FRANCE (9)
A lucky draw with Japan a year ago cost Guy Noves his job as France coach. A defeat to Fiji, however, should not cost his successor Jacques Brunel.
Brunel has won as many tests this year as Noves did last year — three — but the Tricolors are in better shape, though still prone to hideous errors, la Fiji, against whom they were “little boys,” according to their skipper Mathieu Bastareaud.
Brunel appears to have a little more leeway left. Before the team was Fiji-ed, they lost in the last minute to South Africa and overcame Argentina to avoid their worst losing streak in nearly 50 years.
Fiji put a lid on burgeoning expectations of France. But after the juniors won the world under-20 title in June, there is optimism young talent could yet be the salvation.
aARGENTINA (10)
The Pumas were the only tier one team to change coach this year. It worked. Mario Ledesma moved over from the Super Rugby Jaguares, the Jaguares put on Pumas jerseys, and the team immediately looked pumped up. Two wins don’t look respectable but the Pumas are a “big picture” side. Unlike most other teams, they regard the destination as more important than the journey. Results now are less important than building to the World Cup, and in that regard, they were on course by finishing the year better than they started. They were competitive last month until the last quarter against Ireland, France and Scotland. Exhaustion set in after the same squad played Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship. Ledesma’s bosses loosened the rules to allow him to pick overseas-based players, but apart from asking for a couple of props, he stuck with only reached the Super Jaguares, who Rugby playoffs for the first time. Injured European-based props Ramiro Herrera and Juan Figallo were missed this month as the Pumas scrum creaked and groaned. But the experience was invaluable. Agustin Creevy gave up the captaincy after four years but was still a menace at the breakdown, and new loose forward Rodrigo Bruni looked like a rising star. By the time they arrive in Japan, they will have their exiles back and undoubtedly be stronger.
ITALY (15)
To Italy, the November home series was a success. Georgia were beaten. Thanks to the comfortable 28-17 win, Italy put to bed any more talk about being replaced in the Six Nations by the hyped-up Georgians, the seventhbest team in Europe. The Italians are still odds-on to take the wooden spoon in the next Six Nations.
Former Ireland fullback Conor O’Shea promised improvement when he took over Italy in June 2016. There has been. He’s working from the clubs up and the Italian sides are winning more. Change is taking effect and a greater range of talent is becoming available to O’Shea, who hasn’t been afraid to give caps to newcomers.
But discipline and sloppy errors still plague the Azzurri. They gave the Wallabies a run for their money but were outclassed by the All Blacks a week ago. O’Shea sees progress but admits there is still “a very, very long” way to go.