The Rugby Championship kicks off this weekend with plenty of anticipation. Argentina finally finds themselves in a regular international competition and this can only bode well for them. The top three nations who have dominated world rugby for the past two decades close a chapter and say goodbye to the Tri Nations. New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have all enjoyed great rivalries throughout the history of the Tri Nations, but even they will admit that it is a breath of fresh air with the inclusion of Argentina into The Rugby Championship.
Argentina brings in a new challenge. They are very physical with strong emphasis on their scrummaging and mauling. The Puma's also have a backline who can rival the French with flair and imagination. Unfortunately for them, they find themselves up against opposition with a lot more experience in tough competitions, but I expect them to cause upsets along the way. As time goes by, there is no reason why they cannot find themselves consistently in the top 5 nations of world rugby.
Australia has a fairly settled side with some promising youngsters. The lack of depth in Australian rugby hasn't been too much of an Achilles heel for them in the past and I don't expect it to be one going forward. The Wallabies are a proud rugby team and they are very good at playing to their strengths. Come the end of the season they'll be there or thereabouts.
Current world champions, New Zealand, are an incredibly well moulded team. They possess star players in almost every position and have match winners littered all over the field. With Richie McCaw and Dan Carter still playing some fantastic rugby they will be hard to beat. It will however be interesting to see just how they (and Australia for that matter) cope with the additional travel to Argentina. The All Blacks are the team to beat.
South Africa finds themselves in a new competition with a new coach, new management and new players. While they haven't had the best track record in the Tri Nations, they have an opportunity to set the record straight in this new competition. I expect the Springboks to put in a strong challenge, but if they are to win this competition then they will have be consistent and astute.
All in all, I am looking forward to a great new competition. There is nothing better than international rugby and with the top 3 teams competing in The Rugby Championship it makes for a mouth-watering affair!
As always...Go Bokke!
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