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Yes, you’re right, we’re not playing for The Rugby Championship this week. The Wallabies wrapped it all up last weekend.
But I’m still using the template because we’re all creatures of habit.
And that includes Harry and Digger, too, who just carried on with the quality questions despite the mere detail of the competition itself being over.
Oh, and here’s the bonus for you, the wonderful readers of this humble panel: next week, we’re going to cast the eye forward to the Rugby World Cup, from the perspective of the four TRC teams.
We’ll also name the prestigious ‘Big Questions Team of the Year’, something we’ve already conceded is going to be a lot more difficult than last season.
Here’s the Big Questions for bonus week; the return Bledisloe Cup clash and the Argentina leg of the Victor Matfield Testimonial Year.
Harry Jones asks: Is Australia now the favourite in Rugby World Cup Pool A?
Yes, indeed. Australia has broken all the rules, and advanced anyhow. An unbalanced loose trio, shaky kicking, a lock who can’t be lifted, unclear playmaker choices, a non-traditional fullback, wings slower than their flanks, a suspect scrum; and yet, I’m tipping Cheika’s merry men to top Pool A. Could Wales really win TRC, by beating New Zealand and South Africa? Is England that hard for Cheika to game plan?
Brett: Well not officially, no. A quick scan of a few odds aggregating sites tells me that England are still the favourite to top Pool A pretty well across the board. And I’m pretty happy with that.
However, I dare say the Wallabies are a touch shorter than they were this time last week, and they’ll be wound in further again should they lift that thumping big cup at Eden Park on Saturday night. The Wallabies’ current form doesn’t make their Rugby World Cup run any easier, but it will make a few teams – and particularly their Pool A opponents – look upon them a little more closely.
And for what it’s worth, I’m pretty happy for England to stay favourites. Let them have all the expectation!
Digger: Yeah nah maybe, arguably so based on their current form however I freely admit that I have not followed their pool opponents closely enough to be certain one way or another.
They have had a thorough build up and have addressed many of their perceived weaknesses. The halves still pose a question mark but they have every right to feel confident heading to the World Cup but my gut feeling tells me England, playing at home and having the wood on Australia in recent seasons, should remain pool favourites, but perhaps not clear favourites.
Diggercane asks: Can the Pumas shake off their inconsistency and produce another quality performance?
You know what, I think they can but after their stunning performance, their challenge now is to deal with the expectation that this result would have fostered. I feel it would be a step backwards to knock South Africa over in South Africa only to capitulate in the return match at home.
Add to the mix that the Springboks will be hell bent on redemption and it will be a significant challenge for the Pumas.
Juan Martín Hernandez is the key I feel. The forwards will do their work, if he can again provide the catalyst to unlocking their backline then they can certainly put two in a row on a ‘Boks side that looks a little disoriented.
Harry: I have a strange feeling that the beaten-down, beleaguered, betrayed, bamboozled, bumptious, bloated, blackguarded, befuddled Bok will rise in Buenos Aires. Bueno!
Brett: I think they can, too.
They hadn’t been playing very well at all, but you could see really early in Durban that they were growing in confidence as that game went on. The emotion of playing in front of the 1965 tourists was clear, and they rode it all the way to the win.
So in front of what will be a boisterous and intimidating home crowd in Buenos Aires, I think that wave of emotion can continue. And imagine what another win would do for Los Pumas’ Rugby World Cup chances? Almost as much as it would send the Boks spiralling.
Brett McKay asks: First it was Louw-Coetzee-Burger and now Hooper-Pocock has enjoyed success, too. Should the All Blacks expect nothing but serious breakdown harassment for the rest of 2015?
They should, but the Fardy-Hooper-Palu selection feels like they’ll get something of a reprieve this week. For the first 50 minutes or so, at least.
In consecutive games now, we’ve seen the All Blacks struggle to build momentum without clean and quick ball, and there is no question that their Pool C opponents – and particularly Argentina and Tonga – will be schooling up on the tactic big time. It’s not new, by any stretch, but there is renewed and increased subscription to the newsletter at this time.
Digger: Well, looking at the games the All Blacks have lost the breakdown was a key area where they were, at times, shut down or stifled. It’s not as if this is a new thing, the breakdown is an integral component of the battle. Whether that translates to future opposition purposefully picking quicker players remains to be seen.
Take the pace out of the game, All Blacks tend to struggle. The breakdown focus should be paramount for their opposition and the All Blacks should be prepared for it, regardless of recent results.
Harry: Yes, a loose trio with the 2015 version of Richie McCaw will tend to get to the point of contact a bit slower even though he is the smartest navigator from ruck A to ruck B. Also, Kieran Read isn’t back to his peak form (but that’s still very, very good!).
Running at David Pocock to take him out of pilfer stance is a sign of too much planning. New Zealand needs to clear the ball from the base quicker; then they are almost unbeatable.
The tips for the weekend
Brett
#NZLvAUS – Redemption will be ugly, or the drought-breaking will be very, very, very bloody sweet! Wallabies by one. That’s all it needs to be…
#ARGvRSA – It might not be as big an upset now that we’re all expecting it, but I think Argentina can get this done. Not by much, mind you, maybe only five.
Digger
#NZLvAUS – New Zealand by 12 because, well, do I need to explain? I shouldn’t, and I’m not going too.
#ARGvRSA – Argentina by three. My gut and everything is saying Boks, but the Pumas were outstanding and I think they might just do it again at home.
Harry
#NZLvAUS – A draw, but if you push me, New Zealand by 0.5 points. And rabid TMO, YC, LO, TH controversies.
#ARGvRSA – Springboks to channel rage accurately and run in five tries. South Africa by a lot. 20-plus.