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Rugby Championship 2014: Round 1 Fixtures, Live Stream Info and Predictions
Published: August 16, 2014
The first round of action will see New Zealand begin their title defence with a trip to Australia, while Argentina journey to Pretoria in search of a maiden victory over South Africa.
A long seven weeks lies ahead before a 2014 champion emerges, but Week 1 will serve as a barometer in strength for those four participants, with fixture details and predictions detailed ahead.
Australia vs. New Zealand
The Wallabies come into this year's competition with well-placed aspirations to improve upon their 2013 campaign, with Ewen McKenzie now having just over a year under his belt as coach and developing a roster of in-form strength.
Among Australia's strongest assets sits Waratahs Kurtley Beale, Michael Hooper, Wycliff Palu, Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper and others, all of whom will be buoyed by their recent Super Rugby triumph.
However, Steve Hansen's side can never be counted out when the stakes are this high, even in foreign territory, with OptaJason revealing why this Bledisloe Cup clash is a special occasion:
As Rugby World's Paul Williams pointed out, Conrad Smith's absence will be a disappointment for the team, but then being able to summon a player of Malakai Fekitoa's quality at No. 13 is testament to the depth Hansen has at his disposal:
And in the end, that is the separating factor between these two sides. While McKenzie's stars might make for a fearsome first wave boasting flavour-of-the-month credentials, New Zealand have vast resources in every position, vital over 80 minutes and even more so across an entire tournament.
Prediction: New Zealand by 5
South Africa vs. Argentina
Not only are Argentina y...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union
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