The Rugby Championship begins!

The best competition in the southern hemisphere begins. Over the next two months we will have the opportunity to enjoy fantastic matches.

No sooner has rugby finished at the Olympics than the Rugby Championship begins. For rugby fans, there is not too much waiting for the top games. We decided to follow this competition as well, even though from the beginning we focused on following only the events in Serbia, but unfortunately, there is less and less rugby in our country, so we have to moderate the need to follow rugby towards the best international competitions.

How to watch live matches?

We recommend that you register on the NZR+ website where you can watch live matches without interruption. It’s certainly a better option than streams that can be unstable, unreliable, and in poor resolution. In addition to the Rugby Championship matches, the site also has numerous documentaries and old matches.

Round table rugby players still ride

When you are a rugby fan you follow as much as possible. You want to keep up to date, discuss and talk about rugby. That is exactly why we have gathered rugby players again around the round table to exchange opinions on various topics that we have carefully selected. We hope you enjoy the article as much as we enjoyed writing and discussing it.

Is combining playing club rugby in Europe and representative rugby in the southern hemisphere a winning combination for Erasmus and South Africa?

Milan Orlović: It certainly has a positive effect on the game of the Springboks. This gives their players extra width and the ability to adapt to different playing styles. Let’s remember how in the beginning their franchises were cannon fodder for European clubs. However, that has changed and the results are visible both at the club and national team level. It is necessary to shuffle the cards a little. Razi will surely start building a team for the next world championship. New captain, some new solutions. It should be the easiest transition for them because they are the only ones keeping the same system. A small drop in defense can be expected, but a solution will be found for that as well.

Nemanja Babić: It is difficult to make the right conclusion. It is written on portals and newspapers that the great captain is returning home. We also have a few players in the Japanese League. I’m not really convinced that there are too many pluses and minuses. It’s more up to the day of the match itself and the tactical ideas of the great brain and innovator Erasmus.

Bogdan Mihajlović: We will see whether the combination is a winning combination at the end because although the South African national team is the favorite wherever it appears, there will be no easy games this year. Every team can win, there are no easy points, while there will certainly be no shortage of fluency, beautiful moves both in attack and defense.

Photo: Springboks

Dragan Petrović: The answer is absolutely YES! A big yes for whoever remembered to do it and litigate in favor of South Africa. The teams from South Africa simply lacked strong games and a strong league, so by participating in the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup in Europe, they got it. They play with good and quality clubs and that is what their players need. I think it’s a full hit for their national team. The Rugby Championship is a little lower in quality, but even there many players will get a chance to prove themselves and show what kind of shape they are in, so when we look at everything in total, I think it is a good and winning combination for South Africa.

Marko Žeravica: First of all, I think it’s ok to have players all over the world that you can count on in representative cycles, as opposed to the strict rule of playing for the national team only within one federation such as New Zealand, England… Definitely every federation has some internal rules about it, like for example France which has certain minutes with which it can use players and at the same time pay for their absence from the club. To return to the question, Erasmus is a serious strategist and the expert team around him are serious noses. I’m sure they will make the best possible story for the team they own. We already know that there are problems with the successor of the opener, but he uses what he has wisely and fits it.

Stevan Ilijašević: Fantastically done. Not only did the clubs in South Africa get the opportunity to play in the URC League, the Champions League and the Challenge Cup, but they also got the opportunity to adapt and get to know European rugby. On the other hand, with the departure of clubs from JA, Super Rugby, which for almost 30 years was considered the best club competition in the world, weakened a lot. The best players haven’t been playing in Australian clubs for a long time, so NZ is under special pressure, because if you want to play for the All Blacks, you have to play in New Zealand, and what if you don’t play quality games with all those players like you used to?

Can Scott Robertson's All Blacks build a respectable team that can continue their Championship dominance?

Milan Orlović: A proven rugby mastermind brings with him great knowledge and charisma. If his style of play is fully accepted by players from other franchises, I have no doubts about success. However, it will take some time to put it all together. There is certainly new terminology, tasks and movement. A lot will depend on the third line, both in defense and in attack. It’s no secret that spears are broken there in the biggest matches. They have what it takes, but I don’t consider them the No. 1 favorite. 1, precisely because of the still transitional period. I do not believe that it will be all or nothing and that priority will be given to establishing a new system over winning at all costs.

Nemanja Babić: Robertson definitely brought something new. It is too early to make a conclusion now, but we definitely have a certain number of older players who are not in the squad for various reasons. Will they dominate? This is the charm of the tournament itself and a great motivation for AB as well as for every team that goes out to compete with them.

Bogdan Mihajlovic: Scott Robertson is someone who knows the All Blacks very well. Having lost the final of the world championship, they became hungry for trophies and to regain their glory so that when rugby is mentioned, they think of them and the famous haka. I think a lot of players with Robertson if I’m not mistaken won the youth championship in 2015 and the time has come for the All Blacks to regain their dominance of world rugby.

