All Blacks, France & England win. What was said.

The All Blacks, France and England won the big three match-ups this weekend, outside of the heavyweight battle in Dublin between the Springboks and Ireland. The reaction was peculiar as France was roasted for scoring 48 points and Wales was complimented for only conceding 52. The rugby world has officially gone mad, writes Mark Keohane.

England are the next world champions, despite spending minutes 79 to 83 defending their line from defeat against Argentina, the Wales can only find positives in shipping 52 points and France were given a pounding for the way they played in scoring 48 points against the Wallabies.

Australia, for the first time in 70 years, could not win a match on their end of season tour, and, despite beating the British & Irish Lions in the third and final Test and shocking the Springboks with 38 unanswered points in a 38-22 win at Ellis Park in the opening match of the Castle Rugby Championship, they then won just two from their remaining 10 matches, beating the Pumas and beating Japan 19-15.

Their defeats were against the Springboks in Cape Town, the Pumas in Australia, the All Blacks, in Auckland and Perth, against England, Italy, Ireland and France.

Joe Schmidt’s two-year tenure ended with a 21 percent win record against the sport’s Top 10 ranked teams.

KEO ON THE BOKS WIN IN DUBLIN

All Blacks 52–26 Wales, Cardiff

New Zealand

• NZ Herald – Liam Napier
  Napier called it a “late flourish” that eases pressure but doesn’t rewrite a turbulent All Blacks year. The 52–26 looks emphatic, but his piece stresses that beating an 11th-ranked Wales side with two wins in 22 is “no barometer of world dominance,” even if seven tries and a strong bench finish restored some polish to the season. NZ Herald

• 1News (Patrick McKendry)
  Framed as a response performance after the Grand Slam dream died against England. McKendry talks about the All Blacks “turning on a late flourish” in Cardiff, turning a tight contest into a blowout and highlighting the wing combination of Caleb Clarke and Sevu Reece as the difference once the game opened up. 1News

• Reuters
  The wire leads on Tom Rogers becoming the first Welshman to score a hat-trick against New Zealand – “heroics in vain” – as the All Blacks still run away 52–26 and stretch their streak to 34 straight wins over Wales. It notes the two Welsh yellow cards as the turning point and underlines how Japan’s win in Tbilisi locks Wales into 11th for the World Cup draw. Reuters

• RugbyPass – Wales player ratings
  RugbyPass is relatively kind on Wales: they “were very much in the match in the first half,” only trailing by three on 35 minutes, but physically overwhelmed when the All Blacks rolled their bench. Their line is that the scoreboard is ugly but there were genuine signs of life, with Rogers and Rees-Zammit getting strong write-ups. RugbyPass

UK & Welsh reaction

• The Guardian – match report & live
  The report (“Tom Rogers makes hat-trick history in vain…”) calls this a “spirited but ultimately unsuccessful” Welsh performance. Rogers’ hat-trick is framed as a symbol of a new, more ambitious Wales, but the piece is ruthless about the ill-discipline: two yellows in quick succession gave the All Blacks the space to run in three late tries and kill any notion of an upset. The Guardian+1

• The Independent – Harry Latham-Coyle / Luke Baker
  The Indy live says “a valiant Wales faded to a 52–26 defeat” and leans on the 72-year wait narrative – no win over New Zealand since 1953. They talk up the atmosphere, Rogers’ history-making hat-trick and another highlight-reel finish from Rees-Zammit, but ultimately file it under “encouraging but still a gulf in class.” The Independent

• Newstalk ZB / NZ Herald ‘World media reacts’
  That round-up pulls in WalesOnline’s line that this was “the first time in a long while they offered some hope,” and the Daily Telegraph’s description of Wales as “rather heroic in this defeat,” while still conceding that seven decades of All Black dominance is the cold reality. The overall tone: moral victory in effort, brutal reality on the scoreboard. newstalkzb.co.nz

• Planet Rugby – 5 takeaways
  Planet Rugby focuses on the All Blacks’ attack finally clicking, but labels one “dismal” facet – their defence still leaking soft points – as a concern heading into 2026, even on a night when they scored seven tries. Planet Rugby

Bottom line:
NZ media see it as a necessary but limited corrective to a messy year; Welsh and English writers talk about “hope” and “heroics in defeat” but everything is framed against the brutal 34-match losing streak.

