International Rugby

New Zealand have already locked up their 2017 Bledisloe Cup win over Australia, but the All Blacks will try to make it a clean sweep against the Wallabies on Saturday in Brisbane.

Australia gave their big rivals a real challenge in their last meeting in Dunedin, losing in heartbreaking fashion. The result handed the All Blacks their 15th straight Bledisloe Cup, and they're expected to win the third meeting as well.

Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming match.

Date: Saturday, October 21

Time: 8 p.m. AEST/10 a.m. BST/5 a.m. ET

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Preview

Australia put together a much better showing in their second Test in August against the All Blacks after losing the first by 20 points, a match that saw New Zealand cruise to a 40-6 half-time score.

The second Test saw Australia run out to a quick lead before their rivals completed an epic comeback with just minutes left to play, winning by six. The All Blacks overcame a 17-point deficit.

ESPN Rugby's Craig Dowd believes the hosts are in an even better position to win this time around:

Suncorp Stadium is a bit of a fortress for Australian rugby while the expectation is always on the All Blacks to do well. On the flipside, the expectations are low on Australia which means they've got nothing to lose. When you get those sorts of odds, it is all set up against you; the only way the All Blacks can have a win out of this is to actually have a convincing one.

However, we all know Australia are never a lie-down sort of team. They're a tough outfit and they've shown they're getting better and better. They finished second in the Rugby Championship and will be disappointed they couldn't do better than two draws with South Africa.

Star All Blacks fly-half Beauden Barrett is a doubt to play in the third Test, per Tom Decent of the Sydney Morning Herald, following his concussion in the narrow win over South Africa. Richie Mo'unga has been called up as cover at the position but has never featured in a Test. Brodie Retallick won't play either.

Injuries have been a regular thing for New Zealand this year, and the team's extraordinary depth has held up well, but there's only so much turnover a team can take. Their recent record in Brisbane hasn't been great, and in a supposedly dead rubber, it could be hard for the players to get motivated.

The All Blacks' raw athleticism will trouble just about any team in the world, but the Wallabies have shown the ability to turn matches into a slugfest and did so to great effect in Dunedin. Another quick start and better composure late on will be needed to secure the upset, but it certainly isn't out of the question.

Prediction: New Zealand complete the sweep after another close, hard-fought match. All Blacks 34-27 Wallabies

The second match of the 2017 Bledisloe Cup―as part of the Rugby Championship―will take place on Saturday, as New Zealand go looking for yet another win over rivals Australia.

The All Blacks have won all editions of the three-match series since 2003 and crushed the Wallabies 54-34 in Sydney last week. The series now moves to Dunedin, where the hosts will be huge favourites. The third match of the series will take place in Brisbane on October 21, but the Bledisloe Cup could well be decided by then.

Here's a look at the details for Match 2:

Date: Saturday, August 26

Time: 8:35 a.m. BST/7:35 p.m. Local

Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin

Preview

Last weekend's demolition in Sydney once again highlighted the wide gap in quality that exists between the two rivals right now, as the All Blacks scored no less than six first-half tries on enemy soil.

At the break, the score was 40-6, and while the Aussies performed admirably in the second half, it was clear the All Blacks weren't even trying any longer at that point.

ESPN Rugby's Craig Dowd fears things could get a lot worse in Match 2:

"Even after a victory like that, the All Blacks will have come away with plenty of work-ons and areas for improvement. That spells bad news for the Wallabies in Dunedin where I'm sure they will get much more of the same and probably a little bit more given the passing of Sir Colin Meads. He is one of New Zealand's heroes and a great icons of All Blacks rugby."

The All Blacks reserves likely got an earful from coach Steve Hansen after allowing the hosts to score 28 points in the second half. Usually, the deep and athletic All Blacks squad does even more damage after the break, but this time that wasn't the case.

Another fast start is expected in Dunedin, and in all likelihood, the hosts will not slow down even if they grab a healthy lead. New Zealand have struggled putting together complete performances of late, but against a slumping Wallabies team that could change.

For Australia, executing the fundamentals will be key in avoiding another blowout. Missed tackles doomed the Wallabies in the first match, and while they're unlikely to match the All Blacks in raw athleticism this time around, the least they can do is make things difficult on their opponents.

Slowing down the play with good set pieces and a good showing from the pack would also help, or the Wallabies could be in for yet another embarrassing night in Dunedin.

Prediction: New Zealand 48-17 Australia 

Argentina will go looking for their first points in the 2017 Rugby Championship on Saturday, as they host South Africa in Salta.

