Aisle be back: Internationals recap and Super Rugby resuming

The dust settles, or is that the mud. Inevitably people try to make sense of the June internationals as if they’re divining the future.

The future, of course, is what happens between now and at the Rugby World Cup, Japan, 2019.

Personally, I don’t think much of what just happened will prove that relevant. Nearly 18 months seems like an eternity in international rugby these days.

But here’s a go, with that caveat.

New Zealand: Are the All Blacks plateauing or continuing to blood the new talent needed to stay ahead of the game. Probably the latter. We’ll know more after the Rugby Championship and the end of year tour, but one thing is clear – opposition sides will have to shut down New Zealand for 80 minutes or face the same lethal demolition that France suffered. But that’s not how world cup knockout matches generally play out.

In that sense, nothing much is changing.

Ireland: It’s hard to know if Australia are on the improve, but Ireland showed they have figured out how to win away, and that’s what has eluded so many Northern Hemisphere teams down the years. So they deserve where they sit, and we’ll know more later this year.

Australia: I know some people are writing them up, not least the Aussies. Fair enough, but they’d have to be consistently better to deserve the tag.

England: I’m betting that them sneaking a win over the Boks in terrible conditions in the third test is the worst possible outcome. That is, whatever is ailing them won’t get seriously addressed until it is too late. Will too late be at Twickenham against the All Blacks?

South Africa: Another bunch getting a good write-up. You don’t have to be a genius to predict they will be much better on paper and in reality during the Rugby Championship than in the last few years. That will be great for the old rivalry if it pans out, and just what the All Blacks will need. But hold my beer for now.

France: Very hard to draw a bead on the underpowered team that lost three tests here. They kept it close in all three until the floodgates, abetted by refereeing alls, opened up. They look like they could on their day be a threat, but that’s just a world cup cliché isn’t it.

So yeah, have a punt yourself. Like I say, it’s interesting but a bit meaningless.

++++++

Remember that old Super Rugby thingy. Well, with the test window having punctured the momentum of the competition, you probably need one of those video recaps on your favourite Tv show.

“Previously, on Breaking Brad: images of the Canes slamming down tries. Images of the Canes whooping it up over the Saders and Highlanders. Grating image of grimacing Canes. Raindrops and more raindrops. Images of Canes dropping the ball. Images of Highlanders and Saders whooping it up over the Canes.” End of recap.

In this week’s exciting episode, it’s back to Brumbies land, and the chance to press reset. Thank heavens it’s only the Brumbies. Although we’ve all heard that line before.

Reality is this could be a tough one, with the injury toll especially bad in the forwards.

But isn't that when you as a fan expect some digging deep. Other Kiwi sides have been in holes and up against it, and now its our turn. Let's see the backbone of this side - which incidentally is still studded with plenty of talent if the forwards do the job.

And the Brumbies? Should be a great match for lovers of the rolling maul, and aren’t we all.

Kevin is a lifetime Hurricanes fan. He and his partner are on a two-year Volunteer Service Abroad posting to Vanuatu's Espiritu Santo island. He's working on a project to build a South Pacific World War 2 museum on the site of an enormous Allied base on the island. Check it out at www.southpacificwwiimuseum.com