The 2024 Rugby Championship is about to kick off with a heavyweight clash between the Springboks and Wallabies in Brisbane. The Springboks, fresh off their Rugby World Cup victory in 2023, are the favorites, but the Wallabies are looking to cause an upset under new head coach Joe Schmidt.
The teams are in and we are almost set to get underway in the 2024 Rugby Championship, which is kicked off by the Wallabies hosting the Springboks.
Before the action, we selected a combined XV from the two matchday squads and on this occasion there are PLENTY of South Africans in our side.
Springboks Dominate the Combined XV
15 Willie le Roux (South Africa): A veteran of the game, the 95-cap Springbok is a safe bet for our side over Wallaby Tom Wright, who is a solid player in his own right but has some way to go to reach Le Roux’s level. The double Rugby World Cup winner’s importance to the South African attack earns him further points over his opposite number.
14 Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa): An iconic wing who has been there and done it more than once before. An easy selection fuelled by his remarkable sidestep, impressive turn of pace and that chasing lost causes attitude which has benefited the Springboks in big moments before.
13 Jesse Kriel (South Africa): The outside centre flicked the ‘world-class’ switch when he had a gap to fill for an injured Lukhanyo Am last year and he has not looked back. Kriel’s athleticism allows him to execute his duties with aplomb whether that is making defensive reads or trying to bust through the line himself.
12 Damian de Allende (South Africa): Hunter Paisami has shown some promise under Joe Schmidt and the duo will both be hoping he could become something close to what De Allende is for South Africa; consistent, reliable and powerful. Everyone knows what the Springbok brings because he has done it 79 times in South African colours.
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse (South Africa): 15 tries in 18 Tests. Not much more needs to be said but we will anyway, Arendse has only been world-class in Springboks colours and is in the conversation for the best wingers on the planet right now. His ability to beat defenders is one thing, as is his aerial skills, but his knack of always being in the right spaces at the right time makes him a prolific finisher. Filipo Daugunu does deserve a mention as one of the Wallabies best under Schmidt so far but Arendse’s strike rate is miles ahead.
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (South Africa): It’s not often that dropping the hero of a World Cup triumph in Handre Pollard to the bench is met with very little, if any, backlash. Such is the quality of the young star who boasts the attacking intent and prowess of Manie Libbok as well as the composure of Pollard. It has been an unbelievable start to his Test career but this is it, this could be that moment. Noah Lolesio is only just returning to the Test scene and while he has been good in gold it’s not enough to displace the Springbok prodigy.
Rassie Erasmus: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s start is ‘definitely a sign of the future’
🇿🇦 What do you make of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu start at 10 for the Springboks against Australia? #AUSvRSA pic.twitter.com/KORnBuZlLP
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) August 6, 2024
9 Cobus Reinach (South Africa): Take nothing away from Jake Gordon whose rounded game looks spot on for Schmidt’s plans, but who doesn’t love a try-scoring scrum-half. Reinach is known for his pace but he offers so much in his distribution and kicking game. Throw in his vast experience and it’s an easy pick.
8 Rob Valetini (Australia): The lone Wallaby and by no means a token selection. Valetini was named at blindside but to be frank it doesn’t matter what number is on his back as he will carry at the Springboks’ defence all game long, when he isn’t doing that he will tackle himself dead. Valetini is in the pool of the world’s most elite back-rowers, it feels like he has been around forever but at just 25 he is on a fast track to becoming a Wallabies legend.
Wallabies selection winners and losers as Joe Schmidt rolls the dice with impressive rookie prop, overlooks veterans for Springboks clash
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa): For the record, there are few if any players that could displace the Springbok from a combined XV. Even with his dad’s tendon for a hamstring, nothing can stop the Malmesbury Missile from having no regard for his personal safety as he catapults his massive frame into opposition ball carriers. An exceptional defender as we all know but keep an eye out for his running game in the trams.
6 Siya Kolisi (South Africa): Captain, leader, legend. The way in which South Africa so desperately wants their figurehead to return home showcases how influential the openside has become. After copping some criticism he put in some brilliant outings against Ireland and he will be fired up again. There is something different about the Kolisi in green and gold.
5 RG Snyman (South Africa): A moment must be taken for the development of Lukhan Salakai-Loto who looks set to become a focal point of the Wallabies pack, but it’s impossible to look beyond the Viking. Snyman’s exceptionally large frame and long levers could almost be cut from a comic book in how he manipulates the ball in contact to find an offload. Throw in his line-out prowess and obvious physicality and you have a very unique player. He will be relishing every start he can get.
