Australia Rugby

Australia and New Zealand renew their rivalry when the two teams meet in the opening match of the 2018 Rugby Championship at Sydney's ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

The match also serves as the first of the 2018 Bledisloe Cup, a three-match series contested between the two nations. The two teams meet again at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, on August 25, with the final match taking place at the Nissan Stadium and Yokohama, Japan, on October 27.

Australia have not lifted the trophy since 2002. However, there is reason for optimism, as they beat New Zealand in the third and final Test in 2017. The win ended a seven-match losing streak against the All Blacks.

       

Date: Saturday, August 18

Time: 11:05 a.m. (BST), 6:05 a.m. (ET), 8:05 p.m. (Local)

TV Info: Sky Sports Action (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)

        

New Zealand have dominated the Bledisloe Cup for over a decade and will start as clear favourites once again. The All Blacks will also be out to defend their 2017 Rugby Championship. They claimed the title by winning all six of their Tests against Australia, South Africa and Argentina to clinch a perfect campaign.

The defending champions head into the match on a good run of form. They beat France 3-0 in their most recent series, and it looks like it will take something special for them to lose their crown.

The All Blacks have named their 23 for the match:

TEAM NAMING | Introducing your #AllBlacks 23 for the first #BledisoeCup and #RugbyChampionship Test of the year.

FULL STORY ➡️ https://t.co/8fIcpCKgxc#AUSvNZL pic.twitter.com/60IHninFJ2

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 15, 2018

Head coach Steve Hansen has offered his thoughts on the game, per his team's official website.

"The Bledisloe means a lot to this team and we have the opportunity to show just how much on Saturday night," he said. "As far as we're concerned, neither team currently has possession of the Cup, and if we want it, we've got to front up and take it."

Australia finally tasted victory over their rivals in October in last year's competition. Although the 2017 Bledisloe Cup had already been decided, their 23-18 win at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium should provide confidence.

Another victory on Saturday would offer the Wallabies a real chance of finally getting their hands on the trophy. The decision to move the final game to Japan may also work in the Wallabies' favour.

Australia beat New Zealand 26-24 in 2010 in Hong Kong the last time a Bledisloe game was played on neutral territory.

Captain Michael Hooper has given Australia a boost by being cleared to play after recovering from a hamstring problem, per the New Zealand Herald.

Scrum-half Will Genia said winning the competition would be the "pinnacle" of his career and explained why the Bledisloe Cup has proved so elusive, per Reuters (h/t the Guardian).

He said: "I mean, the World Cup is obviously up there but how often do you get to play the best team in the world three times and have to win two out of three to win a trophy?"

There's a feeling that Australia are a team on the rise, and this match will prove a real indication of how they are shaping up. 

Australia will be looking to bounce back from their surprise defeat to Scotland last week when they take on Italy in their final June international at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

The Wallabies have a perfect record against the Italians having never lost to them, and in the most recent meeting between the two sides, Australia ran out 50-20 away winners in Turin in 2013.

It would be a huge shock if the Azzurri were to claim victory, especially in Australia, but the hosts will be acutely aware they cannot afford to be complacent.

Read on for a preview of the clash, along with scheduling and viewing details. 

Date: Saturday, June 23

Time: 6 a.m. BST, 1 a.m. ET, 3 p.m. local 

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), Tenplay (AUS)

      

Preview

In the wake of the Scotland defeat, it is now vital Australia put in a good performance against Italy and earn a decent win.

The 2017 Rugby Championship begins in early August, and the Wallabies cannot afford to again start the tournament on the back of disappointing midyear results.

Last year England claimed a whitewash summer series victory against the Aussies, and head coach Michael Cheika's side ended up being thrashed by New Zealand in their opening Rugby Championship fixture.

Australia scrum-half Will Genia outlined how significant the Italy game now is, per the Daily Telegraph's Iain Payten: "It's big. We have to make sure we prepare well, but more than anything perform well against Italy on Saturday so we can have some sort of confidence and momentum moving into what it is going to be quite a tough Rugby Championship."

