South Africa VS New Zealand – Rugby Championship Bet Preview

South Africa VS New Zealand – Rugby Championship Bet Preview

Reigning World champions Springboks suffered a third consecutive loss in the Rugby Championship when they were narrowly beaten by the All Blacks in their tightly contested 100th meeting in Townsville last weekend.

Victory for New Zealand last weekend secured the All Blacks the Rugby Championship with a match to spare but the South Africa and their coach Jacques Nienaber will be going all out for a win that will ease pressure and make sure that they return home having restored some pride.

The Springboks started the tournament with two successive wins over Argentina in Port Elizabeth but they went on to suffer back to back losses to Australia and one loss to New Zealand and pressure is mounting.

It is not going to be easy against New Zealand who will be determined to end the competition with a 100 percent record as they have won all their five matches so far and they can’t be overtaken at the top of the Rugby Championship standings.

South Africa VS New Zealand

For the All Blacks, the starting forward pack remains unchanged from the original team named last week with Luke Jacobson returning to the number eight jersey after his late withdrawal with illness last weekend.

Asafo Aumua comes in at reserve hooker and George Bower comes in for Karl Tu’inukuafe on the bench.

Among the backs, Brad Weber will start at halfback with TJ Perenara on the bench, Anton Lienert-Brown returns from injury to the 13 jersey with Rieko Ioane moving to the left wing and Sevu Reece named on the right.

First five-eighth Richie Mo’unga, who re-joined the team this week, is on the reserves bench alongside Damian McKenzie.

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber made two injury-enforced changes to his match-day squad for the final Rugby Championship clash against the All Blacks in Gold Coast with Ox Nché earning a starting berth and Jasper Wiese drafted in among the replacements.

Nché will start at loosehead prop with Trevor Nyakane switching to tighthead after Frans Malherbe was ruled out of selection due to a neck niggle and Wiese takes over from Marco van Staden, who suffered a shoulder injury in the latter stages of last week’s 19-17 defeat against the All Blacks in Townsville.

Cheslin Kolbe, who missed the team’s first two matches against the Wallabies and last week’s loss to the All Blacks due to a leg injury, trained with the team earlier this week but he won’t be making what would have been a much welcomed comeback.

Pick: New Zealand Wins by 0.22 at BetXChange