This year's Rugby Championship is as unpredictable as ever
Though beaten 2-1 by Andy Farrell's tourists, the Wallabies' 22-12 win in a Sydney deluge gave fans hope that they are on the right trajectory two years out from hosting the 2027 World Cup.
Now Joe Schmidt's team will look to build on the momentum when they take on the southern hemisphere nations that humiliated them last year. Joe Schmidt during the Australia rugby squad captain's run. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
In Schmidt's first season in charge, Australia managed one shaky win over Argentina in their worst ever Rugby Championship campaign. It included back-to-back thrashings on home soil by eventual champions South Africa and a record 67-27 defeat by the Pumas in Santa Fe.
It was another bitter pill for supporters following the disastrous 2023 World Cup in France under Eddie Jones where the Wallabies exited at the group phase for the first time. Australia players celebrate. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Fans will hope the dark days are over, having seen how well the team can play during the final two tests of the Lions series when disciplined, dogged and beefed-up with players like Will Skelton and Rob Valetini.
Defending champions South Africa will look to nip that optimism in the bud when they host Australia in their first two tests. Australia have not won at Ellis Park in Johannesburg since 1963 or Cape Town, the second test venue, since 1992.
While the Wallabies will hope to end a four-match losing streak to the world champions, they may be quietly satisfied to leave South Africa without a pair of thrashings before back-to-back tests at home to Argentina. Argentina's Santiago Cordero celebrates scoring a try with team mates. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady
The stakes are far higher for those Pumas matches given ranking implications for the World Cup draw. Sixth in the world, a whisker ahead of number seven Argentina in the points standings, Australia need to hold their place or improve it by the end of the season to be assured of a better draw.
The top six teams earn places in separate pools during the group phase, meaning they avoid each other until the knockout rounds.
Australia finish off the tournament against New Zealand with a daunting trip to Eden Park — where they have not won since 1986 — and a home match against the All Blacks in Perth on September 27. Taniela Tupou of Australia is tackled by Rieko Ioane and Sevu Reece of New Zealand. Pic:Schmidt and his staff would likely regard beating Argentina twice and pinching one win from either South Africa or New Zealand as a good outcome and a step forward in the Wallabies' rebuild.
Expectations are a lot different in New Zealand, where the evolving squad will be under pressure to challenge the Springboks for silverware as impatience with progress under Scott Robertson grows.
Last year, in Robertson's first season in charge, they lost the title they had held for the previous three years, shipping two losses to the Boks and a home defeat by the Pumas. Du'Plessis Kirifi of New Zealand performs a haka during the Test Match between New Zealand All Blacks and France. Pic:The All Blacks have since won seven out of eight tests, including a 3-0 whitewash in the home series against a depleted France in July. Their campaign starts with a two-test tour of Argentina where they have never been beaten by the hosts and will hope to build momentum before a pair of all-important home tests against Rassie Erasmus's Boks next month.
Robertson unveiled a couple of tactical shifts against the French, moving Leinster-bound centre Rieko Ioane to the wing to make way for Billy Proctor while moving Tupou Vaa'i, who played mostly as a lock, to blindside flanker.
But after cycling through his entire squad of fit players against France, Robertson included only one uncapped player in his 36-man Championship squad — the big and bulky loose forward Simon Parker. Beauden Barrett. Pic:To the chagrin of some rugby pundits at home, Robertson will again be relying on familiar names and veterans, like hooker Codie Taylor and fly-half Beauden Barrett, who will be 36 during the World Cup.
The squad is laden with injured players who will miss a test or two at the start, including loose forward Wallace Sititi, prop Tamaiti Williams and scrum-half Cameron Roigard.
Erasmus, meanwhile, has made no secret of his desire to freshen up his ageing squad and keep the Springboks on course for a third successive World Cup title in 2027. Rassie Erasmus. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
He has suggested that he might prioritise handing vital international experience to a new crop of emerging players ahead of the outcome of the Rugby Championship tests, although given his relentless competitive streak, this is only likely to be in extreme circumstances.
The majority of the World Cup winners from 2023 are over 30, and Erasmus is conscious that many might be past their peak in 2027.
'It's not easy to predict who is going to be available, and that's why we've been working with an expanded squad of 45 players,' he explained. Pic: PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images
Recent tests against Italy and Georgia saw several new caps. 'We won't be throwing the old guys away, but we need to give as many chances as we can to up-and-coming talent,' he added.
Argentina enjoyed their best ever campaign in 2024, with that win in New Zealand for the first time, beating the Boks and thumping of Australia.
Recent form has been mixed, including a 2-0 home series loss to a severely under-strength England in July, but coach Felipe Contepomi had rested several players for those matches too. Felipe Contepomi. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady
He has recalled Juan Cruz Mallía, Santiago Chocobares, Marcos Kremer, Bautista Delguy, Mateo Carreras and Ignacio Ruiz in what is a significant bolster to the squad.
The likes of Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia, Franco Molina and Joel Sclavi, who all featured in the 28-24 win over the Lions at Aviva Stadium, but missed the England series, are also back.
