2013 Investec Rugby Championship Preview

After a long drawn out season of Super Rugby, it is time for the business end of the international season.

The Rugby Championship is the most important competition for the powerhouses of Southern Hemisphere - and world - rugby and there is plenty of intrigue and interest in this year's edition.

How will Ewen McKenzie do in his first few games as Wallabies coach? The former Reds coach is not only charged with turning around the atmosphere in the Wallabies camp after a dismal and demoralising Lions series, but also trying to end a 10-year drought without the Bledisloe Cup.

Oh and his first two games as Wallabies coach are against the All Blacks, although the first one is in Sydney - the last two games are in Wellington and Dunedin though.

Not surprisingly, Quade Cooper has been recalled by his former coach and will be out to prove that his omission from the Wallabies cost them victory over the British & Irish Lions. He and along the likes of James O'Connor and Will Genia will be out for redemption in the eyes of an Australian rugby public that has had to put up with being second to their neighbours across the ditch.

Speaking of across the ditch, the All Blacks aren't quite without issues, with the news that Dan Carter is set to miss the first month of the Rugby Championship at least with a calf injury. There isn't too much panic though, with the likes of Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett ready to step up and fill the gap.

Both young first-fives had stunning Super Rugby campaigns and Cruden gained plenty of time and experience guiding the All Blacks in the first two tests against the French earlier this year.

You could even say that Cruden in black has actually looked better than Carter in black this season.

Captain Richie McCaw also makes his return to the All Blacks having returned from his sabbatical late in the Super Rugby season. He might very well still be a bit underdone although there is an able replacement with super sub, Sam Cane.

What about the Boks? The Boks have been very much in the shadows so far this season - their only meaningful international action was against those powerhouses of world rugby, Scotland, Italy and Samoa. The South Africans didn't really have a great Super Rugby season either but that counts for little in the Rugby Championship, particularly with the young squad and ethos Heynecke Meyer is trying to build.

The Boks need to win overseas if they are to be title contenders and at this point, that is very hard to see with the Wallabies currently owning the Boks in Australia.

Finally, Argentina. They had a pretty respectable first season but the second season will be the real acid test. Their first choice players should be back now after being rested for the England series earlier this year. There is some depth in Argentine rugby so some new stars could emerge but asking them to win their maiden Rugby Championship could be a a bit much.

A first ever win in the Rugby Championship is probably the most realistic aim for Los Pumas this season - and their best chance is likely to be at home against South Africa who they almost beat or Australia who they are very closely matched with.

Prediction? New Zealand to win the Rugby Championship and retain the Bledisloe Cup.

Anyway, here are the players to watch from each country in this year's Championship

TJ Perenara, New Zealand - the Hurricanes halfback has had to bide his time to get into black but he has definitely earned his call ahead of former Wellington teammate, Piri Weepu. It is pretty even between the young halfbacks in the All Blacks side so expect to see Perenara come off the bench quite regularly in this series and bring his lightning pace to the game.

Quade Cooper, Australia - Australian rugby's bad boy is back from the international wilderness and has a lot to prove that he should be Australia's default choice for the no. 10 jersey. It will be interesting to see how Cooper goes under his coach at the Reds, who mentored him to become the player he is now and knows how to get the best out of him.

Jan Serfontein, South Africa - it's a shame that the Kings' and WP's excellent first-five talent, Demetri Catrakilis has been asked to go back to Currie Cup rugby as the Boks are still a bit light in the pivots. On the other hand, the Boks continue to have plenty of quality midfielders and Serfontein, Catrakilis' teammate from the Bok Under-20s World Cup team, is not bad himself and could push the experienced Jean de Villiers for a spot in the centres.

Felipe Contepomi, Argentina - missed his country's historic Rugby Championship campaign last season, the veteran back will be keen to show the Southern Hemisphere what they missed when he leads his country in this year's campaign. Contempomi probably won't get too many opportunities to beat one of the All Blacks, Wallabies and Boks so expect a lot of fireworks here.

