The China Mail - Springboks top the pile as England chase and France await Dupont

South Africa retained their Rugby Championship crown as they enjoyed an exceptional year under Rassie Erasmus, the coach using some 50 players as he continued to develop strength in depth ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

World Rugby 15s player of the year Malcolm Marx, fellow nominees Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ox Nche, as well as Thomas du Toit, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cheslin Kolbe, were all named in the 2025 dream team before the Springboks inflicted a crushing record 73-0 home defeat upon Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.

Perhaps the three stand-out games of the Autumn Series were South Africa's victories over Ireland (24-13) and France (32-17), along with England's 33-19 defeat of New Zealand.

South Africa hammered Ireland in the scrum, leading many pundits to question how other sides can even get close to nullifying their forward power.

"Teams like New Zealand, France, England, Argentina, maybe Ireland, who are there or thereabouts, need to work out what they need to win the Webb Ellis Cup," former Springbok coach Jake White wrote in a Rugbypass column.

New Zealand coach Scott Robertson was under the spotlight after the loss to England, one of three defeats from 13 Tests in his second season in charge of the All Blacks that included a record 43-10 reverse at home to the Springboks.

- New Zealand 'haven't improved' -

"They haven't improved at all in my view but what they probably have done is sort out a few guys who aren't up to it and found a few guys who are," All Blacks great Murray Mexted told New Zealand's DSPN podcast. "But we haven't seen the fruits of their labour yet I think that will come through next year."

England coach Steve Borthwick oversaw an 11-Test winning run that included victories over over both the All Blacks and fellow heavyweights France before culminating in a first autumn clean sweep since 2021.

The winning streak completed a remarkable turnaround from a 2024 where England lost seven successive matches against tier-one opposition and they now enter the Six Nations as genuine title contenders.

In comparison, there are real concerns for out-of-form 2027 World Cup hosts Australia, who suffered a first winless European tour since 1958 and a record 10 losses in a year.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt had been due to step aside after the Rugby Championship, but agreed to stay on until mid-2026 when Les Kiss will take over.

France ended their turgid November campaign with a lacklustre 48-33 win over the Wallabies after failing to live up to expectations as a swashbuckling side capable of challenging the world's best under coach Fabien Galthie.

Les Bleus will now hope inspirational captain Antoine Dupont returns for a Six Nations title defence that begins at home to Ireland on February 5.

Scrum-half Dupont has been out since March with a severe knee injury but featured for club side Toulouse in Saturday's 48-24 win over Racing 92.

- Problems for Ireland -

Ireland, following defeats by the Springboks and New Zealand, look saddled with the same problems they've had since Johnny Sexton's retirement after the last World Cup, with neither Sam Prendergast or Jack Crowley making the No 10 shirt their own.

Ill-discipline has also been an issue, highlighted by four yellow cards and one 20-minute red card handed out in their defeat by South Africa.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell also faces the task of rejuvenating an ageing squad.

By contrast, Borthwick unearthed several gems in England's unbeaten campaign, notably back-row forward Guy Pepper, prop Joe Heyes and centre Max Ojomoh.

The former England captain also employed a South Africa-style 'Bomb Squad' of replacements loaded with British and Irish Lions forwards, the likes of Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart, Tom Curry and Henry Pollock turning the tide against Australia, Fiji and New Zealand.

"The team's been progressing for a good period of time now," said Borthwick.

"Sometimes you've got to go through some difficult times to go through some tight losses to understand how to actually convert into wins with a young side."

A.Zhang--ThChM