The match offers a first look at Eddie Jones’ Wallabies with the veteran coach kicking off his second stint as Australia’s head coach. Saturday’s game also offers the visitors a chance to end a sixty year hoodoo, with the Aussies having never registered a victory at this stadium.
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Australia finished eight points adrift of South Africa last year, picking up third place. Despite not being at their dazzling best, the All Blacks secured the championship by a single point.
The Springboks won both Tests against the Wallabies last year, and will be hoping to have a strong run again as they prepare to defend their world champion status.
Defending world champions South Africa have the upcoming jamboree in France firmly lodged in their heads. Coaches Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber are looking closely at every inch of their squad to find the best combination in each area of the field.
The Rugby World Cup is drawing closer with the Rugby Championship providing valuable gametime to prepare for the showpiece event in France.
South Africa against Australia will always be a massive contest not to be missed, so when it’s the opening match of this year’s Rugby Championship, you really do need to watch. The southern hemisphere’s top sides coming together, a matter of months before the World Cup, is about as big as it gets and there are plenty of fascinating subplots going on, too.
Loftus Versfeld Stadium holds nothing but bad memories for Wallabies supporters, so the fact that even some of them believe that they can get something from their trip to Pretoria this weekend shows the transformative effect the second coming of Eddie Jones has already had on Australia rugby.
The annual southern hemisphere spectacular will this year be held over only three rounds, forming a crucial part of prepartions for this autumn’s World Cup for the four competing nations.
The Wallabies arrive in South Africa back under the guidance of Eddie Jones, installed for a second stint as Australia head coach after being sacked by England last December.
The Wallabies have never won at the ground, taking on a Springbok side looking to hit form before their Rugby World Cup defence in September.
It will kick off the Rugby Championship for 2023, followed by Argentina hosting the All Blacks in Mendoza.
