Rugby Championship Predictions – Round 2

The All Blacks, meanwhile, will look to build on their perfect start to the Southern Hemisphere showpiece with a second successive victory over the Pumas in Buenos Aires later in the evening.

South Africa v Australia

Saturday, 23 August – 17:10

The Boks have gone from smarting to seething after their spectacular fall from grace at Ellis Park last weekend. As much as the Wallabies deserve credit for conjuring up the greatest comeback in their history, coming from 22-0 down to triumph 38-22, the Boks only have themselves to blame for the shock loss.

Evolution and innovation are great, but sometimes you can be too clever for your own good. That was the case for Rassie Erasmus and his charges in the tournament opener as they veered from their DNA and ran themselves into the ground after going full tilt in the opening quarter.

They also paid the price for not having a specialist flyhalf on the bench, as Manie Libbok failed to grasp the need to change course and play a more territory-based game. Miscalculations happen, but this was a particularly costly one, as it led to the Boks dropping from the top spot they had occupied in the world rankings for most of the last five years to third, behind New Zealand and Ireland.

Playing a high-octane, expansive game – aka “Tony Ball” – just isn’t in the Boks’ nature, and instead of incorporating some of Tony Brown’s ideas, the Boks made a complete shift and paid the price. The question is, has Erasmus learned his lesson? The Bok coach was man enough to admit he got it wrong, but the proof will be in the pudding in this return fixture in Cape Town.

It’s all but guaranteed that the Boks will revert to their traditional strengths to set the record straight. Big Will Skelton knows exactly what to expect, saying, “We know what’s coming; they are going to go back to their strengths – they are going to try to punch us in the face this week, so we are going to have to be ready and have another good week of preparation and really fly into them.”

As Dricus du Plessis’ UFC middleweight title fight against Khamzat Chimaev last weekend showed, it’s one thing to know what’s coming but another altogether to stop it, and much like “Borz” was able to overpower Du Plessis and wrest the title away from the fighting pride of South Africa, the Boks should be too strong for the Wallabies, who’ve already achieved their objective of winning one of the two Tests in the Republic.

Prediction: South Africa by 14.

Suggested Bet: South Africa -13 at 1.90.

Argentina v New Zealand

Saturday, 23 August – 23:10

The defending champion Boks’ loss was the All Blacks’ gain as they shot back to the top of the world rankings for the first time since 2021, thanks to their 41-24 win over the Pumas last weekend.

While the Kiwis were the favourites, they won by a wider margin than most expected, largely due to a dominant first-half performance that saw them lead 31-10 at the break.

After falling off in the third quarter, with a drop in speed, intensity, accuracy, and discipline, they’ll aim to produce an 80-minute performance this time around.

The Pumas will take heart from their fightback to come within seven at one stage and ‘win’ the second half 14-10, but they just don’t have the muscle or magic to end their winless record against the All Blacks on home soil.

Prediction: New Zealand by 12.

Suggested Bet: New Zealand -11 at 1.90.