Steve Hansen on Nations Championship: All Blacks squeeze by France, Springboks power over England + Wallabies & Ireland chaos!

The opening weekend of the Nations Championship (and the Nations Cup) delivered exactly what rugby needed: high quality, plenty of tries, and no shortage of arguments. David Pembroke, Steve Hansen and Ewen McKenzie break down a cracking All Blacks v France in the new Christchurch stadium, with a clear shift towards pace, ball in hand, and a young 10 taking charge. Japan’s historic win over Italy gets the spotlight it deserves, with Eddie Jones building a side around tempo, connection and new depth. In Sydney, Ireland edged Australia 33-31 in a 10-try thriller, but the post-match oxygen went straight into TMO and TV producer interference. South Africa’s 45-21 win over England raised bigger questions: discipline, aerial contests, and whether England even know how they want to play. Plus, the Nations Cup lit up North and South America with 59 tries and real World Cup 2027 talent emerging.

Also in this episode:

● Nations Championship format excitement, but info hard to find

● All Blacks v France: pace, tries, lead changes

● TMO and TV producer influence sparks big frustration

● Japan beat Italy: Dearns, Leitch, Eddie Jones’ build

● Ireland v Wallabies: 10 tries, lineout pressure, forward pass debate

● South Africa v England: high balls, yellow cards, discipline crisis

PLUS: PLUS: What rugby can learn from NRL clarity, pathways, and fan-first simplicity.

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