Genia, 29, scored a try in the 24-19 defeat to Scotland but was also partially culpable for two of the tries Australia conceded.

Cheika's side need to show much greater discipline against Italy both in possession and at the breakdown.

In truth, they have the quality to beat head coach Conor O'Shea's side while not playing at their best.

The Italians endured a chastening Six Nations earlier this year as they lost every match, while they have also been downed by Fiji and Scotland already in June.

However, a scrappy victory for Australia will not suffice as they look to build some momentum ahead of the Rugby Championship in August.

And Italy do have the capabilities to cause problems. They beat an admittedly poor South Africa side at home in Florence last November and caused England all kinds of problems in the Six Nations with some novel tactics, per BBC Sport's Tom Fordyce.

Australia have not enjoyed the best form of late, but a defeat to Italy would be a new low.

They have more than enough quality to thrash Italy, especially on home soil, but need to be a lot more clinical in the lead-up to the Rugby Championship. 

The Kangaroos have never looked in a better position to re-assert their dominance on world rugby league than in this weekend's Four Nations final at Anfield.

Having progressed through the group stage of the tournament without incident, with big wins over Scotland and England split by a 14-8 success over New Zealand, Australia go into the final as raging $1.25 favorites, according to website AustralianGambling.

While this is not yet a vintage Australian side, the quality of their opposition in the tournament has been questionable.

The Kiwis' best performance of the tournament came against the Kangaroos two weeks ago in Coventry, when they conceded a 10-0 start after 10 minutes but then largely outplayed them for the rest of the match, only to lose by six points.

But despite that gallantry, New Zealand go into this match as $4 outsiders, needing to re-produce the intensity of the second half of that match to be a genuine chance.

Outside of that 40 minutes, they have struggled. They fell over the line 17-16 against England and against Scotland last week went within a whisker of falling victim to one of the great sporting upsets.

The teams split the points 18-18, which was enough to earn the Kiwis a spot in the final, but not before Scotland took the lead with 10 minutes left. Centre Gerard Beale proved the hero with two late tries.

Coach David Kidwell will be pinning his hopes on the Kiwis lifting against their old foe Sunday. They can put their patchy tour behind them with a complete performance in the final.

The bookies are convinced otherwise with the shortest price with the addition of a margin, a 13+ point win for Australia at $2.10. For the Kangaroos to win by under 13 is $2.75 while a NZ win by that small margin is $5. An over 13-point win by the Kiwis is a $15 chance.

Australia have won all three clashes between the two this year, but New Zealand won the previous three.

After two rounds of the 2016 Four Nations competition, it is Australia who are leading the way. Victories over Scotland and New Zealand have put them in the driver's seat to take the title.

This weekend they will face an England team needing not only a win, but a significant points-difference boost if they are to reach the final. New Zealand will face Scotland while looking to deny the English any chance of making the final.

The Kiwis are heavy favorites to beat Scotland priced at $1.01, according to Australian Gambling. A narrow win over England followed by a defeat to the Kangaroos has galvanized this New Zealand side, who are looking to retain the Four Nations title.

The superior quality that they have throughout their squad is likely to prove too much for Scotland.

Although 2016 is shaping up to be the year of the miracle underdog victory, the Scottish must overturn odds of $21. They managed to compete with England for long periods in their last match but will have to produce an incredible performance to beat the Kiwis.

Australia headed into this year's Four Nations with a point to prove after losing out to New Zealand last time around. With a blend of youth and experienced NRL players, the Kangaroos have begun to take strides forward in their development as a side.

They will be looking to return to the summit of the rugby league hierarchy and will be confident of dispatching the English at $1.25. England held so much promise for this tournament but have failed to deliver despite a squad boosted by their own world-class NRL talent.

Failure to reach the final on home soil would be a massive disappointment for them, and their inability to boost their points difference against Scotland may well have denied them that, even if they can beat Australia at a price of $4.

