but the reaction was far more about Ireland’s wobble and Italy’s growth than Irish dominance.
The Northern Hemisphere themes
1) Ireland were “unconvincing” Italy dragged them into a scrap.
That “Ireland survived” framing is consistent across live reports and match wrap language.
2) Italy’s first-half performance made the story.
Italy led at the break; a maul try and defensive bite put Ireland under heat.
3) The Italian press angle: pride + frustration (and ‘it was there’).
Italian coverage leaned into: “great Italy for a half”, match flipped after the break, and the missed chance to land a historic result.
Outlet-by-outlet snapshot (Ireland + Italy)
-
Irish Times: Italy led 10–5 at half-time; Ireland turned it with second-half tries (Conan/Baloucoune) to regain control.
-
The Independent (UK): headline framing: “Unconvincing Ireland overcome half-time deficit” again, the win without the glow.
-
Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy): strong Italy for a half; Ireland “trembled” but won; the swing came after the break.
-
RAI News (Italy): second half “capsized” what looked like an Italian day; Italy started “azzurro” but Ireland flipped it.
-
Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR): official Italian union tone: “grandissima Italia” that scared Ireland; positives to take even in defeat.
-
OnRugby (Italy): positioned it as the “almost” moment and a national conversation piece (reaction roundup).
FOR ALL THE LATEST PLAYER AND TEAM STATS FROM ROUND 2 OF THE SIX NATIONS
-
2026 Six Nations fixtures:
https://www.keo.co.za/2026-six-nations-fixtures-confirmed-france-to-open-blockbuster-campaign-on-a-thursday/ -
France v Ireland analysis:
https://www.keo.co.za/how-transformed-france-tortured-inept-ireland-in-paris/ -
Previous British media reaction piece:
https://www.keo.co.za/england-hammer-wales-as-british-media-deliver-brutal-six-nations-verdict/
-
KEO News Wire4 days agoThe Stormers have made Cape Town South Africa’s rugby capital
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KEO News Wire5 days agoBulls Finish. Stormers Create. Glasgow Lead
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KEO News Wire1 day agoHandre Pollard makes powerful Bulls & Boks statement
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KEO News Wire14 hours agoSouth Africans flood the Investec Champions Cup play-offs
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KEO News Wire5 days agoMagical Mapimpi is the STECO Hybrid Power Tool Hero
Kelvin Abrahams
9th April 2020 at 1:10 am
What a wonderful trip down memory lane regarding Pieter Muller. It’s easy to forget the brilliance of the man being caught up with the modern game. I grew up in a time where club rugby was big in KZN and we could hang out in the change rooms with the likes of Pieter Muller, Andre Joubert, Cabous v/d Westhuizen, Fyvie, Teichman, Honiball etc. These guys were accessible to us and I remember James Small chatting to a young fan about who was faster, him or Tony Watson! James was diplomatic and respectful.
I cannot look past JDV. Being a big WP supporter I remember watching that debut game against France for Jean. Funny enough I was in a pub in Pretoria (Eastwood’s Tavern) that night and was so sad when JDV got injured so early. Whether Jean played 11, 14, 12 or 13, the man was brilliant. But he was at his best and most entertaining at 12. He wasn’t the forceful 12 that Pieter Muller was but he let himself down in that regard. It was his deft touch, his guile and his game awareness that set him apart.
SBW revolutionized the midfield game and is the posterchild for the magical offload. For that alone he deserves the 12 jersey. I had this preconceived idea that Tim Horan and Scott Gibbs would battle for my 12 jersey but now I’m left scratching my head. Scott Gibbs was a big imposing presence and Mark blew him. Up well in the no.13 write up. Tim Horan was a little master in the 12 jersey too. He gave Jason Little the time and space to look like the smartest and most unplayable 13 around. I always though Sonny Bill was better than Nonu. I had dreamed of seeing SBW partner Richard Kahui in the midfield for the All Blacks but injury and timing never worked out as Kahui had his career destroyed by injuries. But as I type away here I start thinking about the inside center genius that was Aaron Mauger. The thing with Mauger was how he made his flyhalf look so good. He relieved pressure, had an eye for a gap, never got nailed for needle and ill discipline and importantly put players around him into more holes than a mining company. This is harder than I thought. Horan vs Gibbs vs SBW vs Mauger…
And like a thief in the night… SBW steals my no. 12 jumper
Jacques botha
9th April 2020 at 6:45 am
I never got the hype over SBW and still don’t. What he was better at than any other player was passing the ball in contact, that’s it. I am sorry but a Conrad Smith or Nanu at their best was better than SBW at his best. I remember watching NZ rugby shows and listening to their commentary, there was always someone who questioned the inclusion of SBW. This coming from NZ pundits. Don’t get me wrong, he was a very good player but not the best of the last 25 years.
Keo
9th April 2020 at 11:18 am
Hey Kelvin, love your passion and insight. Debate is the spice of life, especially when it comes to rugby, teams, players and eras.
Keep on reading and posting.
Keo
9th April 2020 at 11:21 am
Hi Jacques. Thanks for your comment. Many would agree with you. The purpose of my series is to jot down who in my rugby writing career made the biggest impression on me. As I wrote Nonu and Smith, Horan and Little, De Villiers and Fourie were the standout midfield combinations I saw. Individually, Sonny Bill had a presence, influence & impact similar to what I saw with Jonah. He did things others just couldn’t, which is why he gets my vote in the No 12 jersey. Keep the comments coming and the debate going as I count down to the No 1 jersey.
Kelvin Abrahams
9th April 2020 at 1:33 pm
100% Mark. I’m enjoying this. Your insights and trips down memory lane regarding players are great. Get to remember why we celebrated these guys week in and week out over the years! Keep up the great work.
Graeme
21st April 2020 at 4:47 pm
Hello Mark – loving the reads during this COVID lockdown! Unless I missed it, you make no mention of Brendan Venter at 12 or 13? For me, the Venter – Muller combination in the nineties was brilliant and Brendan Venter was the perfect foil for the power of Muller – what are your views?
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