The Rugby Championship is in full focus

SOUTH AFRICA v NEW ZEALAND – EMIRATES AIRLINE PARK, JOHANNESBURG – KO 5pm

Referee

Andrew Brace (Ireland)

Test debut: 10 June, 2017 – Canada 0-13 Georgia

Tests as referee: 32

• Andrew Brace will take charge of this fixture for the first time.

• South Africa have won three of their four Tests with Brace as referee, the loss a 27-26 defeat to England in November 2021.

• Brace last took charge of South Africa in a Rugby World Cup 2023 warm-up match against Wales, the Springboks running out convincing 52-16 winners.

• New Zealand are yet to lose with Brace as referee, having beaten Italy 66-3 in November 2018 and Australia 40-14 in the 2022 Rugby Championship.

• This will be Brace’s third Test of the year, having been in the middle for Scotland’s 30-21 defeat of England in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations and Argentina’s 33-25 victory over France in July.

Head-to-head

Played: 106 – New Zealand leads 62-40, with four draws

Points for: South Africa 1 741 / New Zealand 2 196 (Avg. score: 16-21)

Highest score: South Africa 46 (46-40 on 19 August, 2000) / New Zealand 57 (57-15 on 8 October,

2016 and 57-0 on 16 September, 2017)

Biggest winning margin: South Africa 28 (35-7 on 25 August, 2023) / New Zealand 57 (57-0 on 16

September, 2017)

First met: 13 August, 1921 – New Zealand 13-5 South Africa – Carisbrook, Dunedin

Last met: 28 October, 2023 - RWC 2023 final – South Africa 12-11 New Zealand – Stade de France, St

Denis, France

Head-to-head notes

• South Africa and New Zealand contest the Freedom Cup, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. New Zealand have held it since 2010.

• South Africa have won back-to-back games against New Zealand. Neither team has won three in a row in the fixture since the All Blacks did so in 2016-17.

• The Springboks claimed a record fourth Men’s Rugby World Cup title when the teams last met in France in October last year, winning 12-11.

• It was the second time they had beaten the All Blacks in the final of a Rugby World Cup, having done so at this weekend’s venue in 1995.

• South Africa conceded their first try in a Rugby World Cup final when Beauden Barrett crossed just before the hour, but four Handré Pollard penalties were enough for them to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.

• South Africa went into the tournament on the back of a record 35-7 win over the All Blacks at Twickenham.

• New Zealand’s last win was 35-20 at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland in the 2023 Rugby Championship.

• New Zealand have a dominant P19, W14, D1, L4 record against South Africa in The Rugby Championship (since 2012).

• The wins have been more evenly spread in recent years, however, with New Zealand 4-3 up in the last eight Rugby Championship meetings. The match in 2019 ended in a 16-16 draw.

• The All Blacks’ record in Johannesburg is particularly strong with six wins in the last nine games, including at both Emirates Airline Park (Ellis Park) and FNB Stadium.

• New Zealand won 35-23 on their last visit there in August 2022, and it was very timely: having lost five of their previous six matches before the Johannesburg showdown with the Springboks.

• Coaches Rassie Erasmus and Scott Robertson both played when the sides met in Johannesburg in 2000, South Africa winning 46-40.

• This will be the 16th time the sides meet at this venue, the first being 96 years ago when New Zealand beat South Africa 7-6.

• South Africa and New Zealand are the joint top try-scorers in The Rugby Championship this year with nine tries apiece.

• South Africa have scored 38% of their points in the final quarter (24/63), whereas New Zealand have failed to score any in that period.

• The teams have also conceded the same amount of penalties (22, at an average of 11 per game).

• South Africa, though, have picked up three yellow cards to New Zealand’s one.

Team notes

• South Africa last won The Rugby Championship in 2019 and have finished as runners-up to New Zealand in the last two editions.

• South Africa have a P6, W5, L1 record in 2024, with wins against Wales, Ireland, Portugal and Australia twice.

• Their only defeat of the year came in the second Test against Ireland.

• South Africa go into the third round of The Rugby Championship 2024 with maximum points from their first two games after bonus-point wins against Australia, 33-7 in Brisbane and 30-12 in Perth.

• South Africa have only conceded one try and managed to keep their line intact in the second Test in Perth – the first time they have kept the opposition try-less since the 16-15 RWC 2023 semi-final win against England.