The Pumas lost their opening match in Port Elizabeth 37-15 after a meltdown in the second half, but their first-half showing was cause for optimism. The Springboks are good, but not invincible, especially if the hosts can limit errors.

Date: Saturday, August 26

Time: 8:40 p.m. BST

TV Info: Sky Sports Action (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)

Preview

While South African fans should feel confident about their team after the win in Port Elizabeth, the Springboks took advantage of some sloppy play from the Pumas. As shared by rugby writer Hendrik Cronje, some statistics suggested there won't be a repeat in Match 2:

South Africa have won four matches in a row but haven't won an away match in the Rugby Championship in their last six tries. Their last victory came in Argentina, and the team will be eager to see that streak come to an end.

The Springboks largely won their first match thanks to the performance of their pack, which dominated the Argentinians throughout the contest. Per ESPN Rugby's John Goliath, tighthead Coenie Oosthuizen gave full marks to the group:

“It was a team effort, I think the whole pack of forwards were quite happy about the work we put into scrumming.

“Two weeks' prep is difficult for the tight unit to evolve quickly. But from a scrumming perspective, we achieved what we wanted, but there is so much more we can actually do right to improve our scrumming.

“But, for the first Test for the Rugby Championship, I think we can be happy about that."

The fine form of their pack should serve them well in Salta, where the narrow pitch favours physical teams, rather than those built around pure athleticism.

Patience will be key in Argentina, where the hosts can get swept up by the vocal crowd and their physicality comes into play even more. Good work with the boot will also be needed, and that has been an area of concern for the hosts at times.

Australia and New Zealand will write another chapter in their storied rivalry on Saturday, as the two meet in the opening match of the 2017 Rugby Championship at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

As is always the case when these sides meet, results will count towards the Bledisloe Cup series. This match is the first of a trio between them this year, with the reverse Rugby Championship fixture in a week's time in Dunedin; the two sides will go head-to-head at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on October 21 in a potential decider.

It's a trophy that has not been out of New Zealand hands since 2002, when Australia won a two-match series 2-0. Once again, the All Blacks are the favourites to earn this prestigious accolade.

Date: Saturday, August 19

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

TV Info: Sky Sports Action (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)

Preview

While thoughts don't turn away from the Bledisloe Cup for long when these two teams meet, focus will initially be on the Rugby Championship for the duo.

If Australia are to dethrone New Zealand, you sense they will need to begin that process in Sydney. But it's been a while since the Wallabies scored any kind of victory against their old rivals, the most recent coming at the ANZ Stadium in August 2015.

In truth, Mike Cheika's side have not been in the best form since then, with the Rugby World Cup final loss to New Zealand seemingly knocking the wind out of their sails; just eight wins have followed in the 18 matches since. The coach did not sound particularly confident of a win on Saturday either.

"The target needs to be to put New Zealand under pressure, not necessarily to go out there and win," he told Nine Network's Sports (h/t AAP, via 1newsnow). "Then we will see what happens from there, we'll see if we can take the pickings."

As noted by EatSleepRugby, Australia have long struggled in matches against their biggest rivals:

Can the #Wallabies pull off an upset against the #AllBlacks in the #BledisloeCup!? #RugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/lMFI9TpxBS

— EatSleepRugby (@eatsleeprugby) August 16, 2017

In fairness to the Wallabies, they are not the only team that have failed to cope with the back-to-back world champions.

Last year, New Zealand were especially dominant in the Rugby Championship. Not only did Steve Hansen's side win all six matches they played, they did so by adding the gloss of a bonus point too. Even Australia and South Africa were at a loss at how to cope with their power and panache.

The British and Irish Lions may have offered some hope to New Zealand's rivals here, though, as they were able to battle to a drawn three-match series earlier this year.

But Australia have failed to find any kind of consistent form as of late. And as the All Blacks Twitter account reminded us in the buildup to the game, there was quite a margin between the two teams when they last met:

It always takes a special performance to tame the force of the All Blacks, although on the back of three defeats in a row, it's unlikely the Wallabies can dig deep and pull out a historic display.

The Lions' blueprint may be the way to go for Cheika. The tourists were able to sap New Zealand's attacking spark with some resolute defending, excellent set pieces and deadly goal-kicking. Although it's a game plan that requires little margin for error if it's to be implemented effectively.

Some teams would be daunted by the atmosphere at the ANZ Stadium, but the All Blacks will relish the occasion and the opportunity to pile more misery on their rivals. Expect them to start their Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup defence with a trademark swagger.

