Southern hemisphere sides dominated the 2015 World Cup in England but since then three out of the four have struggled
Maro Itoje was in reflective mood as he sprawled himself in a chair that struggled to contain his 6ft 6in frame at England’s Bagshot base. “I have been in camp for only two days but you get the feeling something big is about to happen,” said the Lions and Saracens second‑row before Eddie Jones’s squad flew out to South Africa.
He was talking about England’s odyssey but his words apply also to international rugby’s changing landscape. The last World Cup not only saw England become the first hosts to fail to make the knockout stage but, for the first time, the semi-finalists all came from the southern hemisphere: in the last eight Argentina knocked out Ireland, South Africa outmuscled Wales, New Zealand overran France and Australia pipped Scotland after being awarded a controversial late penalty.
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