• In the round one win in Brisbane, South Africa conceded three yellow cards in a match for the first time in Test rugby.

• This is South Africa’s first match back at Emirates Airline Park since they beat Argentina 22-21 in last year’s tournament.

• South Africa are the only team in the competition without a 100% record at scrum time on their own feed, losing two of their scrums.

• The Springboks have the worst goal-kicking success rate having slotted eight of their 12 attempts (67%).

• South Africa have made the fewest tackles (303) but have the joint best completion rate, along with New Zealand (91%).

• Kurt-Lee Arendse bagged a brace in Brisbane and Malcolm Marx scored twice in Perth. They are joint top try-scorers in the competition along with New Zealand’s Will Jordan on two tries.

• Arendse and Pieter-Steph du Toit have made the most line-breaks (three).

• Arendse averages the most running metres per 80 minutes (147.4).

• Eben Etzebeth has been the most popular source of line-out possession, the veteran second-row taking a competition-high 13 catches.

• Four-time defending champions New Zealand are second behind South Africa in The Rugby Championship 2024 standings on five points, following a 38-30 loss and a 42-10 win against Argentina in Wellington and Auckland respectively.

• Sam Darry, Anton Lienert-Brown and Mark Tele'a scored tries in the defeat – their only one of the year so far – and Damian McKenzie kicked the remainder of their points.

• It was also only the second time New Zealand had been beaten in the opening round of The Rugby Championship since Argentina joined the competition in 2012.

• The loss to Argentina was New Zealand’s first under new coach Robertson, who had won his first three games in charge with the All Blacks having backed up their 2-0 Test series win over England with a 47-5 victory against Fiji in San Diego.

• The All Blacks fielded six debutants in the Fiji fixture, including a start for centre Billy Proctor. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham and forwards Wallace Sititi, Sam Darry, Pasilio Tosi and George Bell all made their All Blacks bow off the bench.

• McKenzie opened the scoring in the second test win in Auckland before Ardie Savea, Caleb Clarke, Jordan twice and Barrett added further tries.

• McKenzie kicked all six conversions and is the leading points scorer in the competition after the first two rounds with 32.

• The convincing victory extended New Zealand’s unbeaten record at Eden Park to 50 matches.

• Asafo Aumua became the first New Zealand player to receive a card of any colour in Tests this year in that match.

• Seven of New Zealand’s nine tries in this year’s Rugby Championship have come from the set-piece (six line-out/one scrum).

• In addition to having a 100% record at scrum time in The Rugby Championship, New Zealand have the most successful line-out (91%).

• New Zealand have kicked all nine of their conversions attempts and have only missed one of their 13 kicks at goal (a competition-best 92%).

• New Zealand are the only team to have made more than 300 passes (337) and their tally of offloads (21) is the only one in double figures.

• New Zealand have kicked the most (58 times) and for the most metres (1 584).

• Ethan Blackadder has made more tackles than any other player in the competition (40), while Ardie Savea has carried the most (37) and made the most metres (192.3).

• Dalton Papali'I is top of the breakdown steals chart with Argentina’s Pablo Matera on two, while Mark Tele’a has made the most tackle breaks (11), closely followed by Savea (nine).

Team news

• South Africa have made 10 changes of personnel to the team that took to the field for the 32-10 win over Australia in Perth a fortnight ago, while injuries to a number of second rows means former World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year, Du Toit, moves from openside to the middle of the pack.

• Du Toit played there in the opening round of The Rugby Championship, having started there 13 times before albeit much earlier in his 81-Test Springbok career.

• Veteran second-row Etzebeth has, however, been cleared to take his place on the bench after being excluded from the original match-day 23 due to a knee injury.

• It will be the first time he does not start a Test against New Zealand since 2012, ending a run of 22 consecutive matches.

• Etzebeth will win his 125th cap if he comes on, which would see him overtake Bryan Habana to become the second most-capped Springbok of all time in his own right.

• Etzebeth is currently three Tests shy of the record held by Victor Matfield.

• It is all change in the front row with the 178 caps’ worth of experience of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe packing down in front of Du Toit and Ruan Nortje, who retains the No 5 jersey.

• Siya Kolisi returns to the back row at six, Ben-Jason Dixon wins his fourth cap at No 7 and Jasper Wiese completes the new-look back row combination at No 8 having completed a suspension.

