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Alex Chapman: CRC All Blacks, Wahs tame Dragons, Kerr flies again
Alex Chapman • August 18th, 2025 10:23 am
Ardie Savea | Photo: Photosport
After a month away, the rust is removed, a bonus point is secured, and an end put to the All Blacks' absence atop the world. Well, in the rankings at least.
But with how quick Scott Robertson was to change topic, it seems the All Blacks return to world No. 1 is barely even Kilimanjaro, let alone Everest. That's saved for Wiremu’s trophy. Although, to be there for the first time since November 2021 is a sign this team is once again on the up.
The 41-24 win in Cordoba was more disjointed than dominant and came off the back of a first half which saw them break apart their hosts, who were left scrambling to come up with a repair job.
And while there were periods where it looked like Argentina may come close to doing so, it proved to be more glue stick than super glue.
For the All Blacks, their breakdown remains marvellous, with tries off mauls, physicality and wins around the ruck, and their work inside allowing the outside to benefit.
Will Jordan keeps on being one of the great game-breakers and Patrick Tuipulotu the same as an impact player, while Ardie Savea continues to show why he’s in the conversation of all-time loose forwards.
Meanwhile, Cortez Ratima had the sort of performance that was required though some feared may not happen.
But once again, they couldn’t put out a complete performance and, once again, discipline was what allowed their opposition to close the gap from 21 points to seven. Eleven penalties conceded never helps the cause, while their two yellow cards means they’ve now had 40 players binned this decade and four in the same number of Tests so far this year. They also missed a whopping 25 tackles; by far their most in 2025 and 10 more than Los Pumas.
Room for improvement for sure, but you take a 17-point win in the Rugby Championship.
Justin Marshall assesses the All Blacks' performance in Rugby Championship opener vs Pumas | The Bunnings Trade Rugby Run
Good Schmidt, Wallabies
Since when do New Zealanders love a Wallabies win? Well, when they tip over a generational South African side, and have a Kiwi at the helm out-coaching his opposite.
To fight back from 22-0 down and pile on THIRTY EIGHT unanswered points at altitude, against the two-time defending world champions, at a ground they haven’t won at since before Martin Luther King Junior declared he had a dream certainly must’ve felt like just that.
For the Boks, it must’ve been like watching a car crash in slow motion, with coach Rassie Erasmus admitting at an “embarrassing” press conference that his assistant Tony Brown felt they were “overdoing it” with their expansive play during the game.
As Erasmus described it, “we were really dogshit on the day”, and they had their noses shoved in it before being forced to eat it.
Who’d have thought that playing the British and Irish Lions would be a more helpful build-up to the Rugby Championship than Two tests against Italy and almost a month since their last match against Georgia?
Bigger picture, it’s what rugby needs. Imagine what would’ve been said, had it been the slaughter that it seemed destined for after 18 minutes. There would’ve been questions and concerns about the state of the game across the ditch.
Instead, now, the Rugby Championship is wide open after the opening week.
What Are The Wahs?
Well, they’re fourth. At least that’s where they sit on the NRL ladder, after the Panthers’ Storm stumble, and their own pipping of the Dragons.
It was hardly a taming that will have Andrew Webster and co working with Daenerys Targaryen any time soon.
As Webster said afterwards, as ugly as it was, it was a win built on the effort of “whatever it takes".
Tanah Boyd ran with confidence on his return to the side, Jackson Ford was a beast with 53 tackles (though they now look set to lose him until the playoffs) and Taine Tuapiki played with the energy and effort you wouldn’t usually associate with someone with a newborn.
Their completion rate (77 percent) continues to demand improvement, as does their tackle accuracy (35 missed) but crucially, they’ve returned to winning ways and in doing so, ended a three-game losing streak which will do wonders for their confidence and belief with three games left in the regular season.
However, given where they are on the table, and the previous month as a whole, it has to be asked just where they really are.
Are they a genuine top four team? And could they stay in fourth? Are they a chance to go deep in the playoffs? Or is it a position that’s more a product of what happened earlier in the season?
The next few weeks will be a great gauge of all of those.
Scott Sattler on Jett Cleary | Sport Nation Mornings
Positive Signs For Hamish Kerr
Victory at the latest Diamond League event in Poland and a season’s best bodes well for the Olympic Champion a month out from the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
His outstretched arms after managing 2.33 seemed almost a question to himself of “where has this been” as much as it was an effort to entertain and engage the crowd.
As Kerr said afterwards, “it sounds much better than 2.23” and is a great signal of intent that it all may be starting to click.
Return of the Premier League
Chris Wood = awesome.
City and Liverpool = great, as per.
United = don’t want to talk about it, go away.
Brake(ing) News
An enormous congratulations to two outstanding humans, Michael and Michaela Brake on the news of their pregnancy.
The child of one parent who sits backwards and one who runs like the wind forwards, is going to have insane athletic ability, but with so many members of the Olympic whanau, will be utterly treasured.
Tune into Alex Chapman on Sport Nation Mornings, 9am to midday on Thursdays & Fridays.
Why Michaela Brake chose NRLW over the Black Ferns | Ric & Chappy