Squads -
ARGENTINA - Fullbacks: Juan Martin Hernandez (Racing Metro), Joaquin Tuculet (unattached). Wings: Horacio Agulla (Bath), Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino (unattached), Gonzalo Camacho (Leicester), Juan Imhoff (Racing Metro). Centres: Marcelo Bosch (Saracens), Felipe Contepomi (Newman), Santiago Fernandez (unattached). Flyhalf: Nicolas Sanchez (Bordeaux-Begles). Scrumhalves: Tomas Cubelli (Belgrano Athletic), Martin Landajo (CASI). Props: Marcos Ayerza (Leicester), Matias Diaz (Teque), Juan Figallo (Montpellier). Hookers: Agustin Creevy (Worcester), Eusebio Guinazu (Bath). Locks: Patricio Albacete (Toulouse), Manuel Carizza (unattached), Julio Farias Cabello (Tucuman), Mariano Galarza (Los Pampas XV). Loose-forwards: Juan Fernandez Lobbe (Toulon), Juan Manuel Leguizamon (Lyon), Nahuel Lobo (Newcastle), Pablo Matera (Los Pampas XV), Leonardo Senatore (Worcester)

SOUTH AFRICA - Forwards: Jannie du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Bismarck du Plessis, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Adriaan Strauss, Eben Etzebeth, Juandré Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Franco van der Merwe, Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee, Siya Kolisi, Francois Louw, Duane Vermeulen. Backs: Fourie du Preez (SA Tests only), Ruan Pienaar, Jano Vermaak, Piet van Zyl (Overseas Tests), Pat Lambie, Morné Steyn, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers (c), JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein, Bjorn Basson, Bryan Habana, Zane Kirchner, Willie le Roux.

AUSTRALIA - Albert Anae, Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Quade Cooper, Nick Cummins, Kane Douglas, Saia Faingaa, Scott Fardy, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Liam Gill, Michael Hooper, James Horwill (c), Sekope Kepu, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealiifano, Ben McCalman, Hugh McMeniman, Jesse Mogg, Stephen Moore, Ben Mowen, James O'Connor, Jake Schatz, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, James Slipper, Joe Tomane, Matt Toomua, Nic White.

NEW ZEALAND - 
FORWARDS Hookers Dane Coles - Wellington / Hurricanes (6) Andrew Hore - Taranaki/ Highlanders (76) Keven Mealamu - Auckland / Blues (104) Props Wyatt Crockett - Canterbury / Crusaders (14) Charlie Faumuina - Auckland / Blues (7) Ben Franks - Hawke's Bay / Hurricanes (25) Owen Franks - Canterbury / Crusaders (47) Tony Woodcock - North Harbour / Highlanders (98) Locks Brodie Retallick - Bay of Plenty / Chiefs (14) Luke Romano - Canterbury / Crusaders (14) Samuel Whitelock - Canterbury / Crusaders (41) Loose forwards Sam Cane - Bay of Plenty / Chiefs (7) Steven Luatua - Auckland / Blues (1) Richie McCaw - captain Canterbury / Crusaders (116) Liam Messam - Waikato / Chiefs (23) Kieran Read - Canterbury / Crusaders (51) BACKS Halfbacks Tawera Kerr-Barlow - Waikato / Chiefs (4) TJ Perenara - Wellington/ Hurricanes * Aaron Smith - Manawatu / Highlanders (15) First five-eighths Beauden Barrett - Taranaki / Hurricanes (8) Daniel Carter - Canterbury / Crusaders (95) Aaron Cruden - Manawatu / Chiefs (22) Midfield backs Ma'a Nonu - Wellington / Highlanders (79) Conrad Smith - Wellington / Hurricanes (69) Outside backs Israel Dagg - Hawke's Bay / Crusaders (28) Charles Piutau - Auckland / Blues (1) Julian Savea - Wellington/ Hurricanes (11) Ben Smith - Otago / Highlanders (15)

Schedule of Games -
Saturday 17 August
Australia v New Zealand, Sydney
South Africa v Argentina, Bloemfontein

Saturday 24 August
New Zealand v Australia, Wellington
Argentina v South Africa, Mendoza

Saturday, 7 September
Australia v South Africa, Brisbane
New Zealand v Argentina, Hamilton

Saturday, 14 September
Australia v Argentina, Perth
New Zealand v South Africa, Auckland

Saturday, 28 September
South Africa v Australia, Cape Town
Argentina v New Zealand, La Plata

Saturday, 5 October
South Africa v New Zealand, Johannesburg (Ellis Park)
Argentina v Australia, Rosario