It says something about the state of southern hemisphere rugby when a Rugby World Cup can be held in the heart of the northern hemisphere and not one team from the north progresses to the semi-finals.
Maybe it says something about the state of northern hemisphere rugby; this has been a World Cup of upsets, of trials and tribulations.
Yet despite all the results and outcomes that went unforeseen, one thing remains clearer than ever.
The southern hemisphere dominates rugby globally. It has done so for many years, and the expansion of the Rugby Championship to include Argentina has only grown the scope of rugby prowess in the southern half of the globe.
The Pumas are a product of the southern hemisphere system.
In the Rugby Championship they have, week in, week out, come up against the best teams in the world. And more often than not they have ended up with a loss.
In fact, in 21 Rugby Championship appearances, the Pumas have only recorded two victories. Once against the Springboks earlier this year and, perhaps far more relevantly, once against the Wallabies.
This highlights one very salient point – the Pumas can beat Australia in their upcoming semi-final.
I was wrong about Argentina. I said that Ireland would be too much for them in this quarter-final. But again, I think I was one of the many that underestimated the power of the Rugby Championship.
Argentina’s ability to keep getting up off their backs every single week throughout the tournament over the past four years is truly a testament to their character as a unit.
To keep fighting with flair and passion every year as they have done has earned them their well deserved place in the final four.
South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, and Australia, the four semi-finalists. The four best teams in the world.
So for all the upsets, for all the talk about how far the game has evolved globally, I think rugby as a sport still has a long way to go. To have four southern hemisphere teams in the semi-finals proves this point.
The difference between the hemispheres lies in a few simple areas of the game. The speed of the game that southern hemisphere teams appear to play at in comparison with their northern counterparts is astonishing.
The ability to play the game at high speed, being able to handle the ball at pace as well as hit each and every collision and breakdown with a touch more intensity is what has set the two hemispheres apart over the course of this World Cup.
The disparity between the hemispheres has become more abundantly clear than ever.
Despite what this might mean for the state of rugby, I don’t think I have ever seen a World Cup with this much talent or excitement.
Rugby is a capricious rollercoaster and we are all in for the ride of a lifetime.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan says it’s “purely coincidental” that Semipeni Finau has put on a massive, late hit on a fourth fly-half in nine…
He was born 1905, 1904 or 1908 according to various reports, in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, and is remembered as one of the great Māori players.
I don’t really get the comparisons between Joey Manu and Sonny Bill Williams. I realise they have the Roosters in common, along with a…
All Blacks star Jordie Barrett has announced a sabbatical to play with Irish club Leinster at year's end, while committing his future to New…
There are those who will forever play the man - and not the ball - where TJ Perenara is concerned. The All Blacks and…
I well remember the day a New Zealand Rugby staffer put their hands on me. It seems I’d made them angry.The Wellington Sevens was…