4 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa): On a one-way road to becoming the most capped Springbok ever which does not happen by mistake. Etzebeth is an icon of the sport and not just for South Africa, his extreme yet impressively calculated physicality is a cornerstone of his game powered by his massive engine.
3 Frans Malherbe (South Africa): The anchor himself. While it may not be his best period in terms of form he still edges ahead of Wallabies skipper Allan Alaalatoa. We all know Malherbe is there to monster in the scrum and he likely will again but an underrated part of his game is his defensive work-rate and a glance at his tackle counts may surprise a few.
2 Bongi Mbonambi (South Africa): Matt Faessler is a growing hooker and clearly the incumbent but for us, it’s a simple choice with the ‘Top Dog’ cracking the nod. Mbonambi has grown into a leader as his time on the Test scene has gone on and he will look to lead the charge in terms of being as physical as possible.
1 Ox Nche (South Africa): The best is still to come from Nche which is a scary thought as the Springbok looks to kick on from a great 2023 season. He has the keys to the ship without Steven Kitshoff around and chances are he could keep them when his teammate returns. He has not enjoyed the questions about the scrums and would love to put in a performance that leaves no questions. Wallaby Isaac Kailea deserves a mention after a good start to his Test career but he has SOME way to go to rival Nche.
READ MORE: Wallabies: Rookie prop backed to tackle mighty Springboks scrum as Joe Schmidt snubs Marika Koroibete
The Teams and the Match-Up
Rugby Championship, Round One: Springbok captain Siya Kolisi knows that his team will have to hit the ground running in this year’s Rugby Championship if they want to lift that trophy for the first time since 2019.
The Wallabies have dominated the Boks at Lang Park over the years. It was back in 2013 when the Boks last tasted victory over their Southern Hemisphere rivals at that venue.
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“Everyone knows that we haven’t done really well in Australia,” said Kolisi.
“We can’t win the Rugby Championship by winning these two games, but you can lose it by not doing well in these two games.
“The most important one for us is this one here.
“We need to be up for it from the word go this coming weekend.”
“They’ve got players with huge x-factor, so if you are not at your best on the day, those players are good enough to punish you,” said Stick.
“At the moment, they are also in a good space with the new coaching staff.
“If there is a coach that can turn things around for them, you can’t ask for a better one than Joe Schmidt.
“We’ve seen what he has done when he was coaching Ireland.”
Stick added: “It’s very important that we keep improving from where we left off against Portugal and there were certain things that we wanted to fix, especially after losing that game against Ireland in Durban.
“If we don’t pitch up tomorrow [Saturday], a team like the Wallabies can punish us.”
Meanwhile, Australian captain Allan Alaalatoa on Friday conceded that the Wallabies go into the game as underdogs despite the Springboks not having won in Brisbane since 2013.
“We know that we’re not the full product yet, but we’re building towards that,” he said.
Alaalatoa said the Wallabies needed to be able to handle the massive South African tight five if they were to have any chance of an upset.
“They’re well experienced in terms of the number of Test caps that they have,” he said of the Boks’ forwards.
“As a forward pack we’ve spoken about that and we know that’s going to be a massive challenge for us – which we’re excited to face.”
Alaalatoa said the Wallabies were looking forward to playing in front of a sell-out crowd at Lang Park, a ground where they traditionally enjoy success.
“We know that we’ve got a great supporter base here in Queensland and we see it as our fortress,” he said.
“The crowd is going to be massive and we’re going to draw on them every step of the way tomorrow [Saturday].”
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For Australia: West Australian junior Carlo Tizzano will make his Test debut at openside flank. He will have a big job on his hands trying to disrupt the Springboks at the breakdowns. His fellow loose forwards, Harry Wilson and Rob Valetini, are big guys and they will need to stand up physically to the giants in the Springbok pack. In the backline, Noah Lolesio will need to show that he can dictate play against world-class opposition and he has a bit more Test experience than his opposite number, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
For South Africa: Young gun Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has dominated headlines this week after Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus gave him the No.10 jersey for Saturday’s match. He is probably the most exciting and promising player coming out of South Africa at the moment and he displayed some great moments off the bench in his previous Test appearances this year. There will also be a big spotlight on Elrigh Louw who gets the No.8 jersey this weekend. The Springboks want to find a successor to Duane Vermeulen and the Bulls bruiser will get a chance to put his hand up in Brisbane.
@rugby365com: South Africa by nine points.
