New Zealand v South Africa: Rugby Championship betting preview, tip, TV details

TV: Sky Sports Action, 8.35am Saturday

Round two of a shortened Rugby Championship begins in Wellington with New Zealand against South Africa.

With the teams' World Pool-B opener in Yokohama less than two months away, it would be a big ask to hope for a classic clash like the one in the Kiwi capital last year, when the Springboks held out for a 36-34 success. Both coaches are shadow-boxing with their selections and are unlikely to unveil new strike moves. However, there are good reasons to expect another close contest. Take the Boks with a handicap start of 13.5 points.

As well as their Westcap win last year, South Africa were beaten 32-30 by the All Blacks in Pretoria after a converted last-play try and they have lost only once by 14 points or more in Rassie Erasmus' 16-game tenure. That was the dead-rubber third Test against England in a sodden Cape Town with the series spoils secure.

South Africa were irresistible for decent spells in last Saturday's 35-17 Johannesburg triumph over Australia, while New Zealand hung on for a 20-16 victory in Buenos Aires against the Pumas, not scoring a point in the second-half and benefiting from an intercept try to open up a nine-point lead at the break.

All Blacks boss Steve Hansen has recalled his rested Super Rugby-winning Crusaders forwards at the Cake Tin but they may not be as potent as normal at scrum-time while the front-row get to grips with the new engagement laws.

No Springbok pack is ever weak at close-quarters and Erasmus has moved to match the mobility of the hosts' big men in the loose with Malcolm Marx at hooker and Kwagga Smith and Duane Vermeulen in the back row. Brilliant breakdown-disrupter Francois Louw is on the replacements' bench if they need to slow the pace of play down.

Hansen has also tinkered with his backline, most noticeably moving 2016 and 2017 world player of the year Beauden Barrett to full-back and pairing back-up fly-half Richie Mo'unga with TJ Perenara rather than number one scrum-half Aaron Smith.

Mo'unga and Perenara are top-drawer players but it will be interesting to see how fluent their link play is with a potentially blockbusting midfield of Sonny Bill Williams and Jack Goodhue and the free-scoring Rieko Ioane on the left wing.

By contrast, Erasmus brings in his best half-back duo of Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard and four of the five starting outside backs, who all have the pace to expose any home defensive-structure flaws if Williams' fitness is short after an injury-ravaged Super Rugby campaign, were involved in last year's Wellington win. Experienced duo Frans Steyn and Jesse Kriel fill the outside backs' berths on the Boks bench.

Recommendation
South Africa +13.5
2pts 5-6 Betway

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