• Now in his 10th year as a Springbok, Cobus Reinach returns to the No 9 jersey to join Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the half-back pairing.

• Outside of them, the Springboks field their most-capped centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel, while Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe are on the wings and Aphelele Fassi is at fullback.

• Scott Barrett returns to the second row to captain New Zealand for the fourth time having recovered from a broken finger.

• Barrett missed the first two rounds of The Rugby Championship because of the injury but is back as one of three changes to the match-day 23 from the 42-10 victory over Argentina at Eden Park a fortnight ago.

• With Barrett having the No 4 jersey, Tupou Vaa’i moves to five and Sam Darry drops out to the bench.

• Former captain Cane replaces Papali'i at openside in what will be his 97th Test and his first start since the Rugby World Cup 2023 final. Papali’i drops out of the match-day 23.

• Tamaiti Williams, vice-captain Codie Taylor – who will play his 90th Test for the All Blacks – and Tyrel Lomax pack down together in the front row with Barrett and Vaa’i behind them.

• Cane joins Blackadder and Savea in the back row.

• TJ Perenara and the competition’s top points scorer, McKenzie combine again at half-back with Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane the midfield duo.

• Caleb Clarke is on the left wing and Jordan on the right, with Beauden Barrett lining up at fullback to complete the back three.

• Flanker Samipeni Finau is set to make his first appearance in The Rugby Championship after being named on the bench.

Coach notes

• Erasmus – the mastermind behind the Springboks’ back-to-back Rugby World Cup successes of 2019 and 2023 – has returned to the role of head coach for the next four years following the departure of Jacques Nienaber to Leinster.

• Erasmus coached the team in 2019 and was Director of Rugby four years later.

• Erasmus’ reign in charge started with a defeat to Wales in Washington DC in June 2018.

• Former All Black flyhalf Tony Brown has been brought in as attack coach and the responsibility for the defence now falls to former Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery.

• Erasmus has also added a performance analyst in Paddy Sullivan, who worked with the team as a consultant at RWC 2023. Sullivan has been a performance analyst for French Top 14 team, Montpelier, for the last three seasons.

• Double RWC-winning Springbok No 8, Duane Vermeulen, has also been appointed to a roving coaching role with all SA Rugby’s national teams, while former referee Jaco Peyper has come on board as a laws advisor.

• Erasmus won 36 caps for South Africa as a back-row forward, facing New Zealand five times in his career with two of his three wins coming on home soil in Durban in 1998 and Johannesburg in 2000.

• Robertson was announced as New Zealand’s new head coach in March 2024, on a four-year deal through to the end of Rugby World Cup 2027, and suffered his first defeat against Argentina after victories over England (twice) and Fiji.

• Robertson, who turned 50 last week, played 23 Tests for the All Blacks as a loose forward between 1998 and 2002.

• He faced the Springboks on five occasions, winning three and losing two with the two defeats coming on South African soil, including a 46-40 loss at this venue in 2000.

• Following retirement from the professional game in 2007, Robertson began his coaching career with the Sumner Rugby Club in Christchurch, before moving into an assistant role with Canterbury in 2008 and then taking over as head coach in 2013, where he went on to win three Premiership titles between 2013 and 2016.

• He guided the Crusaders to six consecutive Super Rugby titles as head coach since 2017.

• Prior, to that he coached New Zealand to a World Rugby U20 Championship crown, and most recently he coached the Barbarians FC to a win over the All Blacks XV last year.

Springbok starting XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse; 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach; 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt); 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit; 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard.

All Black starting XV: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke; 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara; 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Ethan Blackadder; 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (capt); 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams. Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Mark Tele’a.

ARGENTINA v AUSTRALIA – ESTADIO JORGE HIRSCHI, BUENOS AIRES – KO 7pm (local time)

Referee

James Doleman (New Zealand)

Test debut: 13 July, 2021 – Australia 26-28 France

Tests as referee: 11

• James Doleman will take charge of this fixture for the first time.

• He has already refereed Australia in 2024, having overseen their 40-29 defeat of Georgia on 20 July.

• Australia have a W2, L1 record with Doleman in the middle – their only defeat coming on his Test debut as a referee – 28-26 to France in July 2021.