The Pumas' final clash with South Africa is at Twickenham on October 4, the first time a Rugby Championship game will be played in the northern hemisphere. Players of South Africa celebrate with the trophy after winning the Rugby Championship. Pic: Dirk Kotze/Sat Aug 16: South Africa v Australia, Johannesburg 4.10pm; Argentina v New Zealand, Cordoba 10.10pm.
Sat Aug 23: South Africa v Australia, Cape Town 4.10pm; Argentina v New Zealand, Buenos Aires 10.10pm.
Sat Sep 6: Australia v Argentina, Townsville 5.30am; New Zealand v South Africa, Auckland 8.05am.
Sat Sep 13: Australia v Argentina, Sydney 5am; New Zealand v South Africa, Wellington 8.05am.
Sat Sep 27: New Zealand v Australia, Auckland 6.05am, South Africa v Argentina, Durban 4.10pm.
Sat Oct 4: Australia v New Zealand, Perth 10.45am; Argentina v South Africa, London 2pm.
All matches live on Sky Sports
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The 42
6 hours ago
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Joe Schmidt: 'This has got to rank very highly in terms of wins - and for me personally'
AUSTRALIA COACH JOE Schmidt said he hoped a phenomenal 38-22 Rugby Championship comeback win over South Africa in Johannesburg showed his team are on the road toward earning respect. The Wallabies, who had not beaten South Africa at Ellis Park since 1963, recovered from trailing 22-0 to beat the reigning World champions and Championship title-holders. Following a torrid last few years, the victory continues Australia's resurgence after being well beaten in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions, losing the second by just three points and then winning the dead rubber 22-12. 'This has got to rank very highly in terms of wins and for me personally, since usually you get absolutely swamped here in the last quarter,' said Schmidt. 'The players had to hang in there and I am really proud of the way they did that. 'You have got to earn respect every time you (play), you have to be really competitive in every game. 'We are still building our strength in depth and our game shape, but this is a great bunch of young men who have shown the ability to roll their sleeves up and earn that support. 'They deserve it and I hope there was really good support for them back in Australia.' The former Ireland boss continued: 'When the Springboks get their game going, when they are accurate, they are very hard to stop. In the first 40 minutes there was just wave after wave coming. 'But Fraser McReight stole the ball a few times, and the determination the team showed was very pleasing. Advertisement 'This is a really tight group, they get on very well together. We have had a chance to gel and a real collective resilience was in evidence tonight. 'We were not always on the front foot.' 'There were some fantastic diving tackles where we just got a boot or half a jersey. We needed a little bit of luck as well,' added Schmidt. - 'Really awful' Springboks - Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus called the performance 'really awful', blaming poor game management after a brilliant opening quarter. 'When you are 22-0 up, you tend to take chances, but you still need to build an innings or you can end up losing by nearly 20 points like tonight. 'There were so many breaks when Grant Williams, Manie Libbok or Edwill van der Merwe almost got away, but sometimes you have to realise that you are not quite going to get it. 'Their kick-to-ruck ratio was much better than ours — we only kicked nine times in the second half. It's definitely not wrong to say we overplayed. 'But they did not just tactically outsmart us, but physically too. The longer the game went on, the stronger the Wallabies were. 'It was a bad loss and at some stage our heads and shoulders were down. It was sad that there was no fightback so we gave them a bonus point and did not get one ourselves.' – © AFP 2025
RTÉ News
6 hours ago
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All Blacks dig in for opening win against Los Pumas
Winger Sevu Reece and substitute hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho scored two tries each as New Zealand saw off an Argentina resurgence to open their Rugby Championship campaign with a 41-24 win in Cordoba on Saturday. Cortez Ratima and Ardie Saves also scored tries for New Zealand while Rodrigo Isgro, Tomas Albornoz and Joaquin Oviedo went over for the home team. Beauden Barrett kicked a penalty and four conversions while Albornoz slotted over penalty and three conversions for a personal tally of 14 points. The All Blacks' superiority showed through, although they had to see off a second-half surge from Argentina who were 31-10 down at the break but fought back to trail 31-24 before New Zealand closed out the match. The visitors were ahead after four minutes as Barrett set the tone with a penalty before Will Jordan's long pass sent Reece over in the corner to put New Zealand 10-0 up inside the opening 10 minutes. Argentina quickly countered with a try of their own as a long pass out to right winger Isgro reduced the lead to three points. Scott Robertson's side powered ahead with three tries before the break as Jordan sliced through from the halfway line to set up Ratima, followed by another try for Ardie Savea who powered over from a lineout drive. There was still time for another New Zealand try before the break as their forwards hammered away at the try line before Ratima swung the ball out to Reece and he went over in the corner. Argentina reduced the deficit 11 minutes into the second half as Albornoz attacked the line at pace and dived over as the All Black defence was caught napping. When Billy Proctor was sent to the sin bin, there was renewed hope for the home side and they took advantage of their numerical superiority as Oviedo went over in the 64th minute to make the score 31-24. New Zealand ended Argentine hopes of a recovery, however, as a lineout maul put Taukei'aho over and he added another try to seal the win. The sides meet in Buenos Aires again next Saturday.
Irish Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
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We were really dogs*** - Rassie Erasmus on South Africa's collapse v Australia
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