Nations Championship round 2 betting tips and fixtures
Saturday's nations championship rugby fixtures on July 11 feature six back-to-back Tests worldwide, from New Zealand versus Italy in Wellington to Argentina versus Wales in San Juan. After a red-hot opening weekend, Argentina, Australia and England hunt first wins, while Racing Post's top picks include Japan +20, England winning by 11-20 points, South Africa -17 and Argentina by 1-12 points.
World Rugby says all 24 teams bound for Men's Rugby World Cup 2027 will be in action on Saturday, with the Nations Championship sharing the stage with Nations Cup double headers in Edmonton and Viña del Mar. Points from every game feed a November final at Twickenham, leaving little room for early setbacks.
Key Takeaways
- Six Nations Championship Tests run back-to-back on July 11, kicking off in Wellington and ending roughly 8,500 miles away in San Juan.
- Argentina, Australia and England all lost on the opening weekend and need wins against Wales, France and Fiji respectively.
- Racing Post's best bets are Japan +20, England to win by 11-20 points, South Africa -17 and Argentina to win by 1-12 points.
- England travel from Johannesburg to Liverpool before Argentina, while Wales arrive in San Juan after beating Fiji in Cardiff.
- ITV1 broadcasts Japan-Ireland, Fiji-England, South Africa-Scotland and Argentina-Wales for UK viewers.
Which nations championship rugby fixtures kick off on Saturday?
Round two opens with New Zealand hosting Italy in Wellington, followed by Australia versus France in Brisbane and Japan against Ireland in Newcastle, Australia. Fiji meet England at Liverpool's Hill Dickinson Stadium, South Africa face Scotland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, and Argentina close the day against Wales in San Juan.
World Rugby highlights the scale of the schedule: New Zealand start the packed day while Argentina and Wales finish it on another continent. The same Saturday also sees Nations Cup action in North and South America, meaning every Rugby World Cup 2027 qualifier is playing somewhere on the planet.
Why do Argentina, Australia and England need wins this weekend?
RTE reports that Argentina, Australia and England are all chasing their first Nations Championship victories after opening defeats. Argentina suffered a surprise home loss to Scotland in Cordoba, Australia were edged out by Ireland in Sydney, and England were beaten 45-21 by South Africa in Johannesburg.
Argentina now host Wales in San Juan, Australia welcome Six Nations champions France to Brisbane, and England face Fiji in Liverpool with home advantage ceded by the Pacific Islanders. An upset loss could deepen pressure on England coach Steve Borthwick, whose side have now lost five Tests in a row.
What are the best Nations Championship betting tips?
Racing Post expert Graham Woods flags four best bets for Saturday. Japan +20 at evens with Hills gets one point, reflecting Ireland's ten changes and Ciaran Frawley's first start at fly-half in more than a year. England to win by 11-20 points at 10-3 with bet365 also earns one point, as a straight win matters more than a large handicap for Steve Borthwick's side.
South Africa -17 at evens with Hills is a two-point pick, with Handre Pollard pulling the strings despite ten changes from the team that routed England. Argentina to win by one to 12 points at 9-4 with bet365 rounds out the selections, with Los Pumas expected to bounce back after their surprise home loss to Scotland.
Can Scotland shock South Africa at Loftus Versfeld?
Scotland travel to Pretoria after defeating Argentina in Cordoba, with fly-half Finn Russell returning from injury, but history weighs heavily. Racing Post notes Scotland have lost their last nine meetings with South Africa and scored only once past 20 points in that run, failing to score a try in the last two.
Pieter-Steph du Toit captains a much-changed Springbok side that still looks formidable after starting and finishing strongly against England. For more globe-trotting sports oddities like this 8,500-mile matchday, browse our Bizarre News & Florida Man section. Full fixture times and rankings context are on World Rugby.