Teams and Match Details
Australia: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Filipo Daugunu, 10 Noah Lolesio, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (captain), 2 Matt Faessler, 1 Isaac Kailea. Replacements: 16 Josh Nasser, 17 James Slipper, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Luke Reimer, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Tom Lynagh, 23 Dylan Pietsch.
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 RG Snyman, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handré Pollard.
Date: Saturday, August 10
Venue: Lang Park, Brisbane
Kick-off: 14.30 (06.30 SA time; 04.30 GMT)
Expected weather: It will be mostly sunny with a few clouds. There will be a high of 23°C.
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Paul Williams (New Zealand) and Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Photo credit: @Springboks
Additional reporting: AFP
Where to Watch the Rugby Championship
The Rugby Championship is a must-watch event for any rugby fan, and luckily there are plenty of ways to catch the action. Here’s a breakdown of how to watch the matches depending on your location:
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Australia: All Wallabies matches are FREE to watch on Channel 9 and 9Now. To see every single match, rugby fans will need to subscribe to Stan Sport ($15 a month on top of a regular Stan subscription costing $21 a month after a free trial).
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South Africa: Satellite TV provider SuperSport has the 2024 Rugby Championship broadcast rights in South Africa. You can watch SuperSport through live streams or the DStv satellite service.
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New Zealand: Sky Sport is the 2024 Rugby Championship TV rights holder in New Zealand. You can access Sky Sport through satellite TV or get a live stream with the Sky Sport Now subscription service starting at $29.99 per week.
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United Kingdom: The rights to the event in the UK are owned by Sky Sports. You can watch via the usual satellite channels and the Sky Stream service. Alternatively, grab a Now Sports subscription from £14.99 a day.
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United States: The Rugby Championship live stream is on FloRugby in the US. FloRugby plans start from $29.99 a month. Or you can opt for the $150 annual subscription. Either way, you'll get access to the Rugby Championship, plus SANZAAR and USA Rugby events.
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Canada: TSN is the place to watch the 2024 Rugby Championship in Canada. You can get TSN as part of your cable TV package or sign up to the TSN+ streaming service.
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Fiji: The FBC will have free-to-air coverage of the 2024 Rugby Championship in Fiji. It will also be on the Sky Pacific pay TV platform.
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France: Canal+ will provide access to the 2024 Rugby Championship in France and across French overseas territories. It is also the rights holder in Monaco, Luxembourg, Andorra and French-speaking Switzerland.
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Italy: You can watch the 2024 Rugby Championship on Sky Italia in Italy.
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Japan: Streaming service Wowow will show the 2024 Rugby Championship in Japan.
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Middle East: Subscription streaming service Starzplay has the broadcast rights to the 2024 Rugby Championship across the countries of the Middle East.
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Netherlands: Viewers in the Netherlands can watch Rugby Championship 2024 for free NZR+.
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Pacific Islands: Digicel Pacific have the rights to broadcast the 2024 Rugby Championships across the following Pacific Islands: American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Nauru and Papua New Guinea. You can watch the matches on Digicel TV or through the DTV app. Although not confirmed, Digicel will likely also air the matches in Cook Islands, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna and Western Samoa. Sky Sport New Zealand or Sky Pacific are the probable providers if not.
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South East Asia: Premier Sports has the rights to broadcast the 2024 Rugby Championship in Singapore and a number of other countries in South East Asia. They are as follows: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Federated States of Micronesia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Marianas, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Nepal, Northern Marianas, North Korea, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Tajikistan, Taiwan (Republic of China), Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
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Spain: Telefonica holds the broadcast rights for the 2024 Rugby Championship in Spain.
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Other Countries: Check your local broadcaster above but people in Austria, India, Russia, Denmark and many other nations listed have free Rugby Championship 2024 coverage. Those in India, Russia and Austria can watch every match of the Rugby Championship 2024 event for free on NZR+.
Remember that, if you're traveling away from home, you can use a VPN to watch the 2024 Rugby Championship free from abroad on your usual streaming service.
The 2024 Rugby Championship Schedule
The 2024 Rugby Championship takes place between August 10 and September 28. The Round 1 takes place on August 10. The start times are as follows:
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Australia vs South Africa: Kicks off at 12.45am ET / 5.45am BST.
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New Zealand vs Argentina: Kicks off at 3.05am ET / 8.05am BST.
Of course, most broadcasters have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone’s browser.
You can also stay up-to-date with all 2024 Rugby Championship events on the official social media channels on X/Twitter (@Sanzartrc) and Facebook (TheRugbyChampionship).
