What a round of upsets and Argentina now sitting on top of The Rugby Championship table.
The same rivalries fire up for return bouts on Saturday.
The Wallabies will be hoping to christen the new Allianz Stadium in Sydney with another win over South Africa while the chastened All Blacks just have to find a way to beat Argentina in Hamilton to calm the fraying nerves of Kiwis everywhere. What’s in store?
Jim Tucker breaks down both matches with his preview and rugby betting tips for Week 4 of The Rugby Championship.
And if you're looking for a new sportsbook to bet The Rugby Championship, then why not give Midasbet a try? Midasbet offer a great range of betting markets, competitive odds and excellent promotions for their customers. Click on the banner below to join Midasbet today or check out our Midasbet review for more information.
The Rugby Championships 2022 Week 4 Preview & Betting Tips
Australia v South Africa
Allianz Stadium, Saturday September 3, 7:35pm (AEST)
Can the Wallabies back up the dominant 25-17 win over South Africa last weekend in Adelaide? That’s a big question. Already, they have beaten England and Argentina in first meetings this season and lost the very next week to the same opponent.
The anatomy of last week’s victory is vital to dissect. The Wallabies jumped out 10-0 with a precise, error-free start. They claimed the kick-off and got on the front foot.
The start was all-important because the Springboks had so much field position and so many chances as the first half wore on that they could easily have been leading. Instead, the Wallabies held a 10-3 lead, scored first in the second half and the scoreboard pressure built. Great defence, not just Marika Koroibete’s missile impersonation, was a big part of it.
If the Wallabies are to win in Sydney they have to fix their lineout. Losing four in the first half last weekend could have been fatal. The onus is on hooker Folau Fainga’a to be more accurate or he’ll be off before half-time.
In a rarity, the Wallabies have named an unchanged starting side which is a strong plus. More from the bench is needed because there was little impact in the closing 15 minutes in Adelaide when the Test was already won. Prop Taniela Tupou needs to find more in that area.
More of Adelaide’s intensity en masse is needed because the Boks will certainly come back strongly.
The Boks have made mass changes. Losing flyhalf Handre Pollard (knee) and understudy Elton Jantjes (hand) are forced changes as are the injury absences of top centre Lukhanyo Am (knee) and flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit (knee).
The Boks have an experimental halves pairing in flyhalf Damian Willemse and halfback Jaden Hendrikse which can only aid Australia’s chances. So much of the South African game is about control. Less clear direction plus an error or two of miscommunication can erode their game.
Halfback Faf de Klerk is missing from the side altogether. No de Klerk and no Pollard means two of the Boks’ expert high-kick merchants are missing. Again, that helps the Wallabies.
The Wallabies showed in Adelaide that clear, well-worked plays can open up the Boks a la James Slipper’s inside ball to put Noah Lolesio through a hole and just about any Rob Valetini charge that gets the team rolling forward.
Outside centre Len Ikitau is a key figure for the Wallabies. He has an explosiveness to him in tight spaces and he hits like cement in defence in the wide channels.
All the Bok changes have swung the balance of this Test to Australia.
The Wallabies at the -1.5 point line at $1.95 is a sound bet. Australia by 1-12 pts at $2.70 is a sweet spot too. A Malcolm Marx Anytime Try ($2.50) for a lineout drive from the Boks is always a chance.
Australia -1.5pts
$1.95 (4 units)
FMG Stadium, Hamilton, Saturday September 3, 5:05pm (AEST)
You can’t comprehend what is going on in NZ right now. It’s as if they are still filming Lord Of The Rings and the All Blacks are inexorably being draw into the fires of Mount Doom. That’s what happens when the mighty All Blacks lose six of their past eight Tests.
Coach Ian Foster has kept faith in an unchanged team from the one which fell 25-18 to Argentina last weekend.
The All Blacks win this one if they are smarter and sharper. A crooked throw to an attacking lineout in the closing minutes last weekend was very un-All Black-like. That’s what pressure does to any team.
The All Blacks did score a fine Caleb Clarke try on counter off a lineout turnover last weekend but nothing else from backline play. More kicking and more clinical execution is the formula for the All Blacks. Do that and a Richie Mo’unga can strike.
The Pumas happily bowled over Kiwi after Kiwi with strong defence. It’s hard to see them producing another herculean performance, a good one maybe.
New Zealand Win 13+
$1.80 (4 units)
