The high-scoring nature of Test rugby continues to dominate headlines. Is this the evolution of the game, or are defences simply struggling to keep up?

We will be breaking down every major Test from the weekend, so strap in. Grab that coffee, beer or glass of water. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, switch on the heater because winter rugby has arrived. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, get the cocktails or champagne ready because this will be the best rugby conversation you’ll hear all week.

All Blacks vs France

• What were the major takeaways?
• Is the “France B Team” narrative fair when both sides were missing significant players?
• France’s greatest achievement remains the Six Nations. So where does the global perception that France are a dominant rugby nation come from?
• Is this the beginning of a genuine transformation under the new All Blacks regime, or is it still far too early to judge?

Australia vs Ireland

• The Wallabies led 24-12 and somehow let it slip.
• Ireland earned the result, but Australia will need to take a long hard look at themselves.
• Which moments changed the game?
• What lessons can Australia take forward?

Springboks vs England

• Before the rugby, we have to talk about ticket prices and fan frustration.
• Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth missing out: coincidence or the beginning of a new era?
• As Will Greenwood put it: England had their backsides handed to them on a plate.
• The Springboks exploded out of the blocks before fading during the final 15 minutes of the first half.
• The second half was professional and controlled.
• The tactical plan was clear: kick long, isolate England’s back three and dominate territory.
• Damien Willemse and Grant Williams were the difference makers.
• Malcolm Marx’s lineout throwing deserves recognition.
• Outside of the aerial battle, there may not be many long-term conclusions to draw from this match.

England’s Bigger Questions

• Does Steve Borthwick survive this period?
• Will victories over Fiji and Argentina simply paper over the cracks?
• How close is England to knowing their best team?
• Henry Pollock deserves some airtime after another impressive performance.

Wales vs Fiji

• Percentage rugby won the game for Wales.
• Wales refused to get dragged into Fiji’s style of rugby.
• Fiji left too many opportunities behind with handling errors and dropped balls inside the Welsh 22.
• At international level, those moments decide Test matches.

Final Thought

Scotland moving ahead of England in the world rankings may have been one of the most surprising developments of the weekend.

This week on The Rugby Scoop Pod:

• Stormers loose forward Ruan Ackermann has been suspended for a dangerous cleanout against Leinster (3 match ban)
• The Stormers have ended their pursuit of Argentina lock Tomás Lavanini. - “We would rather put our faith in the local guys like Connor Evans, [Junior Boks captain] Riley Norton and Gary Porter, who are full-blooded Stormers,” - Dobson
• Hurricanes scrumhalf Cam Roigard has come under fire for his actions during Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific semi-final against the Blues.
• Rassie Erasmus has revealed the objectives for the South Africa A game against Zimbabwe next weekend as SA Rugby looks to ‘capture’ top Junior Springboks talents.
• Also, Vickers are you happy with the squad? We know Bulls players will join after this coming weekend
• Congratulations to Mzwandile Stick on leading the SA A side
• NZR announce Tony Brown as Allblacks assistant coach for 2028 and beyond - who can replace Tony? We know some wanted him to leave
• Lalakai Foketi joins the Ospreys
• Rassie says flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, ‌would be ready six weeks before the first of four tests against New Zealand on August 22, as would be his ‌usual halfback partner Cobus Reinach.
• Congratulations to the Knicks, winning the NBA after 53 loooooooong and grilling years. Spike Lee & Ben Stiller must be so happy
• Farrell said he expected Lowe and centre Bundee Aki to sign new contracts.
• 
  
• But while Aki agreed a new one-year deal to stay with Connacht, Lowe is set to leave when his contract expires this summer and has been strongly linked with a move to Japan's Suntory Sungoliath.
• Moving to Japan would halt his Ireland career a year out from the Rugby World Cup in Australia given the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU)'s policy of not selecting players based outside of Ireland.
• So James Lowe is retiring from International Rugby
• Last topic before we jump on the games: Hurricanes have scored 100 tries this season. And they’ve done it in 16 games - is Super Rugby the T20 of rugby?

Topics:

• Premiership: Joseph Dweba will be in the Premiership finals
• Bath choked this season? With everything they did last season, everyone expected more from them. This season they finish with 0 silverware
• On Bath - 4 mins 29 seconds ball in play 40+ phases and to be held up over the goal line
• Super Rugby Semifinals: Chiefs rip through the Crusaders
• Hurricanes second half performance - all this talk about Segner, he was absent last night
• Bulls / Leinster Preview: Last Dance for James Lowe. Do we genuinely believe Bulls can upset Leinster in front of 60k Irish fans

News:

• Rassie Erasmus has named a 51-man Springbok squad for a season-opening double-header in Gqeberha. 21 uncapped players included in the squad
• Aphelele Fassi has been granted a sabbatical by the Sharks to play in Japan and will return to Durban in June next year.
• Bordeaux have signed two young players from South Africa - Benjamin Coetzee and Diaan Augustyn on junior contracts
• Embrose Papier, has a contract with the Bulls until 2027, however The Sharks in Durban have offered to pay a fee to release him early - Sharks desperate?
• Ardie Savea and Dave Rennie are Japanese League one winners
• Stormers head coach has apologised to Leinster and Leo Cullen for Ruan Ackermann's red card