MELBOURNE (Reuters) – South Africa’s long-awaited return to worldwide rugby noticed Lions tamed and critics quietened because the world champions completed on top in 2021 after New Zealand threatened to snatch their primary rating.
The outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in a dismal 2020 season however near-normal service resumed because the southern hemisphere powers took full excursions of the north and performed at stadiums heaving with followers.
The pandemic continued to rumble on in the background, although, throwing a moist blanket on the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa.
What ought to have been an economy-boosting pageant fuelled by legions of travelling followers was a lot lowered as authorities ordered closed stadiums.
Starved of rugby after the Springboks sat out 2020, residence supporters may solely watch on screens because the workforce wrapped up the sequence 2-1 with a 19-16 victory in Cape Town, the place the 37-year-old Morne Steyn reprised his successful kick of the tour 12 years earlier.
Steyn’s coup de grace was one of many few highlights of a largely stodgy and ill-tempered sequence marred by COVID-19 circumstances in each camps and accusations of gamesmanship flying backwards and forwards.
South Africa’s bubble burst once they headed overseas, with the Springboks slumping to a three-match shedding streak throughout the Rugby Championship and giving up their top rating to Ian Foster’s New Zealand in the method.
The All Blacks hoisted one other Rugby Championship trophy in Australia with victory in their a hundredth check towards South Africa.
But every week later, the Springboks snatched again the primary rating with an exhilarating 31-29 win over the New Zealanders and held onto it by means of the autumn internationals.
BLOODY NOSES
Two years out from the 2023 World Cup in France, northern hemisphere groups stood up to their southern rivals and despatched them residence with bloody noses.
After a depressing Six Nations, Eddie Jones’s England appeared remodeled as they signed off with wins over Australia and South Africa.
Ireland humbled the All Blacks in Dublin, whereas France added to the New Zealanders’ ache in Paris.
Second to England in final yr’s Six Nations, France have been runners-up to Wales this yr after stumbling towards Scotland with the trophy in sight.
But the French renaissance was confirmed with their glowing 40-25 win over the All Blacks, who headed residence to headlines shouting “Crisis!” regardless of successful 12 out of 15 assessments.
After engineering back-to-back wins over the Springboks, Australia’s promising yr fizzled out in Britain after key gamers Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi opted to stay with their Japanese golf equipment throughout the low season.
The farcical episode left coach Dave Rennie furious and Australia in a muddle over the dangers of choosing overseas-based gamers with break up loyalties.
Rugby additionally had its second on the Olympic stage with Fiji defending their males’s sevens title and New Zealand claiming the ladies’s gold.
Long uncared for by the sport’s powerbrokers, Pacific nations have been buoyed by a rule change which is able to enable gamers to swap nationwide groups from 2022, a possible game-changer for a area wealthy in expertise however poor in sources.
Two Pasifika groups have been confirmed to be part of Australia and New Zealand in Super Rugby subsequent yr, bringing the skilled recreation a lot nearer to residence.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
