Unlike in previous years, we are now nearly halfway through this year’s Rugby Championship as the Southern Hemisphere heavyweights battle it out for only two more rounds.
Before the tournament, question marks were raised about how serious each team will take this year’s competition with their primary focus being the Rugby World Cup.
We should expect coaches to experiment with their systems and bring in some new faces to see if they can cope on the world stage, whilst making sure there is a fine line between blooding in new players and resting them.
This competition will be fast paced with only three matches for each team, so one defeat could be all it takes to eliminate a team from winning the Championship. No team has ever won both The Rugby Championship and Rugby World Cup in the same calendar year.
New Zealand could be the first team to buck that trend as they went into this Championship as favourites and proved that with a comfortable win over Argentina last week.
Elsewhere, Australia stole the headlines in Round One after completing a remarkable comeback against South Africa to clinch victory in the last two minutes of the game.
Looking ahead to Round Two, there are some selection choices which have stood out from the rest. The main talking points are the inclusions of ball carrying flankers Heinrich Brüssow of South Africa and David Pocock of Australia.
Brüssow is set to make his first start for the Springboks since 2011 while Pocock will look to make an impact as he began Australia’s victory against South Africa on the bench.
Also for the Wallabies, Matt Toomua and Bernard Foley are set to start in Mendoza against Argentina with Lood de Jager back in the fold for the Springboks against New Zealand.
Sticking with New Zealand, Coach Steve Hansen is set to hand Lima Sopoaga and James Broadhurst their test debuts when they play South Africa at Ellis Park. That is quite a place to win your first cap!
TRU’s Scott Donaldson’s Verdict
The Rugby Championship Round 2 is probably going to be the best chance to see two close games in the same round, with the two first round losers hosting the first round winners. An away win in such a short competition will be valuable.
The Rugby Championship Round Two: Preview
South Africa vs New Zealand – Johannesburg
Fierce rivals South Africa and New Zealand have both decided to experiment in this encounter at Ellis Park on Saturday night.
The Springboks are struggling with injuries and that wasn’t helped when they lost three more players in that 24-20 defeat against Australia in Brisbane. This has meant that Coach Heyneke Meyer has had to make eight changes to his side for this weekend.
They have selected two flankers which will do their upmost to deny All Blacks captain Richie McCaw at the breakdown.
Meyer believes that this part of the game will be vital and that was emphasised last weekend against Australia as South Africa dominated at the rucks with Francois Louw producing an outstanding display.
He will be joined in the back row by Heinrich Brüssow who is starting his first game in four years for South Africa with his last appearance being against Australia in the 2011 World Cup quarter-finals in Wellington. Brüssow is also unbeaten against New Zealand.
Meyer has also named his third captain in as many matches with Number Eight Schalk Burger taking over for the injured Second Row Victor Matfield.
Elsewhere, Lood de Jager starts at lock, while there are several changes to the bench. Cornal Hendricks starts on the wing as JP Pieterson has withdrawn with injury.
In terms of New Zealand, Steve Hansen has said this is the toughest test in world rugby and the All Blacks coach has decided to include a debutant at fly-half and hand another new cap in the front five.
After a stunning Super Rugby season, Lima Sopoaga will make his debut in the number 10 jersey, while James Broadhurst finally gets his chance at second row.
Julian Savea is still not playing for the All Blacks, whilst Ben Smith is starting, but on the wing, meaning that Israel Dagg gets more game-time.
The Super Rugby stars also return either in the pack or on the bench with the likes of Beauden Barrett, Victor Vito, Malakai Fekitoa, Dane Coles, Sopoaga, Broadhurst and all three Smiths coming into the team.
This All Blacks team has so much experience that it should make it easier for the two debutants, with players like McCaw, Franks, Woodcock, Read, Nonu, the three Smiths and Dagg all very experienced. It is a testimony to the All Blacks depth when they can keep bringing in these great young players.
TRU’s Scott Donaldson’s Verdict
This game is set to be a cracker, with the All Blacks having a relatively poor record at Ellis Park winning only four from 13.
The Springboks were only good for sixty minutes against the Wallabies, while you get the feeling that the All Blacks have the experience and that in-build self-belief that they won’t be beaten.
This will be a close game and the most likely game for the All Blacks to lose this season. It is also a great chance for both teams to gain a psychological edge before the Rugby World Cup.
The Springboks have a 25-20 head to head lead over the All Blacks in South Africa, but alarmingly the All Blacks have won nine from their last 11 games in South Africa. The Springboks need to get back their intimidation factor at home again. There is also the thought that the All Blacks will be fired up after losing so narrowly last year.
My pick: All Blacks by 6 points
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 1 Tendai Mtawarira, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Lood de Jager, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 7 Francois Louw, 8 Schalk Burger (c).
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Warren Whiteley, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Cornal Hendricks.
