The final round of matches in the 2023 Rugby Championship will be played out this weekend, starting with Australia taking on New Zealand at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday morning.
The All Blacks are on the verge of retaining the Rugby Championship title for a third successive season and 20th time in total, while the Wallabies will be hoping to avoid receiving the wooden spoon for the first time since 2020 when the Pumas did not compete in the competition.
Match preview
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There is no denying that Australian Rugby is in a bad place at the moment, and Eddie Jones is running out of time to find a winning formula with the 2023 Rugby World Cup now just over a month away from commencing.
After being outclassed on every level in their first match of the competition against South Africa at Loftus Versfeld, the Wallabies returned home a week later with strong expectations of overcoming the Pumas on home soil as they have done regularly in recent years.
However, it was not to be as Argentina orchestrated an incredible late comeback at CommBank Stadium, with Juan Martin Gonzalez scoring in the 78th minute of the match to secure a rare 34-31 away win for the Pumas.
That match also marked the first time in history that Australia lost back-to-back games against Argentina, following a thumping 48-17 defeat in the second round of last year's competition in San Juan.
Their record now stands at just one win in their last six matches, with that win coming over Wales last November, while over the last year, the Wallabies have only won six of 16 matches, which includes two losses against this opponent.
Perhaps the only positive that Jones can take coming into the match is that the Australians put on a very good display against the All Blacks in their last encounter at home, where they were beaten by just two points and with a packed MCG behind them, they will be hoping they can deliver a similar performance in this one.
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Meanwhile, New Zealand seem to be peaking at just the right time and are now just 0.15 points behind France in the World Rugby rankings and are the out-and-out second favourite according to most bookmakers to lift the Rugby World Cup later this year.
The All Blacks demolished Argentina 41-12 in their opening match in Mendoza but arguably put on an even more impressive display as they overcame the hard-hitting Springboks 35-20 a week later at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland.
What has been particularly impressive about the All Blacks has been their dominance in the early stages of matches, as they showed in each of their last two matches, taking a 31-0 lead into the break against Argentina while scoring two unanswered tries inside the first 20 minutes against South Africa.
Richie Mo'unga was excellent in the last match as the flyhalf scored 20 of their 35 points against the Springboks singlehandedly with 15 points off the boot and a 77th-minute try which took the match away from their opponents.
Ian Foster's men are now on a nine-match unbeaten streak, with eight wins and a solitary draw against England last November, while their last loss came a year ago when they suffered a shock defeat to the Pumas in this competition.
The All Blacks have beaten Australia in each of their last five meetings dating back to November 2020, and that was also their only loss to the Wallabies in their last 11 meetings.
Australia Rugby Championship form:
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Australia form (all competitions):
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New Zealand Rugby Championship form:
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New Zealand form (all competitions):
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Team News
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Breaking the recent trend, Jones decided to announce the 15 players that will start against the All Blacks well ahead of time, and notably, the youthful partnership of Carter Gordon and Tate McDermott will make up the halfback combination.
Tom Hooper will play his second Test as an openside flanker, Angus Bell will start at loosehead prop, while co-captain James Slipper will have to settle for a place on the bench.
Michael Hooper will miss the match with an injury, and with Slipper on the bench, the on-field leadership responsibilities will fall on Allan Alaalatoa.
As for the All Blacks, Ardie Savea will lead the side for the fifth time in his career as regular skipper Sam Cane has been forced to withdraw from the squad due to a neck injury sustained against the Springboks.
Cane's absence has opened the door for Dalton Papali'i to step into the number seven jersey for the 14th time in his career, and Luke Jacobson will come into the matchday 23 as loose forward cover.
Australia starting lineup: 15. Andrew Kellaway, 14. Mark Nawaqanitawase, 13. Jordan Petaia, 12. Samu Kerevi, 11. Marika Koroibete, 10. Carter Gordon, 9. Tate McDermott, 8. Rob Valetini, 7. Tom Hooper, 6. Jed Holloway, 5. Will Skelton, 4. Nick Frost, 3. Allan Alaalatoa (c), 2. David Porecki, 1. Angus Bell
Replacements: 16. Jordan Uelese, 17. James Slipper, 18. Taniela Tupou, 19. Richie Arnold, 20. Rob Leota, 21. Nic White, 22. Quade Cooper, 23. Izaia Perese
New Zealand starting lineup: 15. Beauden Barrett, 14. Will Jordan, 13. Rieko Ioane, 12. Jordie Barrett, 11. Mark Telea, 10. Richie Mo'unga, 9. Aaron Smith, 8. Ardie Savea (c), 7. Dalton Papali'i, 6. Shannon Frizell, 5. Scott Barrett, 4. Brodie Retallick, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 2. Codie Taylor, 1. Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17. Ofa Tu'ungfasi, 18. Nepo Laulala, 19. Samuel Whitelock, 20. Luke Jacobson, 21. Cam Roigard, 22. Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Caleb Clarke
Head To Head
The rivalry between the All Blacks and the Wallabies stands as one of the most frequently contested matchups in international rugby union history, having faced each other a remarkable 175 times.
Among these clashes, the All Blacks have demonstrated their prowess, recording 122 victories, while the Wallabies have secured 45 wins, and eight matches have ended level.
We say: Australia 14-40 New Zealand
Based on Australia's performances in their preceding two matches in the competition, it is difficult to make much of a case for them in this one. The All Blacks have opted for just one change to their squad from the side that beat the Springboks fairly comfortably in the last match, which shows just how settled their squad is, and we fancy they will win this one by a good margin too.
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Devesh Jaganath
