- New Zealand (-23) v Argentina (10/11)
- David Havili’i to score a try (3/1, Skybet)
- South Africa (-10) v Australia (10/11)
- USA v Canada: Eagles by 16-20 points, odds not yet available
New Zealand sit top of the embryonic Rugby Championship table on a maximum 10 points while Argentina have yet to pick up a point and are only kept off the bottom by the hapless Wallabies.
Looking at Los Pumas’ last two performances against South Africa, the 2-0 series win against a seriously depleted Wales in July was perhaps not all it was cracked up to be. And let’s not forget they struggled to get past faltering Romania before heading to Cardiff.
Los Pumas barely fired a shot against the world champions and look primed to be taken apart by an All Blacks side that has found a good rhythm.
In 2021, Ian Foster’s side are averaging nearly nine tries per game and while the stats are skewed by big wins against Fiji and Tonga, you cannot help but be impressed by their ruthless dismantling of Australia in their Bledisloe Cup clean sweep.
David Havili’i has been in the thick of the carnage and if he repeats his double of last week, New Zealand’s No.12 will pass Ma’a Nonu’s record for most test tries by a centre in a calendar year. Right now, he’s a good horse to back – or a good back to cheer hoarse!
New Zealand are riding high on the back of a seven-match winning run, dating back to their 38-0 win over Argentina in November, and can be expected to rack up a similarly impressive victory this time around on the Gold Coast in Australia.
Gold standard
The Rugby Championship has relocated there en masse due to travel restrictions caused by COVID-19, which means South Africa take on Australia as the home team only in name.
Recent trips to Australia haven’t brought out the best in the Springboks but Sunday’s test represents a golden opportunity for them to end a five-game losing streak against Australia there.
It is the Springboks’ first test outside of South Africa since the Rugby World Cup so it’ll be interesting to see how they cope with the travel arrangements, especially in the current climate, but the world champions will be disappointed if they don’t defy the 10-point handicap against a side at sixes and sevens.
Yes, Australia play some good rugby, in patches, but the Springboks’ defence could also be their strongest weapon in attack. Australia have been hurt time and time again when spiling possession and Jacques Nienaber’s well-oiled defence will have them under all sorts of pressure.
Eagles Can do it
Meanwhile, in Glendale, Colorado, the USA take on Canada needing to overturn a 13-point deficit from the first leg of their Rugby World Cup 2023 qualifier to make it through to the Americas 1 play-off with Uruguay next month.
Gary Gold will have laid down the law following an inept performance last week and with AJ MacGinty back to lead the side at 10, they should be good enough to get the two-score advantage they need.
Not surprisingly, Canada have named an unchanged XV – for the first time in over 20 years – but you still get the feeling that their 34-21 victory in Newfoundland was as much down to the hostile surroundings and USA’s errors than it was their own performance.