Prediction: Australia 15-35 New Zealand

South Africa and Argentina will be out to get their 2017 Rugby Championship campaigns off to a strong start on Saturday, when they meet at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

For the Springboks, an overall triumph is long overdue in this tournament, with Australia and New Zealand the dominant forces in the competition. South Africa last lifted the title in 2009, when the competition was the Tri Nations.

In 2012, Argentina were introduced into this format for the first time to make this a four-team tournament and they are still awaiting their maiden title. Last year they won just one of their six matches, against South Africa.

The stakes will be high in this one, with both sides aware of how important a strong start is, especially with the All Blacks and the Wallabies meeting in the day's other fixture.

Date: Saturday, August 19

Time: 4:05 p.m. (BST), 11:05 a.m. (ET), 5:05 p.m. (Local)

TV Info: Sky Sports Action (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)

Preview

Although they have long been considered one of the heavyweights of the rugby world, South Africa have endured a mixed spell as of late.

A look at their recent results suggest some impressive form, as they won a three-match series 3-0 against France on home soil. However, losses to England, Wales and Italy last year yielded some significant concerns for this team.

It's why there are some serious doubts about the stewardship of coach Allister Coetzee, although he has called on the Port Elizabeth fanbase to get behind their players on Saturday.

"I asked for the camp to start here in Port Elizabeth—we had a similar experience ahead of the French series in Plettenberg Bay and that really went well," he said, per George Byron of the Herald. "…Port Elizabeth is not called the Friendly City for nothing and there are massive [numbers of] Springbok supporters here."

The South African Rugby Twitter account released the following clip looking ahead to Saturday's showdown and the tournament as a whole:

Still, for Coeztee there will be a massive amount of pressure to get his team purring for the match in Port Elizabeth.

If they win and make it four victories in succession, the struggles of 2016 will be forgotten for now. But a poor performance and a win for the Pumas would make it difficult for him to come back from.

Rugby journalist Simon Borchardt believes the coach has made the wrong decision in his appointment of the captain too:

With so much seemingly resting on this game for the home side, Argentina will head to Port Elizabeth knowing they have a decent chance of springing a surprise.

As the ninth-best team in the world, according to the official World Rugby rankings, challenging for the trophy at this tournament should be beyond the Pumas. But it's imperative they show something in this Rugby Championship; head coach Daniel Hourcade's squad was timid in two losses to a makeshift England team recently.

As noted by journalist Paul Tait, Argentina have traditionally found the going tough in the Rugby Championship:

Los Pumas have scored 466 points in the Rugby Championship, including 40 tries. 
On defense Argentina have conceded 861 points and 97 tries.

— Paul Tait (@Argentina_2027) August 12, 2017

The first game of a new tournament can be an ideal time to catch opponents off guard, and as the underdogs here, that should be the Pumas' game plan. If they can be competitive and cohesive early on, there's a chance South Africa will become frustrated.

However, after finding their feet in the wins over France and building some momentum moving into this competition, the Springboks will do just enough to win this one.

Prediction: South Africa 28-17 Argentina

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The British and Irish Lions will have the chance to make history on Saturday if they win the decisive third Test against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland.

The Lions bounced back from an opening defeat to the All Blacks with a 24-21 win last time out, and victory on Saturday would represent their first series win over New Zealand since 1971.

Here are the viewing details you need to catch the action, and read on for a preview of the contest:

Date: Saturday, July 8

Time: 8:35 a.m. BST/3:35 a.m. ET/7:35 p.m. local time

Venue: Eden Park, Auckland

Live Stream: Sky Go app (UK)

The Lions have named an unchanged side ahead of the contest on Saturday:

Per BBC Sport's Chris Jones, head coach Warren Gatland is well aware of the significance of the impending clash:

"They have an opportunity to leave bit of a legacy don't they? 11 tours of New Zealand and the Lions have only won here once.

"It's a chance to do something special. You have those moments in your life and you don't want those moments to pass you by.

"It's a pressure that you relish. It's why you do all those hours of preparation, because you want those big moments in sport.

"I have no doubt that tomorrow and Saturday the players will start thinking about that."

His side will need to put in an even more Herculean effort than the one that beat New Zealand in Wellington last Saturday if they're to win.

ESPN's Tom Hamilton demonstrated just how hard they worked to prevent their opponents breaching their line:

Their efforts prevented New Zealand from scoring a try for the first time in 39 matches, but they still came close to losing.

The All Blacks had to play for almost an hour with 14 men after Sonny Bill Williams was sent off, and they still led by nine points with 20 minutes remaining.

It could have been a different story if Beauden Barrett, who scored seven penalties because of the Lions' indiscipline, had not also missed three kicks.

