Rugby Championship 2019 predictions: Week Two
The 2019 Rugby Championship continues at a whirlwind pace. Here are the predictions for week two where New Zealand host South Africa and Argentina travel to Australia for the second week’s fixtures.
It’s all systems go in the truncated edition of the 2019 Rugby Championship. New Zealand and South Africa square off in what many have termed a “grudge match” in Wellington.
The Springboks beat the All Blacks at the same venue last year. The visitors are sitting pretty at the top of the 2019 Rugby Championship table and while much of this competition centres around teams testing their depth, the importance of bragging rights can’t be discounted.
In a way, this match is a dress rehearsal for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where the two sides will meet in a mouth-watering group stage match.
While the trophy will more than likely go to one of these two teams, they’re not the only ones taking part, of course.
Argentina narrowly failed to take the scalp of the All Blacks for the first time while Australia will be keen to bounce back from their defeat against South Africa.
New Zealand vs South Africa
History favours the All Blacks, but Rassie Erasmus is a wily old fox. The bookies back the hosts for this one, too, but we all know matches between these two rivals don’t work like that.
Prediction: Draw
Yes, we know, highly unlikely in rugby, but it’s just that kind of a game.
Australia vs Argentina
The Wallabies might have been rattled by the Springboks while Argentina will be buoyed by their performance against New Zealand, but the Wallabies should win this one, even with a shuffled pack. Los Pumas, for all their heroics, are battered and knackered from the travel time.
Prediction: Australia by more than ten.
