Rugby Championship Predictions – Round 2

A bullish Springbok side will be determined to do the double over the All Blacks when the game’s greatest rivals collide in their in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

Likewise, the Wallabies will be looking to make it back-to-back wins over the Pumas in the evening encounter in San Juan. Will they kick on or will New Zealand and Argentina bounce back? Here’s who we’re backing in the Rugby Championship and why…

South Africa v New Zealand

Saturday, 13 August – 17:05

Last weekend’s lopsided tournament-opener in Nelspruit highlighted the strengths of the Springboks – their physical dominance, cohesion, tactical proficiency, depth and ruthlessness – and the struggles of the embattled All Blacks – a lack of direction, discipline, attacking sting and inner dog.

The 26-10 triumph, the Springboks’ biggest over their arch-rivals in 94 years, revealed just how wide the gap between the sides currently is and more importantly, the fundamental reasons behind it.

Those were brutally laid bare at the Mbombela Stadium. In one corner, you have a confident, clinical and structured South African side and in the other, a leaderless, limp and seemingly mentally-defeated New Zealand team.

Changes in playing personnel will only go so far for the All Blacks. It’s the current system that is broken. Hard-headed arrogance by the powers that be has prolonged the Ian Foster era that was predictably doomed from the start.

Now, after watching their troops lose five of their last six and crash to unfathomable fifth place in the world rankings, the brass appear set to fire Foster if he’s unable to mastermind what you’d now have to legitimately consider an upset.

The out-of-sorts All Blacks just have too much ground to cover in too little time to suggest they’ll turn the tables on the Springboks, especially at the world champions’ fortress.

The visitors’ desperation and tactical changes will likely lessen the margin, but at the end of the day, the Springboks will claim a comfortable win to put the final nail in Foster’s coffin.

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Argentina v Australia

Saturday, 13 August 21:10

We mentioned last week that while we expected the Wallabies to win, the match in Mendoza represented the Pumas’ best shot of possibly pulling off an upset in the 2022 campaign.

For 60 minutes, Michael Cheika’s charges looked on course to do just that before a lethal combination of indiscipline on their part and improved execution on Australia’s part led to a convincing 41-26 bonus-point victory for the visitors in the end.

The character the Wallabies showed in the come-from-behind win is what’ll be the biggest boost of confidence for the men from Down Under for this return fixture and the remainder of the competition. 

The shock withdrawal of captain Michael Hooper a day out from the opening assignment threw a spanner in the works and amplified the pressure on an Australian team coming off a home series loss to England and plagued by injury.

Having Quade Cooper join that casualty list in the 48th minute compounded the adversity and, yet, they stayed impressively composed to go from nine points down heading into the final quarter to claiming a 15-point win.

The focus all week has been on who’ll replace Cooper in the gold No 10 jumper but the real key is the Wallabies’ superior pack. The front eight earned three of Australia’s five tries last weekend and the big boys should see them seal the deal again with a bit of breathing room.

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