The Springboks are gunning for a 10th-consecutive Test win this weekend, while France head into the clash against the Wallabies as favourites.
The Boks thrashed England last week to finish the first round of the Nations Championship at the top of the southern conference. Meanwhile, Wales thumped Fiji to take the lead in the northern standings.
The pecking order may change this Saturday, when all 12 teams compete in the second round of fixtures staged in Australasia, South Africa, England and Argentina.
The All Blacks will fancy their chances of a bonus-point victory against Italy on Saturday morning, after the Azzurri sustained a shock loss to Japan last week.
The second fixture of the day sees Australia and France facing off in Brisbane, and both teams will be desperate to atone for their first-round defeats to Ireland and New Zealand respectively.
Japan and Fiji will play their "home" fixtures on foreign soil, due to logistical reasons. The Brave Blossoms tackle Ireland in Newcastle, while Fiji front England in Liverpool.
The Boks could stretch their winning streak to 10 Tests this week if they beat Scotland in Pretoria. Argentina will be under pressure to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the Scots, when they host Wales in San Juan later in the evening.
New Zealand v Italy
- Date: Saturday, 10 July
- Venue: Hnry Stadium, Wellington
- Time: 7:10am (SA Time)
- TV: Supersport
Italy made a statement earlier this year when they beat England and Scotland in the Six Nations. The recent loss to Italy came as a shock to many, and they will be hard-pressed to bounce back against a rampant All Blacks side in New Zealand, as the 21.00 odds suggest. It may be worth betting on the 36-40 winning margin (5.50), even though the All Blacks have made five changes for this clash.
Australia v France
- Date: Saturday, 10 July
- Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- Time: 9:40am (SA Time)
- TV: Supersport
The Wallabies came within one penalty kick of an upset against Ireland, and may take some confidence into the next clash against the French. That said, Les Bleus will welcome back a host of stars this week, and should be even stronger than they were in their narrow loss to the All Blacks. The hosts by contrast will be without two frontline flyhalf options and a rookie in Declan Meredith will start at No 10. One can understand why the Wallabies start at 3.30 underdogs, and France may win this one by more than 10 – an 11-15 margin bet will pay 5.50.
Japan v Ireland
- Date: Saturday, 10 July
- Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
- Time: 12:10pm (SA Time)
- TV: Supersport
Japan will be buzzing after their win against Italy, but Ireland's attack may prove harder to contain this Saturday in Newcastle. The handicap of +21 (2.00) may be worth considering, given Ireland have opted to rotate their team for this clash.
Fiji v England
- Date: Saturday, 10 July
- Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
- Time: 3:10pm (SA Time)
- TV: Supersport
Fiji went into the recent clash against Wales as favourites, and while they showed some great touches on attack, they failed to cope with the Dragons' challenge at the set pieces. England will target the Pacific Islanders in those areas this Saturday, as they look to bounce back from the disappointment in South Africa with a big win. The handicap bet on Fiji – +19 (1.95) – may be worth exploring.
Springboks v Scotland
- Date: Saturday, 10 July
- Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
- Time: 5:40pm (SA Time)
- TV: Supersport
The Boks suffered a couple of late setbacks in the lead-up to last week's match, yet still managed to score 45 points and seven tries. Rassie Erasmus and company will be hoping for a more settled buildup to the Scotland clash, and there should be no complacency against a side that recently thumped Argentina 47-38 in Cordoba. That said, the Boks have had the better of recent match-ups, and could pile on the points in the final quarter of the coming clash, even with a much-changed side. Scotland should finish within the +17 handicap (2.00)) but few will bet on them recording a first win on South African soil – and they will start the clash at Loftus as 7.50 underdogs.
Argentina v Wales
- Date: Saturday, 10 July
- Venue: Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan
- Time: 9:10pm (SA Time)
- TV: Supersport
The Pumas will be hurting after their loss to Scotland, and a match against Wales should present them with the ideal opportunity to get their Nations Championship campaign back on track. Wales start at 7.00 underdogs and with a +17 handicap (1.95), and the latter may be worth a punt.
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