"Australia are difficult to predict – something of a given with Eddie”

Ahead of a truncated Rugby Championship, Stephen Jones assesses what's going on below the Equator as the four southern giants gear up for the World Cup in France

- STEPHEN JONES

FINALLY, FOCUS will switch to the deep South. The Rugby Championship begins on 8 July and every coach of a northern hemisphere team, and frankly everyone with rugby at heart, will be dying to see what they can produce. It is not as if we can deduce much from Super Rugby Pacific, which often seems to be a different sport. It is a truncated tournament this time, with only six games instead of the usual 12.

Argentina and New Zealand each have only one home game, and yet it will still be enthralling. Will South Africa still be as strong as they were when they took the trophy in Japan in 2019? Will New Zealand be back up to their almost traditional excellence? What effect will Eddie Jones have on the Australia team – will he galvanise them or, as he did with England, will he demolish them? And what about Argentina?

The Pumas no longer have a rallying point in their own country with the death of the Jaguares in Super Rugby, but if you consider the talent they have exported to the professional game, you may well conclude that they will be dangerous. At hooker alone, they have a choice between Julián Montoya and Agustín Creevy, and probably about 24 young hookers coming through after them.

South Africa’s situation is fascinating. Their supreme emotional attachment to their captain, Siya Kolisi, has been demonstrated recently after the great man suffered a serious knee injury against Munster. When he limped off in the first half it was as if dark clouds had gathered over the Boks and the first prognosis was that he could be out for nine months, which would devastate the country. His wife took to social media to ask fans to pray for him. Not sure if prayer or rehab is the best way to get fit, that is a debate rather too deep for me.