Rugby Championship: Five defining moments in the 2022 edition
The 2022 Rugby Championship was the finest edition since its inauguration in 2012. All Blacks won the championship. Planet Rugby breaks down five defining moments in this year's tournament.
The All Blacks beat the Springboks 35-23 at Ellis Park in the Rugby Championship. The win was crucial for New Zealand Rugby. The championship went down to the wire in last round. It was a turning point for the All Black's title defence.
Los Pumas created history against Australia and New Zealand. Los Pums are ranked eighth in the world, one place above Australia. Michael Cheika took over as head coach earlier in this year after Mario Ledesma stepped down. He has improved the discipline of the team. They won their first game in New Zealander, beating the All Blacks 25-18.
After the series loss to Ireland, the axe fell on coaches John Plumtree and Brad Mooar. Jason Ryan was drafted in from the Crusaders to take on the forwards’ coach role. Joe Schmidt joined the coaching staff focusing on attack and immediately improved the attacking output of the side.
Mathieu Raynal's controversial decision to blow Bernard Foley's penalty kick for touch in the final minutes of the fifth round of Rugby Championship was a key moment in this tournament. The All Blacks went on to win the game and retain the Bledisloe Cup.
Jacques Nienaber has only two fly-halves in his squad for the entirety of 2022. Handre Pollard is the first-choice, while Damian Willemse and Frans Steyn are the utility players. Willemsse suffered a concussion in the penultimate round and was ruled out for crucial final round clash with the title on the line. Niensaber picked Steen instead.
