Africa-Press – South-Africa. As the dust settles on the global midyear Test window, rugby fans shift their focus to the 2025 Rugby Championship and former All Blacks flyhalf Carlos Spencer believes there’s one clear favourite heading into the tournament: South Africa.
The four southern hemisphere giants go into the championship with varied preparations after a series of incoming Tests. Spencer weighed in on each side’s recent performances and the road ahead.
Argentina: unpredictable but unpolished
Los Pumas stunned the rugby world by beating a new-look British and Irish Lions team 28-24 in Dublin, marking a historic win on northern soil. However, they followed that up with a 2-0 series defeat at home to a weakened England, raising concerns about consistency.
“You never know with Argentina,” Spencer said. “They’re like the French from 10 or 15 years ago. On their day, they can beat anyone, but they’ll struggle away from home.”
Australia: building but dangerous
The Wallabies were centre stage during the Lions tour of Australia, which they narrowly lost 2-1. Under outgoing coach Joe Schmidt, the Aussies showed serious fight, particularly in their dominant third Test win. Now, with Les Kiss preparing to take over as coach they seem poised for a resurgence.
“The Wallabies looked sharp, especially in the past two Tests [against the B&I Lions],” Spencer said. “Their prep coming into the Rugby Championship has been solid. They’ll be dangerous.”
New Zealand: unbeaten but unconvincing
The All Blacks completed a clean sweep of France in a 3-0 series win but the visitors were without their top players due to Top 14 playoff commitments. Despite the results, Spencer believes the All Blacks may not have had the ideal lead-up to facing the Springboks.
“It wasn’t the strongest French side and we struggled at times in the series. But the All Blacks and Springboks rivalry is always electric. Eden Park will be buzzing.”
The first clash against South Africa is at Eden Park, where New Zealand have not lost a Test in more than three decades, a staggering 50 matches unbeaten, with only two draws.
South Africa: favourites for a reason
The Springboks come into the Rugby Championship unbeaten in 2025 after a commanding 2-0 series win over Italy and a 55—10 victory against Georgia. The defending World Champions remain formidable, even as they continue to experiment with squad depth.
“I’ve got the Springboks as favourites. They’re No 1 in the world for a reason. They’re the team to beat,” Spencer said.
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has used more than 40 players this season, a clear sign of South Africa’s depth and ability for strategic squad rotation before a gruelling international calendar.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
