Rugby Championship: New Zealand v Australia Preview and Predictions

After a one-year absence, a recharged Rugby Championship kicks off with added anticipation and renewed motivation this weekend, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

That the Springboks had to sit out the 2020 Southern Hemisphere showcase due to the pandemic was perhaps a blessing in disguise. Fans have become so used to South Africa squaring off with New Zealand, Australia and Argentina that the clashes have lost some of their buzz.

Their absence made for a one-off Tri-Nations, edged by the All Blacks, and all these months on some added excitement to see the men in Green and Gold once again mix it up with the Kiwis, Aussies and Argentinians, in the opposite order, with the Pumas first up in Gqeberha on Saturday.

However, the Trans-Tasman rivals kick-off the competition in Auckland, where the hosts are heavily favoured to continue their legendary unbeaten streak at their fortress. Here’s how we see the first round playing out.

We chatted to rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf and he provided his best bets for the All Blacks v Wallabies.

New Zealand v Australia

(Saturday 9.05 AM SA time)

Firing an ominous warning, the All Blacks reminded of two things in last Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup opener – that’s they’re more polished and predatory than their age-old rivals, scoring just before half-time and thrice after the interval to roar into a 33-8 lead.

The scary thing is the New Zealanders weren’t remotely near their best, making several elementary errors, yet still blew the Wallabies away, not only through killer instinct but by dominating the scrums and breaking them down with their driving mauls.

The Wallabies showed little other than heart to score three tries in the final 12 minutes, which made for a flattering scoreline of 33-25 in the end. Heart alone is not enough to stop the All Blacks juggernaut and there are no tangible markers to suggest it’ll be any different this weekend.

Granted, the Australians will be bolstered by the likes of Marika Koroibete, who was dropped last week following a late-night drinking session with teammates Isi Naisarani and Pone Fa’amausili, but it’s wishful thinking that it’ll provide a big-enough boost for them to break their 35-year losing streak at Eden Park.

Suggested Bets

Suggested Bet: Australia (+21.5)

Suggested Bet: Under 55.5

Quintin van Jaarsveld

Quintin Van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 15 years’ experience and is currently a freelance sports writer.