Predictions: Hutch's Rugby Championship Round 5 Picks

We’re getting to crunch time in the Rugby Championship with just a couple of rounds to go, and all teams have played 4, won 2 and lost 2.

Here are my Rugby Championship predictions for Round 5.

New Zealand vs. Australia

The Wallabies’ overall trajectory continues to trend upwards, but they were beaten by Argentina last weekend and missed a prime opportunity to pull away on the table. They are missing a couple of key players for this game, whilst the All Blacks look strong and will be desperate to prove a point after their record defeat last weekend.

At Eden Park, there’s only one winner and I think it will be relatively comfortable for the All Blacks.

Prediction: New Zealand by 13

South Africa vs. Argentina

The Springboks are in pole position to win this tournament now, after thrashing the All Blacks and now have a pair of fixtures against Argentina to contend with - this weekend in Durban, and then the next one is in London rather than Buenos Aires.

It’s a strong Pumas side for this one, and there’s no altitude for them to contend with in Durban, but there’s only one team to pick for a win here. If they perform anything like they did last time out, it could be a long afternoon for the visitors, and I think the Boks will want to press home any advantage to further boost their points difference.

Prediction: South Africa by 23

How do your picks compare?