Rugby Championship: How much of a World Cup threat are Ireland's ...
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell will have the TV on and a notebook to hand tomorrow afternoon as the Rugby Championship kicks off south of the equator.
The annual tournament featuring New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Argentina will have a truncated format, featuring just three weekends of action, with the World Cup looming large.
It will serve as something of a glorified warm-up for the big tournament in France in less than 12 weeks' time.
Jasper Wiese of South Africa during The Rugby Championship match between South Africa and New Zealand at Mbombela Stadium on August 06, 2022 in Nelspruit, South Africa. Pic: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images/Getty ImagesSaying that, it will serve as a useful outlet for rival coaches to run the rule over their southern hemisphere rivals.
After all, there is the small matter of Ireland's Pool B meeting with the Springboks at Stade de France on September 23. Farrell, his backroom team and the Ireland players in camp will be glued to the action in Pretoria as South Africa, the reigning world champions, entertain the Wallabies at Loftus Versfeld in the tournament opener.
So, how are all the big names shaping up as we approach the final lap of this World Cup cycle?
Head Coach Andy Farrell of Ireland during the pre match warm up during the Six Nations Rugby match between Wales and Ireland at Principality Stadium on February 4, 2023 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Pic: Ian Cook - CameraSport via Getty Images South AfricaThe big news in the South Africa camp this week was the promotion of Jean Kleyn to the starting line-up ahead of their clash with Australia.
At 29, the Munster second row will make this Test debut for the land of his birth.
Kleyn was a controversial late inclusion in Joe Schmidt's 2019 World Cup squad, at the expense of Devin Toner, a move which polarised the fanbase. The fact that he had just become available for selection at the 11th hour on the back of the now-defunct three-year residency ruling was even more galling.
A recent amendment by World Rugby on the eligibility rules meant Kleyn could redeclare for South Africa if he observed a three-year stand-down from international rugby. He had not been mapped by Farrell's Ireland so the path was cleared for the Boks to swoop in.
Now, Kleyn could potentially face Ireland in that seismic pool game in Paris.
Apart from that curveball selection, South Africa are looking settled. There has been little turnover since their triumph at the 2019 World Cup.
Jean Kleyn during the Springbok rugby team practice at the Loftus Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa. Pic: Kim Ludbrook/EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockOnly Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira, Francois Louw and Frans Steyn are out of the selection reckoning. All the usual suspects are on board.
Siya Kolisi, who injured his ACL against Munster in April, and Handre Pollard, who is out of action with a calf injury, are the major injury doubts. Both are crucial to their country's World Cup chances, especially Pollard who remains South Africa's most reliable out-half.
Otherwise, the likes of Malcolm Marx, Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Faf de Klerk and Lukhanyo Am are fit and firing.
Siya Kolisi goes over to score his team's eighth try v Namibia. Pic: Mark Kolbe/Getty ImagesThis weekend, head coach Jacques Nienaber has picked an experimental team to face the Wallabies with 14 frontliners already in New Zealand to prepare for the second-round meeting with the All Blacks.
It's a settled group and well versed in cup rugby. A powerful pack, staunch defence, savvy kicking game and a few game breakers out wide served them well in Japan.
The big question is whether this group has a few too many miles on the clock. And have they been worked out by their rivals? The next few weeks will be telling on both fronts.
AustraliaEddie Jones is back at the helm after his shock appointment in January. The firebrand Aussie looked set to be watching events in France unfold from his sofa after he received his P45 from England, but Australian rugby chiefs moved quickly to bring Jones back on board.
And the 63-year-old has no shortage of unfinished business with the World Cup. Jones came up short at the final hurdles in 2003 when his Wallabies side was pipped by Jonny Wilkinson's England in Sydney. It was the same story four years ago when England were well beaten by the Boks in Yokohama.
Jones has barely a year to get Australia up to speed after Dave Rennie's shock sacking following a torrid campaign in 2022, when his side managed just five wins in 14 Test matches.
Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones speaks to the media during a Wallabies media opportunity at Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 01, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. Pic: Daniel Pockett/Getty ImagesThe newly-installed Wallabies boss oversees his first game in charge against South Africa tomorrow and Jones has already set out his stall. Brumbies flanker Tom Hooper is set to make his debut at 22 years of age while the bench features three more potential debutants in young prop Zane Nonggorr, Toulouse lock Richie Arnold and exciting rookie out-half Carton Gordon.
Jones has drafted the highly-experienced Quade Cooper back into the starting lineup. The veteran No10 is poised to play at his fourth World Cup while he will be flanked by Reece Hodge at centre and Nic White at scrumhalf, a pair of canny operators with 101 international caps between them.
Queensland wing Suliasi Vunivalu, a convert from rugby league, but Will Skelton's presence in the second row is a game-changer for the Wallabies. The giant lock has been a wrecking ball during his time with Saracens and La Rochelle.
New ZealandDare we ask, but have the All Blacks lost some of their mystique?
Ian Foster's crew have endured a lacklustre few years featuring a maiden loss to Argentina on home soil as well as a historic 2-1 series defeat by Ireland last summer.
The arrival of Joe Schmidt onto the coaching ticket has brought much-needed structure and accuracy to the Kiwi ranks, but big improvements are needed if the men in black stand any chance of making an impression in France later this year.
Joe Schmidt, Attack coach of New Zealand and Ian Foster, Head Coach of New Zealand look on during the Autumn International match between England and New Zealand at Twickenham Stadium on November 19, 2022 in London, England. Pic: Paul Harding/Getty ImagesAs ever, the All Blacks are packed with talented backs. Inform wings Leicester Fainga'anuku and Will Jordan are currently injured but there is a lot of excitement in New Zealand about Dallas McLeod, Emoni Narawa and Shaun Stevenson while a rejuvenated Damian McKenzie is set for a big campaign in 2023.
There are question marks around an ageing All Blacks pack as Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick remain in situ.
In Ardie Savea, however, they have a world-class operator in the backrow. Prop Ethan de Groot and recalled flanker Luke Jacobson have some old-school snarl about them, something which was sorely missing during the games against Ireland.
ArgentinaWorld Cup dark horses, make no mistake about it. Michael Cheika's Pumas have been building nicely towards France 2023.
This youthful crew look primed to emulate the feats of the classes of 2007 and 2015 and make a big impression on the world stage.
And they are eyeing up a big scalp tomorrow night in Mendoza, with a vulnerable All Blacks outfit in town.
Marcos Kremer, the hard-nosed Stade Francais flanker, is out of the tournament due to a suspension.
The Pumas forwards won't lack grunt, mind you, with Tomas Lavanini, Julian Montoya, and Pablo Matera all on duty.
The likes of Gloucester out-half Santiago Carreras, Edinburgh full-back Emiliano Boffelli and Toulouse wing Juan Cruz Mallia will provide the star power in the backs.
Scott Barret of New Zealand during The Rugby Championship match between South Africa and New Zealand at Mbombela Stadium on August 06, 2022 in Nelspruit, South Africa. Pic: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images/Getty Images Beauden Barrett of New Zealand and Kurt-Lee Arendse of South Africa during The Rugby Championship match between South Africa and New Zealand at Mbombela Stadium on August 06, 2022 in Nelspruit, South Africa. Pic: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images/Getty Images Thomas Gallo of Argentina and Joel Sclaivi of Argentina celebrate following The Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Argentina Pumas at Orangetheory Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Pic: Joe Allison/Getty Images New Zealand regroup during The Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Argentina Pumas at Orangetheory Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Pic: Joe Allison/Getty Images MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 15: Quinn Tupaea of the All Blacks is appears injured during The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup match between the Australia Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks at Marvel Stadium on September 15, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) Darcy Swain of the Wallabies receives a yellow card from referee Mathieu Raynal during The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup match between the Australia Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks at Marvel Stadium on September 15, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. Pic: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