Photo: All Blacks

Dragan Petrović: Scott Roberson Razor is a great coach as he proved with the Crusaders. It will certainly take time for him to build a team and create chemistry in the team that will bring the All Flashes glory. We will see how the team will perform at the Rugby Championship. There will be a lot of new players eager to prove themselves. I think it should be kept in mind that many players like Retallick and Sam Whitelock have retired and a worthy replacement should be found for them. I think Razor’s arrival at the helm of the All Blacks is a real hit and something that everyone wanted. After the WC in France, the All Blacks wanted fresh blood and young forces on the bench and in the team. It will be interesting to watch Rasi and Razor outwit two great trainers.

Marko Žeravica: I think that in their team they work on a different setup where the Barrett brothers do not dominate. Although, as far as I know Geordie Barrett has started playing for Leinster, and I see he is in the team. Mostly the experiment in the summer tests where Damian McKenzie is the opener does not look bad at all. My only regret is that Aaron Smith retired from Test matches last year which left a kind of vacuum in the team. We will see how the two new demi will cope in that position in the team, in addition to Perenara, who was periodically in the team. Admittedly, a year or two ago he had a serious injury, i.e. an operation on the Achilles tendon, which resulted in those absences from the team, and as far as I remember, he injured his knee in the summer test where Ratima had to take the baton.

Stevan Ilijašević: Sometimes the charisma and self-confidence of the coach is a factor that can decide a game or tournament. When you are sure that the system is correct and functional, then you feel comfortable and can give 100% on the field. That’s how Robertson ruled Super Rugby with the Crusaders. There’s no reason why that shouldn’t be the case with the All Blacks. It is the beginning of the cycle, there is enough time to experiment and try different combinations. The good thing is that Robertson inherits a very strong and structured team that narrowly lost the World Cup final, and that he has an abnormally good starting position. In my opinion the All Blacks are the early favorites of the competition.

Australia are building their 2027 World Cup squad, do you think it's finally time for the Ozzies to build a quality team?

Milan Orlović: There is talent, knowledge, and obviously resources. Their problem is the constant decline of interest in sports in the country, the younger categories are not as popular as they used to be. They need something big to wake them up, this is a big chance. They’ve got the Welsh and Georgians, who seem to be the right opponents at the moment, but if they’re thinking of the paths of old glory they’ll have to do a lot better. First of all, it will depend on how the players will play in their respective franchises. My opinion is that they are currently the weakest team in the competition, but also with great potential.

Nemanja Babić: They have a young team, a very experienced coach. It started with a major overhaul of the entire system within the association and all structures. It started on time, time is passing, but I believe that everything is tightening and getting ready for the next World Cup where they want, and I believe the whole rugby world to see the new Wallabies.

Bogdan Mihajlovic: Australia should emulate the French team in rugby sevens and steal the recipe for how to prepare for the championship as a host and try to reach the final with a little luck, and then anything can happen. They have the experience and time to build a good team that will bring glory back to Australian rugby. They got into a situation where they can’t deal with European rugby like they used to, given that they lost to Wales, France, Italy, whether they were friendly matches or the championship.

Photo: SA Rugby

Dragan Petrović: I think the arrival of Joe Schmidt on the Australian bench is also a real hit. He is a great coach and as far as I can see he started from scratch with a lot of new players and a couple of old ones like Nick White. Australia is a great rugby and sporting nation and will do everything to welcome WC 2027 ready and try to win it as hosts. They have plenty of time to prepare. Schmidt has an advantage over Eddie Jones because he will have 3 years to prepare while Eddie Jones had a short period to build a new team so personally I expect Australia to return to the path of old glory and play much better.

Marko Žeravica: If I make a comparison with the Australians at the Olympic Games, I could not be indifferent and say that they are not building a team. At the OI, they showed from cycle to cycle that they are getting better in group and individual sports. Today, they are making serious results in sports where some countries like ours have enthroned those sports as national sports. I have a feeling that there is serious investment in sport and not just in the top three sports like Australian rules football, Rugby 13 and Rugby. However, the rugby team is something that has not been a bright spot for them for years and I hope that they will return the old glory to that team, because I do not want to believe that other sports have weakened the development of rugby, ie maintaining a high level.

Stevan Ilijašević: It is quite certain that Ozija will prepare a quality team for the World Cup in 2027. But hey, there is a long way to go. They have a very young team, but also a lot of quality players. In the first two rounds of the Championship, they welcome South Africa, so it will be very interesting to see the outcome of those matches. By the way, Australia is undefeated this year.

Argentina, like all teams except South Africa, enters a new cycle with a new coach. New coach Felipe Contepomi knows Puma's mentality and way of playing. Can the Gauchos finally reach the top spot in the Championship?

