Some tier-two sides have impressed but Ireland, South Africa, France and New Zealand have already set their stalls out
We’ve also seen that when teams make a lot of changes to their line-ups it’s easier if you have a really simple game plan. So for teams such as England and South Africa it’s easier for guys to come in and execute that. For Ireland, France – who do kick but also play an intricate attacking game – and New Zealand, if you do make a lot of changes that cohesion element is really important.
The conditions are also having an impact on how matches are panning out. We saw Tonga’s Vaea Fifita go to change what hand in which he was carrying the ball and it flew out like he was holding a bar of soap.
The performances of Uruguay and Portugal have also shown the development of the tier‑two nations. Romania have struggled but Uruguay and Portugal are benefiting from being exposed to competition. The improvements in coaching setups you see around the world now, the funding that has been given to those teams, it all makes a difference. The athletes are different now.
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