We are only one round into the Rugby Championship, and it’s already obvious that the All Blacks are going to stroll to the title.

They thumped Australia 38-13 in Sydney last Saturday, and that was despite a pretty decent performance by the men from Down Under.

Side note – remember when Mark Keohane said the Boks were going to win the tournament, and the All Blacks won’t finish in the top two? One wonders what he had been smoking when he wrote this on Sport24 back in June:

South Africa, on balance, have more depth and quality in their forwards than New Zealand. The Wallabies have greater presence in their backs than the All Blacks.

I’m picking South Africa and Australia to be the top dogs in this year’s Rugby Championship, with New Zealand in the unfamiliar third place.

The All Blacks aren’t as good as many think and the Springboks and Wallabies are better than most think.

It’s still possible, but I’m willing to go out on a limb and say ‘nah, not happening’.

The Rugby Championship opener also served as the first match of the Bledisloe Cup, which the Wallabies last won in 2002. Outscored by six tries to one, and put to the sword in the second half, there was little for Ozzie fans to cheer about.

Except for this bloke, Chris Mitchell, who nailed his half-time grubber kick in front of 66 318 fans and won himself a brand new car.

A grubber wasn’t the required method, but it worked out pretty well for him in the end:

Maybe somebody could offer Handrè Pollard a set of free wheels if he lands his kicks this weekend in Argentina.

[source:sport24]