The final round of the 2023 Rugby Championship fixtures take place on Saturday, with Australia hosting New Zealand at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The All Blacks are agonisingly close to retaining their Rugby Championship crown, which would be their third in succession and 20th in total after two wins from two matches.

This year’s Rugby Championship is a shortened format due to the upcoming Rugby World Cup, and Australia will be eager to win to avoid receiving the wooden spoon for the first time since 2020.

Team news

Young Australia fly-half Carter Gordon will start his first Test this weekend after being named in the starting line-up by coach Eddie Jones.

He will join scrum-half Tate McDermott in a revamped half-back pairing while Jordan Petaia returns from injury to partner inside centre Samu Kerevi in the midfield.

At full-back, Jones welcomes Andrew Kellaway back from injury, but he is without Michael Hooper due to a calf problem, meaning tighthead prop Allan Alaalatoa will captain the side.

New Zealand number eight Ardie Savea will captain the All Blacks, with regular skipper Sam Cane sidelined due to a neck strain.

Cane’s absence will allow Dalton Papli’i to make a start, while Luke Jacobson comes into the squad as back-row cover.

The rest of Ian Foster’s side is unchanged from their 35-20 victory over South Africa in their second match of this year’s Rugby Championship.

New Zealand -16 @ 5/6

The All Blacks look destined to win another Rugby Championship after two convincing wins under Foster.

While New Zealand look as dangerous as ever, Australia have been below-par under Jones, and they will do well to avoid another defeat.

Australia have lacked cohesion and organisation during their first two Rugby Championship displays, and the fact that New Zealand have stuck largely with the same squad means they should be able to carry on where they left off.

Under +60.5 Total points @ 10/11

Saturday’s match is the first in this year’s Bledisloe Cup, so Australia will be desperate to do themselves proud in front of their fans in Melbourne.

The Wallabies last won the Bledisloe Cup in 2002, while their most recent win over the All Blacks in the competition came in November 2020.

Jones has tried to fuel the mind games before kick-off, but his team should need no extra motivation as they try to dent New Zealand’s chances of winning the Rugby Championship.

While New Zealand have dominated this fixture in recent years, only two of the last five matches have contained more than 60 points.

Australia’s new-look side will try to keep the fixture as competitive as they can, but we expect New Zealand to run away with proceedings and cover the -16 handicap before full-time.