Heading into the last round of play before the final, England and New Zealand will be battling it out for the chance to play Australia at Anfield. By the time England play they will know exactly what they must do to better the Kiwis on the Four Nations ladder.

New Zealand will be looking to extend their 17-match winning streak to break their own record this weekend against Australia.

That 18th win has eluded the All Blacks before, but it almost seems set in stone that they can complete a Bledisloe Cup whitewash over the Wallabies this year.

Eden Park, the venue for his weekend's Test, is a black-clad fortress. The Wallabies have not won there since 1986. Thirty years later and the odds are not in their favor. According to website AustralianGambling, Australia is priced at $9.00 to claim what would be a monumental victory.

The one thing Australia have in their corner is that they were the last team to beat the All Blacks before the current winning streak began. After a disjointed Rugby Championship, the Wallabies will have to improve their game drastically if they are to have any hope of breaking the Eden Park curse.

New Zealand, however, head into this match with everything on the field looking rosy. Priced at $1.06, they can be confident of breaking their own winning streak record.

Off the field, though, the All Blacks and NZ Rugby have been under the microscope for all the wrong reasons. Scrum half Aaron Smith will take no part of this fixture after his indiscretions in a public bathroom.

With New Zealand looking unbeatable from the outside, it appears their biggest threat may well be their own players undermining them from within.

A big win for New Zealand currently stands as the favorite with the addition of a margin to the winner. A victory of 13+ points for the All Blacks is priced at $1.27 in contrast to a narrow win of 1-12 points at $4.50.

A Wallabies win with the correct winning margin could make many people happy on one side of the Tasman Sea. A 13+ point win for Australia is priced at $41.00 and a 1-12 point victory at $11.00.

Australia are up against it this weekend when they face the All Blacks. Sport, however, is full of miraculous tales of underdog victors. The Wallabies will have to put everything on to the field if they hope to get anywhere near New Zealand. With a wealth of talent, the All Blacks will look to make history.

Ahead of the Four Nations tournament in England later this month, Australia and New Zealand will meet for a historic Test in Perth.

Western Australia will get its first glimpse of this enthralling sporting rivalry with the Kiwis looking to bounce back from a demoralizing 16-0 loss the last time they faced the Kangaroos. For Australia, that victory ended a run of three straight defeats to their trans-Tasman rivals.

According to website AustralianGambling.com.au, Australia is the favorite for this match at $1.40. The Kangaroos need a win here to set them up as they look to reclaim the Four Nations title from New Zealand.

A victory here would certainly put them in a great position before traveling to the UK. Head coach Mal Meninga is still searching for his best blend of youth and experience in the starting lineup.

Despite having lost to Australia in this year's Anzac Day Test, the Kiwis can head into this match with confidence, having won three out of the last four fixtures against the Kangaroos. Australia's domination in this fixture is a distant memory, and New Zealand will look to overturn a price of $3.00.

With a wealth of NRL talent, the Kiwis continue to get stronger every year.

Although New Zealand should provide a stern test for Australia, the punters are backing a big win for the Kangaroos. A 13-plus point victory stands as the favorite at $2.50, while a win of between one and 12 points is at $3.00. Meanwhile, for a New Zealand win by 13-plus points the price is $7.50, with a close-fought Kiwi win of one to 12 points at $4.25.

With England and Scotland awaiting both sides before the end of October, this one-off Test holds all the more importance. Momentum will be key heading into the Four Nations, as Australia and New Zealand both aim to be the best league nation in the world. Expect a huge clash in Perth this weekend when these two sides collide.

The Wallabies gained a confidence boost after breaking a six-game losing streak, but coach Michael Cheika will be warning against complacency in this weekend's match against Argentina in Perth.

Australia came back from an 11-point deficit midway through the first half to beat South Africa 23-17 in the Rugby Championship on Saturday to end its longest losing streak in 11 years.

