Rugby Weekend Highlights | 2021-11-22

The final weekend of the Autumn Nations Series saw a host of top-class Test matches play out as the Test window drew to a close, it was quite simply an exhilarating week of international rugby. Here’s what stood out for Bet Central.

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Northern Hemisphere Dominance

Scotland vs Japan was the only fixture that didn’t pit a Northern Hemisphere side against a Southern Hemisphere team this past weekend, in every other fixture it was North vs South and the Northern Hemisphere teams won every game barring a draw between Georgia and Fiji.

It’s been apparent for a while that the Northern Hemisphere Test sides are closing the gap on their Southern counterparts, but the sheer dominance of the North this past week surprised all.

Makazole Mapimpi is World-Class

During a year where the plaudits, in a Springboks context, have belonged to the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Lukhanyo, etc. Makazole Mapimpi has quietly gone about his business and quite frankly elevated his game to world-class as he contributed to the Springbok cause.

He is not only a prolific finisher, his work under the high ball is not spoken off enough. He is seldom found wanting on defence either. Mapimpi has become a player whose place in the Boks is impossible to question.

2 Steps Foward and 3 Steps Backward

The Wallabies are a bit of an enigma at the moment. After a good run in the latter stages of the Rugby Championship, the Australians lost their last 3 games of the season disappointingly.

Dave Rennie will look back on a year in which progress was made, Australia has a wealth of young talent who with experience will turn into a world-class team, but for now, there are the odd drawbacks like that continue to hold Australia back.

Antoine Dupont Officially Takes The Crown

Aaron Smith is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats at scrumhalf, but in the twilight of his career and on the wrong side of 30, it was only inevitable that one of the new generations begin to ascend to the top of the scrumhalf charts – Antoine Dupont is the heir to the no.9 crown.

The game between the All Blacks and Les Bleus on Saturday was the official coronation of Dupont, the halfback was class against his more experienced counterpart and surely now is the best in the world at scrumhalf. Smith still has plenty to offer, but the Frenchman is now king and ruler.

Romain Ntamack is Back

In the 2020 Bet Central World XV, Romain Ntamack was selected at no.10, but owing to injury and inconsistent form – he lost a bit of ground on his peers in the pivot position. At some point, it even seemed he might lose his place in the French starting XV to Mathieu Jalibert.

But he returned emphatically against the All Blacks. It was a performance that oozed confidence characterized by that audacious run from his in-goal area which resulted in France getting back into the All Blacks half. It was a performance to remember, but most importantly it underlined just how special talent the 22-year-old had.