South Africa vs New Zealand will be at Mbombela as the Rugby Championship 2022 kicks off on Saturday. South Africa Springboks will begin the tournament with back-to-back matches against the New Zealand All Blacks. Here you can follow the start time, preview, prediction, and how to watch the game on TV and Live Stream.
🇦🇷🇦🇺🇳🇿🇿🇦 Competition: The Rugby Championship 2022
🏉 Fixture: South Africa vs New Zealand
🗓 Date: Saturday, 6 August 2022 (GMT)
🕟 Time: 3:05 pm GMT
🏟 Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, South Africa
📺 TV and Live Stream: Nine Network, Stan, Sky Network, Super Sport, ESPN
South Africa vs New Zealand Start Time and Venue:
The opening match of the Rugby Championship 2022 will start on Saturday, 6 August 2022, at 3:05 pm GMT, which is 11:05 am ET. In the Australian Time Zone AEST, the match will start on Sunday, 7 August, at 1:05 am. South Africa will host the game at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit.
Match Preview
The reigning champions New Zealand All Blacks will lock horns with South Africa to kick off the Rugby Championship 2022. New Zealand won 5 out of 6 matches last season. Their only defeat came against South Africa.
However, the All Blacks have been struggling in recent matches. They lost the home series by 2-1 against Ireland. They are on a 1-4 record in their previous five matches.
On the other hand, the Springboks will try to begin the tournament on the right foot. It would be an opportunity for the Rugby World Champions South Africa to play back-to-back matches against New Zealand at home and get the upper hand.
However, they have lost a match against Wales at home in the recent series, taking the series narrowly by 2-1.
TRC RD#1: Springboks v All Blacks
The last half dozen matches show there is very little between these two world-class teams… who will prevail in Nelspruit this weekend?#RSAvNZL
News: https://t.co/Azg1Dz3P21 pic.twitter.com/crGpWssyI5— TheRugbyChampionship (@SanzarTRC) August 5, 2022
South Africa vs New Zealand Lineup:
South Africa Springboks:
- Damian Willemse
- Kurt-Lee Arendse
- Lukhanyo Am
- Damian de Allende
- Makazole Mapimpi
- Handre Pollard
- Faf de Klerk
- Jasper Wiese
- Pieter-Steph du Toit
- Siya Kolisi
- Lood de Jager
- Eben Etzebeth
- Frans Malherbe
- Malcolm Marx
- Trevor Nyakane
New Zealand All Blacks:
- Jordie Barrett
- Will Jordan
- Rieko Ioane
- David Havili
- Caleb Clarke
- Beauden Barrett
- Aaron Smith
- Ardie Savea
- Sam Cane
- Akira Ioane
- Scott Barrett
- Samuel Whitelock
- Angus Ta’avao
- Samisoni Taukei’aho
- George Bower
South Africa vs New Zealand Prediction
New Zealand won 5 out of 6 matches in the previous season to win the Championship. Their only defeat was against South Africa Springboks. The All Blacks are 3-1 wins up against the Springboks in the previous five matches, and one was a draw.
However, the All Blacks are finding their feet after a 2-1 home series defeat against Ireland. It would affect their spirit in the Rugby Championship.
On the other hand, a weaker South African side won the home series against Wales by 2-1. They will hit the Championship at full strength against the All Blacks at home. It would be a toe-to-toe battle between the two three-times World Champions.
We are going with the home side Springboks to secure a victory against the struggling All Blacks in their opening game.
How to Watch the Rugby Championship 2022?
South Africa vs New Zealand in the Rugby Championship 2022 will be available on Sky Network Television in New Zealand. SuperSport will broadcast the match live on TV in South Africa and adjacent islands.
In Australia, you can watch all the matches on Stan Sport. Only the Wallabies matches will be available on Nine Network. For Argentina fans, ESPN and TV Publica are the options to watch the games.
Here’s how you can watch the Rugby Championship 2022 from anywhere:
USA: FloRugby
Canada: TSN (TSN.ca and TSN App)
Argentina: ESPN, TV Publica
South Africa: Super Sport
Australia: Stan Sport, Network Nine
New Zealand: Sky Network
UK: Sky UK
France: Canal+
Japan: WOWOW
Spain: Telefonica
Related Article: Argentina vs Australia: Start Time, Preview, Lineup, Prediction, How to Watch
