This Week's Biggest Matches On Rugby Pass

We preview the best matches to catch on Rugby Pass this weekend, including a glamour showdown in France, Semi Final week in the NRL, and Argentina looking for their first test win in Australia since 1983 in the Rugby Championship.

Rugby Championship: New Zealand vs South Africa (Saturday September 17, 3:35pm HKT)
Life does not get any easier for the Springboks. After back-to-back losses to Argentina and the Wallabies in the last two rounds of the Rugby Championship they now come face-to-face with the All Blacks, who have averaged six tries per game against those two sides so far this season. The New Zealanders crossed the try line eight times in a 57-22 demolition of Argentina last weekend, a game in which they were behind for much of the first half. The Springboks led early against the Wallabies in Brisbane before letting their hosts back into the game in the second half and couldn’t find the finishing touch when they needed it. All signs suggest this could get ugly for the Boks, though they won’t be lacking motivation against the old enemy.

NRL: Raiders vs Panthers (Saturday September 17, 5:45pm HKT)
Semi Final (actually more like a quarter final) week of the NRL playoffs sees two of the season’s most entertaining sides in the Raiders and Panthers fighting to extend their season at least one more week. After a 10-game winning streak to end the regular season the Raiders wilted under the finals footy blowtorch against the Sharks last weekend, while the Panthers played their best game all season, running in some spectacular tries to end the Bulldogs’ season. Can they be that good two weeks in a row? Will the Raiders bounce back stronger than ever from their week one loss? And does either side stand a chance against the Storm in the Preliminary Final next week?

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Rugby Championship: Wallabies vs Pumas (Saturday September 17, 6:05pm HKT)
The Wallabies, who broke a six-game, almost year-long losing streak against the Springboks last weekend, will be looking to go back-to-back against the Pumas this Saturday. Perhaps the biggest factor in their favour is the fact the game is being played in Perth, forcing the Argentineans to travel another ten hours west instead of the four it would take to get to Sydney or Melbourne. But don’t cry for Argentina – they will have studied the tapes of England’s series whitewash in June and the All Blacks wins last month, and they are more than capable of disrupting the Wallabies both up front and in broken play. This could be their best chance of stealing a win in Australia in years.

Aviva Premiership: Saracens vs Northampton (Saturday September 17, 10:00pm HKT)
Guess who’s clear at the top of the Aviva Premiership table after the first two rounds? Yep, it’s Saracens, with two wins and two bonus points from their first two games. The European champions haven’t missed a beat, notching big wins at home to Worcester and away to Chiefs in a perfect start to the season. At times like these it feels like they may never lose a game of rugby ever again – this weekend Saints are the latest club tasked with breaking the cycle. The Northampton side bounced back from a surprise Round 1 loss to Bath with a 32-10 win over Bristol at Ashton Gate, putting the game to bed in the opening 20 minutes through tries to George North, Louis Picamoles and Ken Pisi. They ran in four tries in total – if they can do the same at Saracens on Saturday they may just be in with a shot.

Top 14: Racing 92 vs Toulon (Saturday September 17, 11:00pm HKT)
Defending Top 14 champions Racing 92 were without a handful of first team players for their visit to Clermont last weekend and it showed – the Parisian club surrendering six tries in a 47-10 capitulation. They are back in Paris this weekend for a showdown with Toulon, who gave embattled coach Diego Dominguez a stay of execution last week with a 32-15 bonus point win at Toulouse. Both clubs are two wins from four matches to start the season – in Racing’s favour here is the fact that both of their wins have been at home while their two losses so far have come on the road. Dominguez and Toulon won’t be content to rest on their laurels just yet, though, and this should have plenty of intensity for an early-season game.