New Zealand: 15-Israel Dagg, 14-Ben Smith, 13-Conrad Smith, 12-Ma'a Nonu, 11-Charles Piutau, 10-Lima Sopoaga, 9-Aaron Smith, 8-Kieran Read, 7-Richie McCaw (captain), 6-Liam Messam, 5-James Broadhurst, 4-Brodie Retallick, 3-Owen Franks, 2-Dane Coles, 1-Tony Woodcock
Replacements: 16-Codie Taylor, 17-Wyatt Crockett, 18-Ben Franks, 19-Sam Whitelock, 20-Victor Vito, 21-TJ Perenara, 22-Beauden Barrett, 23-Malakai Fekitoa.
Argentina vs Australia – Mendoza
Both of these fixtures upset the applecart last year with South Africa compounding New Zealand to one of their two losses since lifting the World Cup in 2011 whilst Argentina claimed an historic win against Australia.
It would be shock if another Argentine dream came true.
I think it is fair to say Australia were dreaming of a comeback when they were down against South Africa and they will count themselves lucky to be heading into Round Two with a win.
The visiting Wallabies are without Will Genia, Matt Giteu and Rob Horne due to injury so Coach Michael Cheika has had to make seven changes for their latest encounter with Argentina.
Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Matt Toomua and Joe Tomane are all included in the backs, and if they are to take a leaf out of New Zealand’s book, Australia will exploit the flanks in search of victory.
It will give us a chance to see Adam Ashley-Cooper, Israel Folau and Tevita Kuridrani at their best if the Wallabies go with this game plan.
David Pocock has also been selected in the forwards to help at the breakdown after the Wallabies struggled with that aspect of their game against South Africa.
As for Argentina, there were certainly positives to take from Christchurch. Their pack’s performance was good and their work from rolling mauls led to two tries and Australia are far from watertight up front.
Argentina will be 'picking and going' on regular occasions and will look to slow the game down whenever they can when the ball is in the hands of skipper Agustín Creevy and Marcos Ayerz.
The main team news in the Pumas camp is that Coach Daniel Hourcade has recalled winger Gonzalo Camacho after three shoulder operations.
Camacho injuried his shoulder against New Zealand in 2013 and he is one of sevens changes Hourcade has made.
Five of the changes are in the backs, where only fly-half Nicolas Sanchez and Santiago Cordero, who has moved from the left wing to full-back to replace the injured Joaquin Tuculet, survive.
Juan Pablo Socino and Matias Moroni make their championship debuts in midfield with Socino also making his first Pumas appearance.
Juan Imhoff starts on the right wing and Martin Landajo stands in for Tomas Cubelli at scrum-half.
In the forwards, Tomas Lavanini comes in for Guido Petti in the second row and Javier Ortega Desio replaces Juan Manuel Leguizamon at blindside flanker.
Coach Daniel Hourcade will know that this is his team’s best chance to win a Rugby Championship game this season and I am sure he will have last year’s fairytale game in the back of his mind on Saturday evening.
TRU’s Scott Donaldson’s Verdict
The Wallabies hold a 5-4 head to head lead against the Pumas in Argentina and a 17-5 advantage overall.
They lost this fixture last year, but showed more in their first game of the Rugby Championship than the hosts did in their game.
The hosts will be more competitive in this game than they were against the All Blacks. The home advantage will keep the Pumas in this game, but the Wallabies should still win. David Pocock will be crucial in this game and the likes of Israel Folau, Tevita Kuridrani, Bernard Foley and Adam Ashley-Cooper should benefit.
My pick: Wallabies by 7 points.
Argentina: 15-S Cordero, 14-G Camacho, 13-M Moroni, 12-J Pablo Socino, 11-J Imhoff, 10-N Sanchez, 9-M Landajo; 8-F Isa, 7-J Martin Fernandez Lobbe, 6-J Ortega Desio, 5-T Lavanini, 4-M Carizza, 3-R Herrera, 2-A Creevy (capt), 1-M Ayerza
Replacements: 16-S Iglesias Valdez, 17-N Tetaz Chaparro, 18-M Diaz, 19-M Alemanno, 20-L Senatore, 21-T Cubelli, 22-S Gonzalez Iglesias, 23-L Gonzalez Amorosino
Australia: 15-Israel Folau, 14-Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13-Tevita Kuridrani, 12-Matt Toomua, 11-Joe Tomane, 10-Bernard Foley, 9-Nick Phipps, 8-Ben McCalman, 7-David Pocock, 6-Scott Fardy, 5-Rob Simmons, 4-Will Skelton, 3-Greg Holmes, 2-Stephen Moore (captain), 1-James Slipper.
Replacements: 16-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17-Scott Sio, 18-Sekope Kepu, 19-Dean Mumm, 20-Michael Hooper, 21-Nic White, 22-Quade Cooper, 23-Kurtley Beale.
Who are you picking to win the Rugby Championship Round 2 games?