If they are to beat the All Blacks again, they will need to give away fewer penalties, and they will also need another outstanding performance from Maro Itoje. Rugby journalist Murray Kinsella hailed his work at the lineout and his all-round excellence:

A similar outing from the 22-year-old is a must if the Lions are to win, but it's no guarantee.

Even in defeat the All Blacks looked deserving of their status as the world's best, and they've not lost at Eden Park since 1994.

It's not beyond the Lions to win, as they showed last time out, but doing so will be a phenomenal achievement and require the performance to match.

New Zealand can end the British and Irish Lions' hopes of a series victory on Saturday with a win in the second Test at Wellington's Westpac Stadium.

The Lions made a bright start at Auckland's Eden Park last Saturday as they looked to surprise the All Blacks in Game 1 of this summer's series, but the visitors ultimately ran out of steam en route to a convincing 30-15 loss.

Preventing New Zealand from gaining their usual second wind in the last 30 minutes of Saturday's Test will be a chief priority for the travelling outfit this time around, although many have tried and failed in that regard.

Lions coach Warren Gatland has changed up the team ahead of Game 2, however, and his side need a win if they're to keep alive any hopes of stopping New Zealand from finishing the series in early fashion.

We take a look at some of the players likely to play key roles in Saturday's crunch encounter, complete with all the fixture details and live-stream information you'll need to tune into the action. 

Date: Saturday, July 1

Time: 8:35 a.m. BST/3:35 a.m. ET/7:35 p.m. local time

Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Live Stream: Sky Go app (UK)

Sonny Bill Williams

One of the key areas of debate this week has oddly enough been the midfield, where England centre Ben Te'o has dropped to the bench, with compatriot Owen Farrell taking his place while Johnny Sexton slots in at fly-half.

It's a bold move for Gatland to make considering one of Te'o's primary roles last Saturday was caging New Zealand behemoth Sonny Bill Williams, and the Telegraph's Paul Hayward thought he did a fine job in that regard:

Indeed Farrell doesn't pose the same hulking figure as compatriot Te'o in the centre, and there is the added risk of Williams running riot should the sometimes No. 10 lose out by a wide margin in the physicality department.

But the prospect of seeing Farrell trampled into the Westpac Stadium soil hasn't crossed the mind of Gatland, who has insisted the Englishman and Ireland's Sexton can stop the Kiwi crusher, per Nick Purewal of the Evening Standard:

"Johnny and Owen haven't started but have had quite a bit of time together. It's just given us two ball players and two kicking options at first and second receiver, so we're happy with the mix.

"One concern we might have is that looking at the long-range weather forecast it doesn't look too great for Saturday night. So we may have to change how we play tactically."

"And of course defensively we'll have to do a job on Sonny Bill Williams, too. He came pretty direct at us and got away a couple of offloads, so it's going to be important we shut him down."

Gatland touched on the added dynamism his backs will likely have as a result of swapping Farrell in for Te'o, but ex-England centre and former Lion Mike Tindall has also warned of the imbalance that could follow:

It's not as though Farrell hasn't played and taken down big centres in the past, but Williams isn't only big and as athletic as they come, he also boasts some of the silkiest hands in the game.

Therefore, Gatland could either outwit New Zealand counterpart Steve Hansen as a result of his changes, or he could have just handed Williams the keys to the kingdom as he looks to run riot from the All Blacks' core.

Maro Itoje

Though some of Gatland's decisions during this summer's tour have been contentious, not many can argue the point that England star and first-time Lion Maro Itoje isn't deserving of his place in the XV.

He's only recently begun to make strides on the international stage, but he's already established himself as one of the northern hemisphere's greatest talents, one that should have started Game 1, according to ex-England lock Ben Kay:

Wales second-row Alun Wyn Jones will be an unfamiliar partner for the 22-year-old, but Itoje's maturity beyond his years was recently illustrated by Murray Kinsella of The42.ie:

The fact Itoje could have his chance to make an impact across 80 minutes this time around, as opposed to his 30-minute stint off the bench in Auckland, could make a difference to the Lions' hopes in itself.

That's the unique talent Gatland has opted to trust from the beginning this time around, although a big task awaits the Saracens star in ensuring the occasion doesn't become too overwhelming.

The British & Irish Lions let slip a 23-7 half-time lead over the Hurricanes at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, on Tuesday to be held to a 31-31 draw. 

Tommy Seymour and George North went over either side of a Callum Gibbins try in the first half. Seymour scored again after the break, but Ngani Laumape, Wes Goosen and Vaea Fifita all crashed home tries to drag the relentless hosts back level.

