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VIDEO - Tries of the weekend on RugbyPass

By RugbyPass
Video

There was some scintillating rugby on show around the world this weekend. Despite a lack of tries in the Lions v Crusaders Game, England, Argentina, Ireland & Scotland all made up for it with some stunning running rugby. Full game and condensed highlights below, and here are some of the best tries:

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Argentina vs England

Full Game | Condensed

A debate is raging in the northern hemisphere over whether ‘rugby chaos’ is an acceptable thing. Journalistic elders – for whom Carwen Jones is more than a name from rugby history – refuse to permit such a sacrilegious phrase. Their words are lore for their junior acolytes, who pump up the anti-chaos rhetoric. But games like this bonkers eight-try turnover-fest in San Juan strongly suggest they could be wrong – from Emiliano Boffelli’s first-touch try to Denny Solomona’s insane 15-minute debut. It’s only anecdotal evidence, of course, but if it really does exist, this surely was rugby chaos in action.

Italy vs Scotland

Full Game | Condensed

Any concern that new Scotland coach Gregor Townsend would take the joie de rugby that previous coach Vern Cotter had instilled in his charges was comprehensively dispelled in a four-tries-in-10-minutes destruction of an inexperienced Italian side out in Singapore. It was thrilling, thoroughly entertaining stuff – and Townsend has already insisted that there’s much more to come, which will be music to the ears of Scottish rugby fans.

South Africa vs France

Full Game | Condensed

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A look at the final score suggests this was a walk in the Loftus Versfeld for the hosts. But the scoreline was pretty tight until French fullback Brice Dulin was sin-binned in the 59th minute for holding back Courtnall Skosan with the tryline beckoning. It’s safe to say the Springboks took full advantage of the power play, and they did not let up until the final whistle. The tourists had fielded a weakened side, but they really could and should have done better.

 

USA vs Ireland

Full Game | Condensed

James Ryan is destined to become the answer to the future rugby quiz question, ‘which Ireland player made his try-scoring international debut before he had played for his province’s senior side?’. At the weekend, the Leinster lock went one better than Brian O’Driscoll, who played for Ireland against Australia in June 1999 before he pulled on the famous blue jersey of Leinster, but who did not score. Ryan’s touchdown, less than 60 seconds after he had replaced Quinn Roux, was one of 12 tries in the match – and nine for the Irish as they romped to victory at the Red Bull Arena.

Crusaders vs British and Irish Lions

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Full Game | Condensed

Warren Gatland’s Lions came into this match on a tsunami of intense criticism following a midweek defeat against the Blues. If they failed to win against the least successful New Zealand team in Super Rugby, the doom-mongers warned, their next opponents – the best team in Super Rugby, undefeated this season – would make whatever comes seven levels up from mincemeat of them. This is what happened next. The French referee has copped flak for his handling of the game – but decide for yourselves how much his decisions affected the result.

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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