INTERNATIONAL NEWS - New Zealand and South Africa both went into the often-transitional post-Rugby World Cup year needing to fill some big boots and while the All Blacks achieved it with barely a stutter, South Africa’s 2016 turned into be an annus horribilis.
On the other side of the world England changed their coach but little else after their World Cup disaster and Eddie Jones transformed largely the same team into Europe’s dominant force and the unquestioned challengers-in-waiting to New Zealand’s world hegemony.
The two top-ranked teams avoided each other in 2016 and will not meet again until at least 2018, helping build the anticipation of a showdown that will be further spiced by next year’s British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
The All Blacks will relish that challenge having cruised through 2016 almost untroubled until their world record run of 18 victories was ended by Ireland 40-29 in a memorable game in Chicago - the first Irish victory in the fixture since it began in 1905.