The Lions have two matches remaining in New Zealand, both against the All Blacks, and they'll need to win both having lost the opening Test match against them at Eden Park at the weekend.

An ill-disciplined start from the Hurricanes saw them repeatedly give away penalties in the early exchanges, and Dan Biggar gave the Lions a 3-0 lead after 11 minutes when their opponents were penalised for offside in front of the posts.

The Lions struggled to break through the hosts' aggressive defensive line, but a rapid counter-attack allowed them to score the first try of the match.

Greig Laidlaw made a superb interception in his own 22, and he offloaded well to Seymour after being reeled in by Vince Aso, per Sky Sports Rugby:

Biggar consolidated their lead soon after with another excellent penalty from just inside the Hurricanes' half.

Gibbins muscled his way over from close range after the Hurricanes worked their way through the phases well, but Ben May carelessly held Laidlaw off the ball to gift the Lions another penalty, which Biggar dispatched easily. 

A strong finish to the half for the Lions saw them add a second try when Leigh Halfpenny chased down an excellent kick from Biggar. Iain Henderson reacted quickest to offload to North, who broke through to touch down under the posts:

Rugby journalists Simon Thomas and Alex Spink both singled out Henderson and Courtney Lawes at half-time:

The Hurricanes flew out of the traps in the second half, though, and they scored a try within a minute when Laumape went over in the corner following good work from Aso and Julian Savea.

A Jordie Barrett penalty saw them eat into the visitors' lead further, but the Lions looked to have sewn up the win when they hit back with a kick of their own before capitalising on a man advantage from 
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi's yellow card for Seymour to score his second try:

The Lions had two crucial decisions go against them either side, though, as Henderson and North both went over. The former was held up by Barrett and failed to ground the ball, while the latter stepped into touch while carrying Jonathan Joseph's excellent grubber.

The Hurricanes responded with two tries in three minutes to stun the visitors after Henderson was forced off the field with a yellow card.

Goosen did well to cut in from the right to hand Barrett a straightforward conversion, and the full-back had an even easier kick after Fifita wriggled through under the posts to draw level with 10 minutes remaining.

With the momentum fully behind the hosts, it was all the Lions could do to keep out the Hurricanes as the clock wore down with some desperate defending.

It was they who had the final chance when they found themselves in possession with 83 minutes gone, but Biggar's attempt at a drop-goal fell just short.

While the team is likely to be largely changed when the Lions take on New Zealand on Saturday, to throw away such a lead is far from ideal for Warren Gatland's men, who will need to play out of their skins if they're to beat the All Blacks in their final two Tests.

France slipped to a series whitewash in their summer internationals against South Africa, after losing the third and final Test 35-12 at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Tries from Jesse Kriel, Eben Etzebeth and Malcolm Marx, as well as a debut score from Rudy Paige, along with a hat-trick of penalties from Elton Jantjies, condemned Les Bleus to a third defeat in a row in this series.

France could only manage four Jules Plisson penalties in response.

Paul Williams of Rugby World noted how the pressure was on Les Bleus after losing the first two Tests:

Even so, Jantjies converted a penalty to open the scoring in just six minutes. A minute later South Africa had a try on the board, after Kriel went over.

An early 10-point lead left France shocked, but Plisson got them on the board with a penalty. Jantjies then missed one of his own to leave the score at 10-3 after 13 minutes.

France cut the gap to four when Plisson sent another penalty through. The French had worked well to win the second-phase ball before Jefferson Poirot was felled on the breakaway.

Jantjies made amends for his earlier miss by hooking in a second penalty to stretch the Springboks' advantage to seven points. Debutant Ruben Dreyer and 29-year-old scrum-half Francois Hougaard were letting South Africa dominate in the scrum and breakdowns, with South African Rugby showing a snap of one breakdown:

Another exchange of penalties meant the Springboks stayed seven points in front at the break.

Etzebeth scored from a lineout move early in the second half to make it 21-9.

Les Bleus were struggling because of some dubious tactics, as they used a beefy pack to try to dominate the Springboks physically. However, it simply wasn't working, and coach Guy Noves' men needed to focus more on creating and exploiting some natural width.

With a healthy lead, Springboks coach Allister Coetzee decided to freshen things up:

The changes from the bench paid dividends when Marx scored a try after some fine work from Steven Kitshoff in the buildup. Marx's try rendered Plisson's fourth penalty moot.

South Africa padded their score when Paige went over late on after a clever offload from substitute Bongi Mbonambi sent him clear.

The whitewash loss sums up how much France struggled with this summer international tour after a long and gruelling domestic season. Meanwhile, the Springboks have shown signs of a revival after three comprehensive displays.