Rugby Championship: Best of Round from All Blacks, Springboks, Wallabies and Pumas

After the weekend’s opening Rugby Championship victories for New Zealand and South Africa over Australia and Argentina respectively, we take a look at some of the standout moments.

New Zealand kicked things off on Saturday when they won a championship opener in Sydney for the third year in succession – this time 38-13 in a comfortable second half display.

The Springboks then came from behind to beat the Pumas and rack up an opening day bonus-point success too, by a score of 34-21 in Durban.

New Zealand vs Australia

August 25, 2018, 8:00am

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Here’s what jumped out at us from the weekend…

Try of the Round

We had 16 tries in total to choose between from the opening two games, as the Rugby Championship delivered on excitement and free-flowing rugby once again.

But for it’s creation, slick execution and ruthless taking of an opportunity, Jack Goodhue’s try for New Zealand on his Rugby Championship debut takes our try of the round.

Having recovered possession deep in their own 22, the All Blacks countered with exceptional speed and precision. A marvellous score…

4:34 Highlights of Australia 13-38 New Zealand in Sydney from Rugby Championship round one

Controversy of the Round

New Zealand were good value for their victory in Sydney against an error-prone Australia on Saturday, but as is becoming customary for this team, controversy seems to follow them around.

Just four minutes into the game, Waisake Naholo seemed to lift Wallabies full-back Israel Folau above the horizontal as part of a tackle, but South African referee Jaco Peyper deemed it a penalty-only offence.

Have a look at it below, but it does appear as if the All Black wing was fortunate to remain on the pitch…

0:43 Waisake Naholo appeared to lift Israel Folau above the horizontal four minutes in

Individual Performance of the Round

Among a host of impressive All Blacks, Springboks and some standout Wallabies and Pumas, South Africa second row Eben Etzebeth really stood out in their Durban victory.

The 26-year-old was featuring in his first game of rugby for eight months since sustaining nerve damage to his neck and shoulder playing against Wales last December.

You would never have known it against the Pumas though, as the powerful lock seemed to make ground with each ferociously physical involvement – earning 48 metres off 14 carries.

Only Bok wing Makazole Mapimpi made more in terms of territory gained by a South African at Kings Park.

The Stormers man also won eight lineouts – including one steal from an Argentina throw – and was a welcome addition back to the set-piece.

See who else made our Rugby Championship team of the week here.

3:57 Highlights of South Africa's 34-21 Rugby Championship win over Argentina

Stat of the Round

At half-time in Sydney, the score was 6-5 to Australia. The game would end up 38-13 to New Zealand.

The All Blacks plundered in a remarkable 33 points in the second period, the most they have scored against Australia in a second half in history.

The previous record had been the 27 points New Zealand scored in the second half against Australia in 1936 – a feat they equalled in a 1987 Test in Sydney.

Saturday was uncharted territory in terms of point scoring in the second half against the men in gold for the men in black though.

Hit of the round

All Blacks skipper Read may not have had the most influential game of his career in Sydney, but he did produce our hit of the Rugby Championship’s first round.

Soon after Wallabies Test debutant Josh Maddocks had scored a consolation try for Australia with 13 minutes left, Read produced a humongous hit on the Aussie back which would have rattled him to his core.

Have a watch of Read’s ‘welcome to Test rugby’ hit below…

0:19 Kieran Read produced a huge tackle on Wallabies back Josh Maddocks

Rugby Champ/Tri-Nations greatest XV vote

Earlier last week we asked Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Lynagh, Thinus Delport and Marcelo Bosch to pick their nations’ best XV from the Tri-Nations and Rugby Championship era.

We then gave fans all four teams and asked them to vote for their favourite player in each position, with over 116,000 votes cast.

Click play on the video below to see who made it in after the online vote and to watch the reaction of Fitzpatrick and Aussie second row James Horwill to it…