The Springboks made a statement with a dominant 38 - 12 win over the Wallabies.  The Springboks broke their Australian hoodoo by smashing the Wallabies in a well-balanced performance which has seen them go one point clear of the All Blacks at the top of the Rugby Championship 2013.  This makes next week's Rugby Championship Round 4 clash between the Springboks and the All Blacks, a mouth-watering prospect.

The Wallabies can't even take a win over Argentina next week for granted given the Pumas gutsy 28-13 defeat to the All Blacks.  Most people assumed the All Blacks would give Argentina a thrashing, while the closer game of the round would be between the Wallabies and Springboks.  The disturbing thing is that the Wallabies have got only one home game left and still haven't posted a win.  They seem to have lost their confidence and seem like a beaten team before they hop onto the field.  It seems that coach Robbie Deans wasn't the problem, it is more a case of them simply not having the players to challenge the All Blacks and Springboks.

The All Blacks were far from convincing but still beat the Pumas 28-13 in damp conditions in Hamilton, but they didn't grab a four try bonus point.  The Pumas have improved since the start of the Rugby Championship 2013 and the Wallabies seem ripe for the picking given their lack of confidence.  It is rare to see Australians lacking in confidence.

The Rugby Championship Round 4 is absolutely crucial.  The Springboks have a one point advantage and an away win over the All Blacks would go a long way to guaranteeing them a Rugby Championship title.  The All Blacks will need to adapt to conditions better than they did against Argentina.  The Springboks are in great form at the moment, but it will be interesting to see if they can unlock the All Blacks defence as easy as they did to the Wallabies.

The Wallabies host the Pumas and the Wallabies desperately need a win to restore some pride.  It just doesn't seem right that Australians are lacking confidence, but in recent times their cricket team has also had the same problem, but it is simply because they don't have the talented players like they used to.  A Pumas win next Saturday night would be groundbreaking and it would be very satisfying seeing the Wallabies in disarray.

Nearly everyone picked the All Blacks to beat the Pumas in SuperBru, although the margin was lower than expected.  In conrast, the 26 points margin in the Springboks vs Wallabies game was bigger than anticipated.  Nearly three quarters of people picked the Springboks to win.

Who did you pick to win in the Rugby Championship 2013 Round 3?  Did you win a yellow cap or get a margin point?

Are the Springboks the best team in The Rugby Championship?  Is there any hope for the Wallabies?

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