Rugby Championship could swing wide open with Boks, Pumas victories
THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
The All Blacks are two victories away from claiming the Rugby Championship title and currently sit atop the standings on 10 points. Australia follow in second (9), while the Springboks and Argentina (both five points) are third and fourth at the halfway mark of the tournament.
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The Springboks and Argentina find themselves in desperation mode in the Rugby Championship, with New Zealand and Australia threatening to stretch their respective leads in the Southern Hemisphere competition this weekend.
Coming off defeats, the Boks and Los Pumas are in must-win territory as they prepare for their final matches against the All Blacks and Wallabies on Saturday morning in Wellington (09.05am SA time) and Sydney (06.00am SA time), respectively.
South Africa, currently third on the log with five points, risk falling further behind the table-topping Kiwis (10 points) if they fail to secure a win at Sky Stadium. A bonus-point victory for New Zealand would take them to 15 points. Should the Wallabies (nine points) beat Argentina (five) for a second weekend in a row, they too would move into double figures on the standings.
While the Boks will be focused on the All Blacks’ challenge, they will also keep a close eye on developments at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. They know their chances of retaining the Rugby Championship title will become slimmer if they lose and the Wallabies win.
However, the competition could be blown wide open with two rounds to go if the world champions and Los Pumas can pull off a couple of upsets. Neither are favourites this weekend, but neither are they complete underdogs. A strong fightback from both sides would be good for the tournament, keeping the battle alive for a dramatic finish in the final two rounds.
If they fail to seize this opportunity, the Bledisloe Cup clashes between the All Blacks and Wallabies will ultimately determine the winner of the 2025 Rugby Championship.