France 48–33 Australia, Paris

French & neutral

• Reuters
  The wire sets it up as a high-tempo, chaotic Test where France’s attacking quality and bench power finally broke Australia in the last 20. Six French tries, Thomas Ramos running the show with boot and ball, but plenty of mention of French “indiscipline and defensive lapses” that kept the Wallabies in touch. Reuters

• RugbyPass – France player ratings
  RugbyPass calls the second-half a “joy to behold” and says the 48–33 win gives Fabien Galthié “breathing space heading into the new year.” It notes this is a third straight win over the Wallabies, with the backline – Depoortere, Bielle-Biarrey, Ramos – getting the big scores in their ratings. RugbyPass

• SuperSport
  SuperSport describe it as a “lacklustre 48–33 win” that closes a “turgid” French autumn and quickly pivots to the return of Antoine Dupont and defending the Six Nations. The theme is: result good, performance still short of 2022–23 heights. SuperSport

Australian & Southern Hemisphere reaction

• The Australian
  Brutal. They call it “the worst European tour since 1958” and underline the milestone: a winless four-Test tour and a record 10 Test defeats in a calendar year. The piece laments the same recurring issues – discipline, lineout failures, late-game fatigue – while acknowledging bright sparks like Max Jorgensen and Fraser McReight. The Australian

• Rugby.com.au (Nathan Williamson)
  The official site tries to find the silver lining: “much-improved Wallabies fight but fall.” The attack structure and tempo under Joe Schmidt get praise, and there’s a sense that the 48–33 loss shows growth compared to earlier hidings… but the last-quarter fade, defensive lapses and basics still draw criticism. Rugby.com.au

• ABC News
  ABC goes heavy on the history – “historic Test loss” and “unwanted record” dominate the copy. The 10th defeat of 2025 and the first winless European tour in 67 years are presented as a line in the sand moment for Rugby Australia. ABC

• Rugby365 (via AAP)
  Rugby365 carry a wire piece headlined around “apologetic Wallabies.” Harry Wilson’s post-match apology to fans and insistence they will “be better” becomes the emotional hook, with the site framing it as a crestfallen but united squad at the end of a brutal 22-week, 15-Test slog. Rugby365

Bottom line:
France: relieved, talking about flair and depth but still concerned about discipline.
Australia: almost uniformly grim – lots of “effort” talk, but everything is filtered through record defeats, a winless tour and what it means for 2027.

Japan 25–23 Georgia, Tbilisi (last-minute win)

News wires & mainstream

• Reuters (carried by The Star, Straits Times, others)
  Reuters sets the scene: Georgia ahead late, then “ill-discipline let the Georgians down in the final minute” as Lee Seung-sin nails a last-kick penalty for a 25–23 win. The key angle is the World Rugby rankings shake-up – Japan up to 12th, Georgia down to 13th, and the result locking Japan and Wales into the second seeding band for the World Cup draw. Reuters+2The Star+2

• The Star (Malaysia)
  Runs the Reuters copy with extra emphasis on Georgia’s late penalty concession and Japan’s composure under pressure, calling Lee’s kick “a nerve-shredding winner” and framing the result as bigger for rankings than for the match itself. The Star

Rugby punditry & opinion

• RugbyPass – “Eddie Jones’ Japan raid fortress for vital win”
  RugbyPass goes much more tactical: Georgia’s early control through Tedo Abzhandadze off the tee, then Japan’s response via Dylan Riley’s try and 11 points from Lee before the chaotic finale. The narrative is “vital win” in a hostile Tbilisi, but also that Japan made it harder than it needed to be. RugbyPass

• AllThingsRugby – opinion
  That piece is almost grumpy in tone: “even a win… can’t wash over disappointing 2025 for the Brave Blossoms.” It notes Japan’s healthy 5–2 head-to-head over Georgia, argues that slipping behind them in the rankings earlier in the year was the real red flag, and suggests this escape shouldn’t distract from a flat season overall. All Things Rugby | Rugby Union

• Social media / rankings chatter
  Rugby analysts on X frame it as a huge rankings swing – “big result for Japan in Tbilisi” and specifically credit Seungsin Lee’s last-minute penalty for flipping Japan and Georgia on the ladder. X (formerly Twitter)

Bottom line:
Global wires treat it as a big rankings story and a World Cup draw subplot; rugby nerds see it as papering over cracks in Eddie’s Japan while cruelly punishing Georgian ill-discipline at home.