Sportsbooks now expect the Wallabies to beat the Pumas in Perth this Saturday, paying $1.25 for an Australian win, with $3.80 for Argentina to take the victory, according to website AustralianGambling.com.au.

An Australian win of up to 12 points will pay $2.80, with $5 for Argentina.

The Pumas will pay $14 if they get up by more than 12 points against just $2.10 for the Wallabies to win by the same margin.

With the Australian team yet to be named, the Sydney Morning Herald reported "Cheika hinted that the Wallabies could field another two debutants this week, with prop Tom Robertson and second-rower Lopeti Timani in the frame to be selected for the Argentina match." Seven players have made Test debuts for Australia in six games this year.

Allan Alaalatoa is ruled out of Saturday's Test with a knee injury, while Robertson and Rebels forward Toby Smith have been called into the squad.

The Pumas have proved themselves to be a legitimate competitor in this year's Rugby Championship, downing South Africa 26-24 in the second round before impressing in a loss to world champion New Zealand last week.

The speedy and innovative Argentina tested the All Blacks for much of the game; the 57-22 scoreline did not do them justice.

Wallabies scrum coach Mario Ledesma, a former Argentine international, has been credited with transforming the Wallabies scrum since joining the team, and with improvements in the lineouts evident in the South Africa win, Australia is confident of matching the traditionally bruising Argentine pack.

Australia and Argentina's fourth-round Rugby Championship match kicks off Saturday at 8:05 p.m. AEST.

Asking kids to tackle Meaalofa Te'o is unfair.

The Australian rugby sensation was filmed stiff-arming and trucking any opponent who dared get in his way. He made every defender look like the New Orleans Saints trying to take down former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch in their 2011 playoff matchup.

It's probably time to move him up to a higher division.

[USA Sevens Rugby]

Australia's set pieces will be put under pressure as the Wallabies look to avoid a seventh straight Test loss when they take on South Africa in Brisbane, Australia, in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.

New Zealand exposed severe deficiencies in the Wallabies in its two Bledisloe Cup wins last month as the All Blacks consistently stole the ball from the throw in.

Australia has now won just 69 percent of the ball from their own throws after two rounds of the Rugby Championship, compared with Argentina (91.67 percent), South Africa (91.3 percent) and the All Blacks, who haven't lost a throw.

Despite their problems, Michael Cheika's Wallabies are still tipped as favorites to claim the win in Brisbane.

According to website AustralianGambling, the Australians are $1.60 for the win, while the visiting Springboks are $2.35.

Cheika named four uncapped players in his 33-man squad, with centre Kyle Godwin, prop Tom Robertson, back-rower Lopeti Timani and winger Sefa Naivalu joining returning Rio Games sevens star Henry Speight.

Also in the squad is France-based veteran Drew Mitchell, who defended Australia's ability to bounce back from its Bledisloe disappointment.

"It's important for us to shelve that to the side and show these young guys it's what's happening at training and within the walls of our meetings that are important," Mitchell told reporters.

Australia's defense has also been a concern in recent Tests, with the back line often struggling to reach its defensive positions in broken play.

The Springboks are also coming off a Test disappointment after suffering just their second-ever defeat to Argentina in their last match at Salta two weeks ago.

The venue of Saturday's test is also a tough one for South Africa, which has won just one of its last 10 tests against Australia in Brisbane.

A Wallabies victory by 1-12 points is the most favored margin play at $2.55, with the Springboks $3.40 to win by the same margin.

A blowout result is considered unlikely with the Wallabies $3.30 to win by 13 points or more, while a big win by the Springboks (over 12.5) is an $8.20 chance.

Springboks centre Juan de Jongh says the week-long break between rounds in the Rugby Championship has given his side the chance to figure out where they need to improve.

"Whatever happened in Argentina is behind us now," De Jongh, who was part of the bronze-medal-winning South African sevens team at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, told the media. But he said playing Australia in Australia was not an easy task.

"When you come to Australia, it is never an easy match."