1) Ireland bruised but unbowed as they complete treble
When Ireland beat New Zealand on 5 November, and the All Blacks returned the favour two weeks later in Dublin, there was a sense that the two best teams in the world were slugging it out. But in that second game, Ireland were not just beaten, but beaten up, left bruised and bloodied by the brutal All Blacks. They were forced into three early changes, with Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw ruled out of the clash with Australia. Simon Zebo had a knock, and CJ Stander overcame a head injury. On matchday morn, Sean O’Brien joined them with a hip flexor problem, replaced by the eventual man of the match, Josh van der Flier, and the problems did not cease upon kick-off. By half-time, Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble and Jared Payne (who had started as a risk) were off injured, and impish scrum-half Kieran Marmion was lining up on the right wing, where he ended the game against the All Blacks. Already, injuries had forced the freshman Garry Ringrose out of position to inside centre. Ireland, particularly in the back division, were the walking wounded; by the end of these two games they were shorn of the fly-half, inside and outside centres, full-back, and right wing (as well as two starting openside flankers) who started their autumn campaign in Chicago. And yet, they came through all this to seal a win that made them the first northern hemisphere team since England in 2003 to beat the Springboks, All Blacks and Wallabies in a calendar year. They really do look the real deal. Will Macpherson
2) Wales’ Lydiate and Roberts may be out of time
It’s the end of the year for Wales, and you get the feeling time may be up for a couple of senior players. Jamie Roberts came on for the last minute against South Africa and, having been benched for the first time since 2009 against Argentina, he may well have to get used to those sort of cameo roles. Likewise Dan Lydiate, who went off at half-time with a nasty looking knee injury, may struggle to regain his place when Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau are all fit. Both Lydiate and Roberts have been key to Warren Gatland’s success with Wales, but both are becoming increasingly redundant. Roberts was a talented full-back and then outside-centre until a breakthrough Lions tour in 2009 sealed his future as a battering ram No12. He does not complain but Gatland’s direct tactics have denied him the chance to hone his other talents, and the way that Faletau and Tipuric combined for Wales’s second try served to highlight Lydiate’s deficiencies. When Rob Howley was last in interim charge he gave the impression of keeping the seat warm but this time around, by earmarking Scott Williams and Tipuric as first choice, he has already made his mark. Gerard Meagher
3) England have set-piece strength to complete unbeaten year
England are still winning even when they only have 13 or 14 men on the pitch. They will be encouraged not just by the outcome but the grit and endeavour shown by all involved following Elliot Daly’s fifth-minute red card. Prominent among the highlights for Eddie Jones will have been the second-half scrum at which the Pumas’ pack, admittedly minus inspirational captain Agustín Creevy and Ramiro Herrera, was splintered by England’s reshuffled front-row of Joe Marler, Jamie George and a bloodied Dan Cole. Jones will also have noted the final scrum of the game between Ireland and Australia in Dublin when the Wallabies, with the outcome of the contest in the balance, were pushed off their own ball by Ireland’s replacement trio.
It would suggest that even without their injured colossus Billy Vunipola, England could have the set-piece muscle to cause Australia problems as the home side seek to complete a 100% record of 13 wins from 13 Tests in 2016. Either way, with their own grand slam ambitions now doused, the Wallabies will need to dig deep at the end of their long European trek if they are to prevent England from adding to their 3-0 summer series victory. Argentina, meanwhile, will be glad of a breather after losing to Wales, Scotland and England in successive weeks. Their players’ punishing travel schedule has caught up with them and the absence of several leading European-based players has further compounded that issue. Having dipped out of the top eight of the world rankings, the Pumas can now expect a tougher 2019 World Cup draw as well. Robert Kitson
- Billy Vunipola could miss Six Nations after knee ligament operation
- Paul Rees: five talking points after England’s win over Argentina
- Jones sets his sights on Australia after ‘outstanding performance’
- England 27-14 Argentina: match report
4) Perhaps New Zealand are human after all
To lose to Ireland is one thing. An unfamiliar ground in a city suddenly synonymous with underdog wins, players wearied by winning the Rugby Championship … not to mention an Ireland side putting in one of the greatest performances in its 141-year history. It was understandable and can happen to the best of teams. But to only narrowly beat France by a single score? Perhaps their 24-19 win in Paris was the All Blacks’ most galling result of the most slightly dissatisfactory autumn series. France, who admittedly showed the ambition that has been so sorely lacking over the past decade and a half, never looked like winning the match and Baptiste Serin’s late penalty made it look closer than it was. However, the last time these teams met was in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, one of the most hideously embarrassing matches ever played and won 62-13 by New Zealand. It is almost as if losing a host of double World Cup winners and more than 800 caps could have affected them after all. Dan Lucas
5) Scotland form makes Six Nations an exciting prospect
There can be few players exuding as much confidence as Stuart Hogg at the moment. The Glasgow full-back is rarely short of it but he is at the very top of his game, scored two tries against Georgia – one of which was a wonderful, length of the field effort – and seems destined for the Lions No15 jersey in the summer. After Scotland had routed Georgia, he went on to say that Scotland believe they can beat anyone on their day, and why wouldn’t they? After starting the year with frustrating defeats by England and Wales, they approached a match against Italy they supposedly dared not lose with creditable ambition, and have not looked back. The last-gasp defeat by Australia will hurt but it has been a case of mission accomplished since then, with no little gusto. It is at this time of year that the Six Nations excites, before the weather really turns and style is replaced by stodge. But with Italy claiming the scalp of South Africa – even though they lost to Tonga on Saturday – Wales and France showing improvements, and England and Ireland at the top of their games, it is a mouthwatering prospect, even before considering Scotland’s title aspirations. GM
6) Italy should not fear arrested development
Italy blew their chance to reaffirm their progress under Conor O’Shea by following their stunning win over South Africa with a 19-17 defeat to Tonga, but it would be a mistake to read too much into the shock of the weekend. This was Tonga’s first win over the Italians since they first met in the 1999 World Cup, but there are mitigating factors for Italy’s defeat. They were without their Atlas, Sergio Parisse – forever condemned to carry the Azzurri on his shoulders – and played 20 minutes of the second half with only 14 men thanks to a pair of yellow cards, not that they could seriously complain about either. They outscored their opponents two tries to one, and had two more chalked off. The hosts also looked decent with ball in hand, frustrating their coach through a lack of efficiency rather than their inability to cut the Tongan back-line to ribbons. Furthermore their second try was a thing of beauty, a moment of inspiration from Luke McLean finished off by Tomasso Allan; it was also a mini-victory for O’Shea, who had made a tactical change of half-backs. DL
7) Waterman’s solo effort is one for the archives
There was one obvious talking point from this game. It’s the they were all talking about. Probably will be for years to come. Even Jason Robinson tweeted about it, and he should know. Danielle Waterman. Try. England women v Canada. Google it. It’ll make you talkative for the foreseeable. England scrum just outside their 22, little carry by Sarah Hunter, two long passes to the right, and Waterman has what she wants, which is a chink of space. First turn of pace takes her outside the first defender, inside the next. Then a step off her right foot does the next one. Confronted with defender number four, she shimmies both ways before coming off her left. Defender grasps at air and falls over, which takes her on to defender number six, the last. She shapes to cut inside and offers the ball to her support; defender stops for split second; she retucks ball under arm and with one final devastating change of pace she’s off for the corner. Think Robinson in 01 for that last bit; maybe John Kirwan in 87 for the rest. Either way, something to talk about for as long as we’ve talked about those. Michael Aylwin
