The Rugby Championship, a shortened version of the tournament due to the upcoming World Cup, kicks off this Saturday as southern hemisphere teams prepare for the showpiece event in France. Wallabies coach Eddie Jones will face his first test since taking over from Dave Rennie as Australia takes on world champions South Africa in Pretoria. Jones, known for his innovative thinking, has been tasked with revitalizing a struggling team and instilling a gritty and winning mentality.
Jones has emphasized making the Australian team more aggressive in attack and defending like mongrel dogs, which he believes represents the Australian way. He has also emphasized adaptability, with veterans Michael Hooper and James Slipper sharing the captaincy, a first for Australia. However, history is not on Jones’s side as Australia has yet to win at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria in seven games dating back to 1963.
The All Blacks, coming off one of the worst years in their history, still managed to clinch the Rugby Championship for the eighth time in ten editions. Nevertheless, all eyes will be on coach Ian Foster as they face their first test against Argentina in Mendoza. Foster has demanded dominance from the team right from the start, unlike their sluggish start in 2022. Sam Cane has retained the captaincy, and a number of veterans such as Aaron Smith and Richie Mo’unga will be key players in what may be their last international season.
Argentina, under the guidance of former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, has shown tremendous development but is expected to struggle in the tournament. The fixture list does them no favors, with just one home match against the All Blacks before traveling to Australia and South Africa. Injuries pose a challenge for Argentina, with key players like Marcos Kremer ruled out of the entire tournament. The experienced Julian Montoya, Pablo Matera, Jeronimo de la Fuente, and Emiliano Boffelli will be relied upon to lead the team.
World champions South Africa have split their squad for games against Australia and the All Blacks to avoid jet lag, as Auckland is ten hours ahead of Johannesburg. However, they will be without their inspirational captain Siya Kolisi and star fly-half Handre Pollard due to injuries. Marco van Staden will fill in for Kolisi, while rising star Manie Libbok takes over from Pollard. The absence of Pollard, a crucial figure in their 2019 World Cup triumph, is a significant blow for the team.
As the Rugby Championship gets underway, all eyes will be on the teams’ preparations for the upcoming World Cup in France. Coaches like Eddie Jones, Ian Foster, and Michael Cheika face challenges in revitalizing and molding their squads into formidable contenders. With injuries and historical records adding to the mix, it promises to be an intriguing tournament as the teams set their sights on rugby’s ultimate prize.
