The Rugby Championship Round 2 Preview: Will New Zealand's Slump Ever End?
The Rugby Championship Round 2 Preview: Will New Zealand's Slump Ever End?
The three-time world champion All Blacks won't be in as poor of form as they are now (five defeats in six tests) forever, but when will their slump end?
South Africa and Australia both earned wins in the opening round of The Rugby Championship, taking down New Zealand and Argentina, respectively.
Round 2 is just around the corner, and the four teams will be back at it for Week 2 rematches.
Here's a look at what's to come for Round 2 of The Rugby Championship. All of the action is being streamed live on FloRugby.
NOTE: Kickoff times are listed in Eastern Time and are subject to change.
South Africa Vs. New Zealand
When: 11:05 a.m. Saturday
Where: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
The lowdown: New Zealand has to get over its slump sometime. Right?
The three-time world champions certainly won't be in as poor of form as they are now (five defeats in six tests) forever, but with the weight the All Blacks name carries in the international rugby world, they're certainly held to a higher standard of performance than most.
South Africa thoroughly dismantled the visitors in Nelspruit in each team's 2022 Rugby Championship opener, sinking the visitors to the bottom of the table and putting even more pressure on embattled New Zealand coach Ian Foster, who already was facing plenty of heat from losing last month's home test series to Ireland.
Foster's days as boss may be numbered, as media in the country report that some sort of action from the New Zealand Rugby Union may come following the Johannesburg test, possibly signaling the end of an era once the All Blacks return home.
Regardless of what's to come, a lack of an energetic New Zealand response in the rematch would mean that its hopes to repeat as Rugby Championship title winners essentially would be dashed. No nation has ever won the competition with multiple losses on their resume, since Argentina was added to the mix for the 2012 tournament.
As for the Springboks, they're unquestionably in the driver's seat and full of momentum following their first home victory over their rivals in eight years.
Round two, are you ready for the showdown in Johannesburg? ? #RSAvNZL #StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #CastleRugbyChampionship https://t.co/DF1MUXFvHM
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 11, 2022
Hooker Malcolm Marx put up a man-of-the-match performance in his 50th cap as arguably the main driver of a mighty Boks front line, and if that dominance travels to Johannesburg, New Zealand could be in for a world of hurt once again.
The day's other match, between Argentina and Australia, will get underway Saturday at 3:10 p.m.
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