Milan Orlović: One of my favorite players. Fantastic player and seems like a very talented coach. He brings vast playing experience from the best European teams, but he also has considerable coaching experience. He seems like the right man in the right place. It is known that the Argentine scrum has been at the highest possible level for a long time, there are almost no flaws even in defensive movements. The line always had a little more problems, especially in defense. There was always talent and sacrifice, but it just wasn’t enough when meeting the best in the world. And that’s where Felipe’s knowledge should show itself the most, as a specialist in defensive tasks and the line, he could improve that segment and finally erase that last flaw in the game of his national team. If it succeeds, Argentina has the potential to be the world champion.

Nemanja Babić: Perhaps the only team that suffered from Corona without the 4 Nations Cup and Super Rugby. South Africa has taken its franchises to Europe and there are results. How sustainable is it and how much will it cost? A question for another and long polemic. Argentina always to the heart and without calculations, but somehow they always rushed and had bad endings of the matches. I believe that with several players who are building their careers in Europe, they now have much-needed experience. When asked, can I be the first? Difficult!

Bogdan Mihajlović: Argentina is an unpredictable team that improves every day and plays better and better, and with the arrival of Contepomi, I expect a fast, attacking game and a total change in the style of play of Pumas so far.

Photos: Los Pumas

Dragan Petrović: I am a big fan of Argentina and I love Pumas, but it is difficult, almost impossible for Argentina to win the Rugby Championship with this team. Bringing an Argentine as a coach is a complete hit because he understands and knows the mentality of the Argentines, which is specific. I had a chance to watch Argentina’s test matches last month and the game was not that great. They struggled in the second game with France, who literally sent the B team to the field. I see that old matadors such as Lavanini and Augustine Crevi have been invited for the Rugby Championship with new younger players. Argentina can find the right team and surprise at WC 2027, but until that happens, a lot of water will flow down the Danube. I think this season it will be a battle with Australia not to be the lanterns and not to take the last place behind Australia.

Marko Žeravica: The biggest change for the Argentina team is Contepomi. The former excellent opener started his coaching career in Argentina’s B teams after his playing career. After a break in Argentina and additional training as a coach in Leinster, he first became the assistant coach of the first team of Argentina, and now from 2024 the first coach of the team. With this little history, I believe he has the qualifications to lead the team, and whether he is experienced enough and has a good team of experts around him, we will see that in the matches. He tried all kinds of things in the summer test.

Stevan Ilijašević: I expected Contepomi to make a big cut in the national team. However, he wants to give the more experienced players the opportunity for the last attack, but this time with the Argentine temperament. We talked a lot in the podcast and in earlier articles that a foreign coach can’t hit the game system with the Argentine temperament, so often the Gauchos on the field looked like our footballers at the European Championship. However, unlike ours, the Argentinians have quality and a fighting mentality, so in the end they took fourth place, which is not a bad result at all. I expect a hearty and fighting Argentina, so we’ll see how far they go.

Why do you like watching rugby in the southern hemisphere?

Milan Orlović: Still, this is the best competition in the world. The number of world titles won confirms that. When we add to that innovations that almost always happen first in the “south”, then we get a full atmosphere. 4 different playing styles, philosophies and traditions, it’s really a real spectacle, anyone who loves rugby can’t miss it.

Nemanja Babić: The beauty of watching attacking rugby. Always the first innovations in both rules and tactics are precisely in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s also pre-season in Europe and it fills up the summer nicely!

Bogdan Mihajlović: I like to watch because there are a lot of nice moves, a lot of unpredictable games, a lot of tension when the southern blood works. This year I think it will be even more interesting because all the teams are hungry for trophies. South Africa go in full of confidence after the World Cup, while the All Blacks go in as the defending champions. All we have to do is wait and enjoy and see who will mess with them, the Pumas or the Ozzies.

Dragan Petrović: I personally like to watch rugby in the southern hemisphere because it is of high quality. Pacific Super Rugby is for me a championship where the best rugby is played in every aspect and element of the sport of rugby. Maybe someone will say that the quality of Pacific Super Rugby has gone down, which is true in the last couple of seasons, but still, I think it’s better than the Premiership of England and the TOP 14 of France. It should also be added that in the southern hemisphere there are also two of the best national teams in the world, which have been ruling rugby for many years, proving to us that the quality of rugby in the southern hemisphere is top notch and that you should wake up early in the morning and watch the stream to watch matches in the southern hemisphere. Watch the Rugby Championship kick off this weekend, where everything will explode when South Africa and the All Blacks meet in the battle for the top spot.

Marko Žeravica: First of all, I like to watch it to compare it with northern hemisphere rugby. It used to be two worlds and watching the southern hemisphere felt like when you watch and compare Euro Basket and the NBA. Today it is not that much of a difference, because most players from Argentina play in Europe, while South Africans are either players in Europe or play European leagues from their clubs in South Africa. So we’re actually looking at how New Zealand and Australia deal with that game today.

Stevan Ilijašević: The game is played quickly, at a very high tempo. The game is attacking, where the scrum players are constantly on the move. Such a game is, for example, an enigma for the northern hemisphere, which is slowly starting to adapt. But still not good enough because when you look at the fact that in 9 World Cups out of 10 held, the team from the southern hemisphere won. And that is not accidental.