Scotland 56–0 Tonga, Edinburgh

Scottish & international media

• The Scottish Sun
  The Sun goes for the scoreboard: “Scots score EIGHT tries” to end a “tricky year.” They hammer Tonga’s discipline – four cards including a 20-minute red – and celebrate Duhan van der Merwe becoming Scotland’s all-time leading try-scorer. But even in a 56–0, they talk about “a lull” and inconsistency, and flag questions over Gregor Townsend’s future. The Scottish Sun

• ESPN
  ESPN echo the big themes: eight tries, Tonga “ill-disciplined”, van der Merwe back ahead of Darcy Graham in the try charts, and the game as a much-needed mood shift after a “disappointing autumn” that included blowing a 21–0 lead to Argentina. ESPN.com

• SuperSport
  SuperSport call it a “56-0 hammering” and emphasize Scotland rounding off the series by finally cashing in on their attacking structure. The angle is less on crisis and more on Scotland restoring some credibility after narrow and painful losses earlier in November. SuperSport

• RugbyPass – player ratings
  RugbyPass say Tonga “presented them a golden opportunity” to right the wrongs of that dire Argentina loss – and Scotland took it. Their ratings praise the physicality and tempo, with big marks for van der Merwe, Ashman and Horne, while noting that Scotland were “wasteful” during one long scoreless period despite the numerical advantage. RugbyPass

Player & camp reaction

• The Offside Line – Sione Tuipulotu interview
  Tuipulotu refuses to get carried away: he talks about “doing the talking on the pitch” rather than promising the world, and acknowledges that a 56–0 over Tonga doesn’t erase the frustration of the autumn. Rugby News from The Offside Line

• RugbyPass – Tuipulotu quoted again
  In a separate piece he’s even more blunt: “I’ll be honest” – he calls the series “frustrating” and says Scotland aren’t close to where they want to be, even with a big win and a record-breaking winger. RugbyPass

Bottom line:
Scoreboard says rout, and everyone notes Tonga’s discipline meltdown and Duhan’s record. Scottish voices, though, are almost defensive – this was a necessary reset, not proof that deeper issues are fixed.

England 27–23 Argentina, Twickenham (frantic finale)

English press

• The Times – live/Will Kelleher
  The Times’ live report paints it as a near-shambles turned salvage job. England race 17–0 ahead on Max Ojomoh’s home-debut brilliance and an Immanuel Feyi-Waboso finish, but then “invite pressure” with missed kicks, a clunky attack and discipline issues. Argentina storm back to 23–20 before Henry Slade’s try and a late George Ford penalty cling on for 27–23. The line is: unbeaten autumn intact, but attacking fluency and reliance on Ford’s boot remain concerns. The Times

• The Guardian – live blog/report
  Similar story in the Guardian: “England edged out Argentina 27–23” after conceding 20 unanswered points. They praise Ojomoh’s composure and Itoje’s defensive work, but note that England’s attack went into its shell once the initial strikes landed. The frantic finish – Argentina line-out inside the 22 in added time, fluffed – is described as a reminder that England are still learning how to close out big games. The Guardian

• The Times – preview ‘This is England’s World Cup final – don’t mess it up’
  The pre-match column framed this fixture as a psychological “final” after beating the All Blacks. The message: avoid the 2019 trap of emotional peak then post-All Blacks drop-off. In that context, today’s narrow win will be filed as job done, but only just. The Times

• The Guardian – Robert Kitson, ‘Beating Pumas could open pivotal chapter…’
  Kitson’s preview is all about 2027: he draws a line back to England v Argentina in 2000 as the seed of the 2003 champions, and suggests this Pumas clash could play a similar role. He notes Argentina’s recent scalps (All Blacks, B&I Lions) and argues that getting over the line – however scrappy – is a key staging post for Borthwick’s project. The Guardian

Pumas / Americas angle

• Americas Rugby News (preview)
  ARN’s guide talked up an Argentina side that has been “beating big teams all year” and pitched this as a 50-50 clash. That pre-game framing will only be reinforced by what actually happened: England hanging on and Argentina one clean line-out away from an historic Twickenham heist. Americas Rugby News

Bottom line:
English media: relieved, mildly critical, but happy to sell it as part of an 11-match hot streak and a 2027 build.
Neutral/Americas view: confirmation that Los Pumas are a genuine tier-one menace who nearly nicked another big scalp.

Quick snapshot of the weekend’s narratives

• All Blacks v Wales – Result expected, tone more nuanced: NZ press says “good, not great; flaws remain.” Welsh/UK press cling to signs of progress beneath a 34-match losing streak.

• France v Australia – Scoreline fun, post-match mood split: France happy enough but still scratching heads; Australian media basically stage an intervention about a historically bad year.

• Japan v Georgia – One kick that changes rankings, seeds and headlines. Japan get their result; pundits warn it can’t mask a flat 2025, while Georgia are left ruing one moment of ill-discipline.

• Scotland v Tonga – Score looks like a statement, Scottish voices treat it as damage control and a reset rather than proof of arrival.

• England v Argentina – Perfect autumn on paper, scratchy reality on the pitch. England bank the win; everyone else files it under “Pumas are coming” heading to 2027.

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