Cheslin Kolbe on the charge against the All Blacks. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)
- A win, a draw, or a losing bonus point against Australia will be enough for New Zealand to win the 2023 Rugby Championship.
- For the Springboks to win the title, the All Blacks must lose to the Wallabies in Melbourne without getting a bonus point.
- If SA and NZ finish level on points, the All Blacks will take the title because they beat the Springboks.
New Zealand’s 35-20 win over South Africa in Auckland last weekend left them in the pound seats to win this year’s truncated Rugby Championship.
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The annual southern hemisphere showpiece is shortened due to it being a World Cup year, with teams playing each other only once.
New Zealand, who beat Argentina 41-12 in Mendoza in their opening game, will clinch the title with a victory over Australia in Melbourne on 29 July.
The All Blacks are on 9 log points and boast a healthy +44 points difference. It’s worth noting that they did not earn a bonus point against the Springboks despite scoring four tries. Tournament regulations stipulate that teams can only earn try-scoring bonus points if they score three more tries than the opposition.
The Springboks, with a +16 points difference, are second on the standings with 5 log points courtesy of a 43-12 bonus point win over the Wallabies in Pretoria in Round 1.
Los Pumas are third on 4 log points after a last-gasp 34-31 win over the Wallabies in Sydney last weekend.
Rugby Championship standings:
position, played, won, draw, loss, +-, pts
1. New Zealand 2;2;0;0;44;9
2. South Africa 2;1;0;1;16;5
3. Argentina 2;1;0;1;-26;4
4. Australia 2;0;0;2;-34;1
For the Springboks to win the Rugby Championship, they must hope the All Blacks lose to the Wallabies. A win and a draw will seal the title for New Zealand.
Even a losing bonus point would be enough for the Kiwis to be crowned champions, as their win over South Africa would see them finish top. A losing bonus point would take New Zealand to 10 points. The Boks can also get to 10 points with a bonus point win over Argentina in Johannesburg, but their loss in Auckland would leave them second.
Position on the competition table shall be determined by competition points as set out:
- In the event of two or more teams being equal on competition points for any position on the competition table such position shall be determined by the team with the most wins in the series.
- In the event of (a) above not providing a decision, the position on the competition table will be determined by the team with the most wins against the other team/s tied on the same points.
- In the event of (b) above not providing a decision, the position on the competition table will be determined on the margin of points scored for and against in the series. The team with the highest margin of points scored for and against being considered as the winner.
- In the event of (c) above not providing a decision, the position on the competition table will be determined on the margin of points scored for and against by those competing teams. The team with the highest margin of points scored for and against being considered as the winner.
- In the event of (d) above not providing a decision, the position on the competition table will be determined on the basis of the team scoring most tries in the series.
- In the event of (e) above not providing a decision, the Series shall be shared between the two teams.
The Wallabies and Argentina are out of the running for top spot. Argentina could get to 9 log points with a big win over the Boks, but because they lost to New Zealand, they’ll still finish second in a scenario where the teams are level on points.