• This will be his fourth Test of the year in the middle, having overseen England’s 16-14 defeat of Wales in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations in February, Australia’s 40-29 victory over Georgia in July and the Pacific Nations Cup 2024 encounter between Fiji and

• Samoa in Suva last Friday.

Head-to-head

Played: 39 – Australia leads 28-8 with three draws

Points for: Argentina 699 / Australia 1 083 (Avg. score: 18-28)

Highest score: Argentina 48 (48-17 on 13 August, 2022) / Australia 54 (54-17 on 5 October, 2013)

Biggest winning margin: Argentina 31 (48-17 on 13 August, 2022) / Australia 47 (53-6 on 17 June,

2000)

First met: 27 October, 1979 – Argentina 24-12 Australia – Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium, Buenos Aires

Last met: 15 July, 2023 – Argentina 34-31 Australia – Commbank Stadium, Parramatta

Head-to-head notes

• Argentina have won back-to-back Tests against Australia, both in The Rugby Championship. They have never won three in a row against the Wallabies.

• Australia received yellow cards in both of those defeats (Richie Arnold and Fraser McReight).

• Argentina came away from Parramatta with a thrilling 34-31 victory when the sides met in last year’s Rugby Championship.

• Los Pumas No 8 Juan Martín González broke Australian hearts after recalled winger Mark Nawaqanitawase appeared to have won the game for the Wallabies with a 95-metre intercept try with five minutes remaining.

• Jerónimo de la Fuente, Julián Montoya and Mateo Carreras scored for Argentina before González struck, while Emiliano Boffelli kicked four conversions and a couple of penalties for a 14-point haul.

• In addition to Nawaqanitawase, Len Ikitau, Nic White and Samu Kerevi crossed the whitewash, while Quade Cooper kicked all four conversions and a penalty.

• Los Pumas won by a record score and margin (48-17) when the sides last met on Argentinian soil in The Rugby Championship 2022.

• Thomas Gallo scored twice for Los Pumas and he was joined in crossing the Australian line by Juan Imhoff, De la Fuente, Juan Martín González, Boffelli and Tomás Albornoz.

• Boffelli also kicked five conversions and a penalty for an 18-point haul.

• James Slipper and Len Ikitau scored tries for Australia with the rest of their points coming from the boot of James O’Connor.

• Before that defeat, Australia had won four of the last five Tests played in Argentina.

• Two of the three draws between the teams occurred in 2020.

• This match brings together the two most penalised teams in the competition, with the Wallabies infringing 26 times to Argentina’s 24.

• The teams have identical set-piece records with an unblemished scrum on their own put-in and 85% on their own line-out throw.

• Both teams have, however, racked up the highest number of scrum penalties (five).

Team notes

• Argentina began their Rugby Championship campaign with a 38-30 win over New Zealand in Wellington, but failed to back it up in Auckland, losing the return match a week later 42-10.

• With four points gained across the first two rounds, Argentina lie third in the standings.

• Lucio Cinti, Mateo Carreras, Franco Molina and Agustín Creevy scored tries in the victory over the All Blacks, while Santiago Carreras kicked 18 points.

• It was Creevy’s sixth try in 109 Tests, and his fourth against the All Blacks.

• At Eden Park, Argentina went an hour without scoring from the moment Carreras kicked a 12th-minte penalty. Juan Cruz Mallía eventually got over the line and Tomás Albornoz converted their only try of the match.

• Argentina have conceded the most points in the competition so far (72), including nine tries but they managed to keep the All Blacks scoreless in the final quarter of both Tests.

• Argentina have yet to miss a penalty shot at goal from five attempts.

• Argentina pass the ball the least (238) and have made the fewest offloads (eight).

• No team has missed more tackles than them (52), although they are joint leaders in terms of dominant tackles with 30.

• González has led the way with seven, the most in the competition.

• The back-row forward has also conceded the most penalties (four).

• Argentina avoided The Rugby Championship wooden spoon for only the second time in history last year, finishing above Australia, who they beat for their only victory.

• The only previous time that Los Pumas had avoided bottom spot was in 2015 when South Africa propped up the standings.

• Argentina have only ever managed two wins in a single tournament twice.

• Los Pumas went into The Rugby Championship 2024 on the back of a record 79-5 win against Uruguay, which followed a 1-1 drawn series with France.

• Australia finished winless for the first time in the history of The Rugby Championship in 2023 and are on course to do so again unless they can turn things around after back-to-back defeats to South Africa.

