MID-YEAR INTERNATIONALS: all you need to know
The time has finally arrived for cross-hemisphere International rugby to hit our screens, and SuperSport will once again bring you all the big matches of the mid-year tours to the south of the equator.
CLASH OF THE CHAMPS
Most of the headlines around the world of rugby are grabbed by the blockbuster Castle Lager Incoming Series in South Africa, which will pit the World Champion Springboks against the Six-Nations champions Ireland.
The two-match series between the no.1 and no.2 ranked sides in the world. Both camps have made it clear that they consider this a series to decide who can claim to be the world's best. Ireland beat the Springboks at the World Cup, but the Boks won the tournament itself. Now a score will be settled in some way or the other.
The first test in the series is on July 6 at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria. The second test is on July 13 at Kings Park in Durban.
ALL BLACK OR WHITE
World Cup finalists New Zealand will play host to England in another highly-anticipated affair.
The All Blacks will have their first hit out under new coach Scott "Razor" Robertson of Crusaders fame. His coaching style is a major departure from those employed by his predecessors - and the whole world will be watching if it will be a direction that can take them back to the top of the sport.
For once England will be the more settled of the two units, with coach Steve Borthwick still firmly in charge of proceedings. His charges are fresh off a big win in Japan and for the next leg of the summer campaign, they've added plenty more experience to the touring squad.
The two tests will be played in icy Dunedin as well as the impenetrable Auckland.
WALLABY OR WANNABE
Which cues another Kiwi, Joe Schmidt. The former Ireland coach was heading into the comfort of retirement when he was talked into following the paths trodden by fellow New Zealanders Deans and former Chiefs and Glasgow Warriors coach Dave Rennie by crossing the Tasman and taking up the reins at the Wallabies.
Like Robertson, Schmidt will be facing a baptism in his new role on Saturday, with in his case the objective being slightly easier. Wales arrived in Australia off a long sequence of defeats and although they were understrength, the recent loss to the Boks at Twickenham didn’t inspire much hope of a turnaround soon.
There again, Wales did smash Australia in a Pool game at last year’s World Cup, effectively making a mockery of the controversial selections made by Jones, who it later transpired had been interviewed for the Japan job before the World Cup even started. The Wallabies went on to exit at the Pool stage for the first time in their history, so it could be argued that they can’t sink lower than they are now.
FRENCH KISS OF DEATH
The other competing nation in the Rugby Championship, Argentina, has also had a change of coach with Michael Cheika bowing out after the World Cup and now headed to the English Premiership team Leicester Tigers.
Felipe Contemponi, the former Pumas flyhalf, will take charge in Cheika’s place, but at least in the case of the Pumas there is some continuity as Contemponi was the Australian’s assistant coach for the last 18 months of his reign.
What Contemponi does not have though is an easy start, with the Pumas hosting France, who will be eager to start climbing the ladder again after their double disappointment of World Cup and Six Nations failure, in a two-match series.
All of this weekend’s fixtures will be followed up by second games a week later, with Wales travelling from Sydney to Melbourne, and Argentina hosting their second game against France in Buenos Aires.
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