While it’s easy to get caught up in the AFL and NRL finals fever, there are some significant games of rugby union coming up.
Both the Wallabies and Wallaroos are playing on Saturday in The Rugby Championship and WXV 2 respectively.
The Rugby Championship will also be decided by a match between South Africa and Argentina on Sunday morning.
Wallabies v New Zealand – Kick-off 5:05pm Saturday
With neither of these sides in contention to win The Rugby Championship, and the Bledisloe Cup already locked up by NZ, this game will be played for pride. That’s especially true for the Wallabies, who are seeking their first win on New Zealand soil since 2001.
The Wallabies came within three points of the All Blacks last weekend in Sydney and will be hoping to overturn that result. They’re playing in Wellington, where the All Blacks haven’t won since 2018, on Saturday. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has named a side that will see winger Dylan Pietsch in the starting 15 for the first time, with Marika Koriobete sidelined due to a wrist injury. Jake Gordon will also replace Nic Wright as the starting halfback.
The most significant change to the All Blacks side is Beauden Barrett starting at five-eighth instead of Damian McKenzie.
Wallaroos v Wales – Kick-off 8:20pm Saturday
The Wallaroos are out for redemption against Wales after they were beaten in overtime last week on Welsh soil. This time, the stakes are higher as both teams are now in Cape Town, South Africa for WXV 2. Australia’s results over the next three games will help determine their eligibility for the 2025 World Cup.
WXV 2 is the second tier of international women’s rugby and features six sides. The Wallaroos are in WXV 2 because they finished fourth in the Pacific Four series, a competition that features New Zealand, the U.S. and Canada.
Springboks v Argentina – Kick-off 1:00am Sunday
After a shock loss to Argentina last weekend in Santiago del Estero, the Springboks will now host the Argentinians at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit to decide the winner of the Rugby Championship. South Africa have won all four Test matches they have played here, including a 30-23 victory over Los Pumas in 2016.
South Africa’s coach Rassie Erasmus has made nine changes to the side that lost last week. After coming off the bench last week, star lock Eben Etzebeth will start in his 128th Test, surpassing Victor Matfield’s record for the most Tests played for South Africa.
Argentina are seeking their first Rugby Championship title.