• The Wallabies lost 33-7 in Brisbane in the opening round, with Hunter Paisami scoring their only try of The Rugby Championship so far when he crossed the line in the 76th minute. Tom Lynagh kicked the conversion.

• Noah Lolesio kicked four penalties as Australia were beaten 30-12 in the return match a week later in Perth.

• When debutant Serupepeli Uru was sin-binned in Perth it continued the Wallabies’ record of having received a card of some description in every match of 2024.

• McReight spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin in the first test against Wales, as did Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in the second. Filipo Daugunu then received a red card (upgraded from yellow) against Georgia, while Kellaway was yellow-carded in the first Test against South Africa.

• Australia had gone into The Rugby Championship on the back of three victories, beating Wales 25-16 in Sydney and 36-28 in Melbourne before returning to Sydney to beat Georgia 40-29.

• Allan Alaalatoa led the Wallabies against Georgia – the third captain in as many weeks for Australia. Liam Wright suffered a shoulder injury in his first match as captain against Wales and was replaced in the second test by James Slipper, who was rested for the Georgia match.

• The Wallabies have now lost their last eight Rugby Championship matches with their last victory coming against South Africa (25-17) on 27 August, 2022.

• Australia’s total of 19 points scored is the lowest after the first two rounds of the 2024 edition of The Rugby Championship.

• In defence, Australia have been most vulnerable to conceding points at the back end of matches, with 38% of the total coming in the final quarter (24/63).

• Australia have carried the ball the fewest times (203) in this year’s competition and have made the fewest line-breaks (seven).

• Australian players top the stats for most attacking ruck arrivals (Carlo Tizzano, 48) and most defensive ruck arrivals (Rob Valetini, 18).

• Salakaia-Loto has accounted for the most line-out steals (three).

• Australia have taken part in 18 scrums – the most in the competition and 50% more than the second ranked team.

• Australia’s solitary Rugby Championship title came in 2015 when the tournament was restricted to three matches due to it being a Rugby World Cup year.

Coach notes

• Felipe Contepomi was announced as Michael Cheika’s successor as Argentina head coach in December 2023.

• The former Los Pumas captain made his professional head coaching debut in 2015 with the Argentina XV, before taking assistant roles with the Jaguares, Leinster and most recently, Los Pumas.

• As an assistant to Cheika, Contepomi helped guide Argentina to a fourth-place finish at Rugby World Cup 2023.

• During his 15-year Test career as a skilful fly-half/centre, 46-year-old Contepomi won 87 caps, 25 as captain, scored 651 points and played in four Rugby World Cups.

• Contepomi faced Australia six times in his career and lost on every occasion, including a 17-6 loss at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires in 2002.

• The final Test of his career ended in a 54-17 loss to Australia in the 2013 Rugby Championship encounter in Rosario.

• The twin brother of fellow Pumas international Manuel, he combined his playing career with his medical studies and finally collected his degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in May 2007.

• Joe Schmidt was unveiled as the Wallabies’ new head coach in January 2024 and won his first three of his games in charge before The Rugby Championship defeats to South Africa.

• He is the third New Zealander after Robbie Deans and Dave Rennie to coach Australia.

• The 58-year-old is renowned for his success with Ireland, winning three Six Nations titles along with historic wins over the All Blacks and South Africa.

• The World Rugby Men’s 15s Coach of the Year 2018 led Ireland to No 1 in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings for the first time in 2019 before linking up with the All Blacks as an assistant coach.

• Prior to this, he won two Champions Cups with Irish powerhouse Leinster along to go with the Challenge Cup and PRO 14 title.

Los Pumas starting XV: 15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras; 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou; 8 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera; 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Franco Molina; 3 Joel Sclavi, 2 Julian Montoya (capt), 1 Thomas Gallo. Replacements: 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Tomas Lavanini, 21 Joaquin Oviedo, 22 Lautaro Bazan Velez, 23 Tomas Albornoz.

Wallaby starting XV: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Marika Koroibete; 10 Noah Lolesio, 9 Jake Gordon; 8 Harry Wilson (capt), 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Rob Valetini; 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Nick Frost; 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Matt Faessler, 1 Angus Bell. Replacements: 16 Josh Nasser, 17 Isaac Kailea, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Max Jorgensen.