It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.

THEY’RE ON FIRE!

All Blacks: Scott Robertson’s side was simply sensational on Friday evening delivering a masterful performance to defeat Ireland 13-23 at the Aviva Stadium – a ground where the Irish enjoyed a 19-game winning streak.

The All Blacks were in control of proceedings for much of the match as they dominated possession and the Irish defence eventually cracked with Will Jordan scoring a crucial try in the victory. The result means that Robertson’s men have now won five games on the trot, having last lost to the Springboks and head into their clash with France with plenty of confidence.

Wallabies stun England: What a performance! Few would have given Joe Schmidt’s team a chance at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday as the Wallabies arrived in the north after a disappointing Rugby Championship campaign where they won just one of their six matches. A win over England looked even more unlikely when they trailed 15-3 after 20 minutes but the Wallabies never gave in and led at the break.

Joseph Suaali’i starred on his Test debut – more on him later – while Len Ikitau delivered the final blow with a marvelous offload to Max Jorgensen to seal the win. We will have to wait and see if this weekend’s result is a turning point for Australian rugby but it certainly feels that way which is not only a great sign for the upcoming British and Irish Lions series next year but the international game as a whole.

Argentina blow Italy away: The Rugby Championship teams were on top form this weekend as they all notched up victories over their Northern Hemisphere rivals but none were as emphatic as the Pumas who hammered Italy 18-50.

Felipe Contepomi’s charges ran in seven tries to Italy’s two with Tomas Al𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧oz continuing his outrageous form with a 20-point haul which included a try, six conversions and a penalty. The Pumas front up against Ireland next and will be eager to claim another shock victory in 2024 having already beaten the Boks and All Blacks.

Springboks’ depth gets the job done: Speaking of the Boks, Rassie Erasmus’ charges produced a clunky yet effective performance against Scotland on Sunday as they scored four tries to none in a flattering 15-32 victory.

While the Springboks boss wasn’t overly pleased with the performance of his team, they did manage to keep Scotland try-less for a second game in a row and after the weekend’s results, they have returned to the top of the World Rugby rankings and have a healthy lead over second-placed New Zealand. Erasmus really tested his depth and gave players opportunities against the Scots and for the most part they delivered, meaning that they will have a largely fit and firing squad to tackle England at Twickenham this week.

Flying Fijians: Another famous victory for Fiji as a masterclass from fly-half Caleb Muntz sealed their first-ever win over Wales in Cardiff. Muntz racked up 19 points in a stunning individual effort where he was tactically excellent. The result was a momentous one for the Pacific Islanders as it was their first ever triumph against Wales on Welsh soil.

Joseph Suaali’i: Wallabies boss Schmidt threw his league recruit right into the mix with the first opportunity he got. It was a matter of sink or swim and Suaali’i looked like an Olympic swimmer in his first professional rugby union match. Code hoopers have been a hit and miss in recent years but on debut there was no doubt that Suaali’i was a hit as he produced a man-of-the-match performance against England.

Southern Hemisphere dominance: This weekend’s results read: the South 5-0 the North. It was a one-sided affair as the Rugby Championship teams and Fiji got the better of their Six Nations counterparts with France being the only Tier One northern hemisphere nation to claim a win this weekend as the south claimed the bragging rights.

Antoine Dupont returns: While the other Six Nations teams fell to defeats this weekend, France did not as their inspirational skipper returned and waved his wand in a magical performance to crush Eddie Jones’ Japan 52-12. Dupont assisted two tries on his return to international rugby for the first time since the World Cup but the scrum-half’s influence extended beyond that as he beat eight defenders, gained over 90 running metres, completed two offloads and won a turnover. A sensational player.

USA: Almost a year ago today, the USA’s dream of playing in the 2023 Rugby World Cup was crushed by a late penalty from Portugal’s Samuel Marques, but the Americans got a small taste of revenge this weekend when Kapeli Pifeleti scored a try at the death to seal a stunning 21-17 victory over Os Lobos in Coimbra.

COLD AS ICE!

Ireland: Andy Farrell’s men barely fired a shot on Friday evening as their 19-game winning streak at home came to an abrupt end. It was a blunt performance from the men in green – something we are not accustomed to seeing from Ireland who were outplayed by the All Blacks.

England: Quite simply, Steve Borthwick’s men blew it as their final quarter woes continued. Maro Itoje looked to have won the match for England with his try in the 78th minute but his knock on soon after gave the Wallabies a route to victory which they took with both hands as Max Jorgensen dived over in the corner. Things don’t get much easier for Borthwick’s men as they will now host a fired-up and fresh Springboks team without the services of star flanker Tom Curry and wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

Woeful Wales: Warren Gatland seemed somewhat upbeat and found positives in his team’s performance against Fiji but the Welsh are now staring down a record losing streak as they welcome Australia to the Principality Stadium. Wales have now lost their last ten Test matches and remain winless in 2024 as pressure mounts on the experienced head coach. Like England, Wales had their opportunities to win the match but were not nearly ruthless enough to take them.

Red cards: After no red cards in the first weekend of the Autumn Nations Series, two were issued on this week as Semi Radradra and Scott Cummings were both given their marching orders. Radradra’s was rather clear cut as he clattered into Cam Winnett making shoulder-to-head contact with the Welsh outside back, while Cummings’ Sunday evening was cut short for a croc roll on Springboks lock Franco Mostert. The Fijians could feel aggrieved after Tom Reffell escaped with only a yellow card in Cardiff.

Canada: While the Americans notched up a clutch victory over Portugal, their neighbours were less successful this weekend as Kingsley Jones’ team fell to a 14-44 defeat at home to Chile. The results means that Canada have won just one of their six Test matches this year – beating Romania – as they continue to tumble down the world rankings.

Italy: After two wins from five in the Six Nations which saw the Azzurri avoid the wooden spoon, confidence ahead of the November internationals would have been high. However, Gonzalo Quesada’s team were swept aside by Argentina this weekend as Benetton star Tomas Al𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧oz ripped the Italian defence to shreds. Italy did manage a penalty try and one score through hooker Giacomo Nicotera in what was an otherwise blunt performance.

British and Irish Lions jersey: The release of the Lions jersey ahead of a tour is always highly anticipated but it failed to impress fans this time around drawing comparisons to old curtains. The new kit was released on the same day as the results from the USA presidential elections started to roll in and one fan described the jersey as the “Second worst thing they had seen today after the US election result”.