The four Rugby World Cup 2015 semi-finalists come together as The Rugby Championship returns to its full-blown, home and away format.

Last year’s truncated competition was won by Australia, only their second title in the last 13 years, and Michael Cheika's charges begin their title defence at home to New Zealand in Sydney on Saturday.

With many of the class of 2015 now retired, including captain and talisman Richie McCaw and record points scorer Dan Carter, and injuries depriving them of the likes of Sonny Bill Williams, the All Blacks could be vulnerable to an opening round upset against a Wallabies side no doubt determined to put June’s 3-0 series whitewash to England behind them, not to mention their 34-17 defeat at the hands of the All Blacks in the RWC 2015 final.

Argentina, meanwhile, will be aiming to improve on their record of two wins and a draw since they were welcomed into the southern hemisphere’s elite competition. They begin their campaign away to South Africa in what is a repeat of the RWC 2015 bronze final. South Africa won that day but came unstuck when they last played Los Pumas on home soil, losing 37-25 at King's Park in Durban.

Australia v New Zealand, ANZ Stadium, Sydney

Will Genia starts his first game of rugby since January, having spent the last six months recuperating from knee surgery, in what is a near-identical starting side to the one beaten by the All Blacks in the RWC 2015 final. Scrum-half Genia is one of three France-based veterans included in the starting XV after they missed the England series, joining inside-centre Matt Giteau and winger Adam Ashley-Cooper. Dane Haylett-Petty's inclusion is the only change to the RWC final backline, while number eight Ben McCalman is preferred to Scott Fardy in the pack.

Super Rugby match-winner Beauden Barrett has been handed the responsibility of taking over from Dan Carter in the All Blacks’ No.10 jersey. Chiefs prop Kane Hames could make his All Blacks debut off the bench.

In brief

  • Test centurion Adam Ashley-Cooper is set to surpass the great David Campese as Australia's most-capped Bledisloe Cup combatant in his 29th match in the annual trans-Tasman series.
  • Australia have lost their last four tests in a row and have not lost five on the bounce since a run of seven consecutive defeats in 2005. The fifth defeat in that sequence came against New Zealand.
  • Australia were the last team to beat New Zealand – 27-19 this time last year in Sydney. But they haven’t held the Bledisloe Cup since 2002.
  • It is over a decade since New Zealand lost their opening match of a Rugby Championship.
  • The All Blacks have scored at least one try in each of their last 25 games, the longest current run in test rugby after Fiji’s run of 34 games came to an end against Georgia in June.

Rankings predictor

With 96.10 rating points – over six more than second-placed England –New Zealand hold an unassailable cushion at the top of the World Rugby Rankings. The All Blacks will improve their rating by a mere 0.13 of a point with victory in Sydney. Third place is potentially within Australia’s reach if they beat the All Blacks, with as many as 2.8 points on offer depending on the margin of victory.

South Africa v Argentina, Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

South Africa name half-a-dozen players from Super Rugby finalists the Lions in their starting XV for the visit of Los Pumas, including impressive half-back combination Faf de Klerk and Elton Jantjes. Team-mate Julian Redinghuys is set for his first Springbok start at tight-head prop, while Adriaan Strauss captains the side from hooker with Bryan Habana, playing in his 118th test, chosen as his deputy.

The Argentina starting line-up at the at the Mbombela Stadium is made up entirely of players from Super Rugby team Los Jaguares. Argentina captain Agustín Creevy will win his 50th cap for his country.

In brief

  • South Africa are aiming to win The Rugby Championship for just the fourth time with their last title coming in 2009.
  • South Africa will be playing at the Mbombela Stadium for just the third time. They won both previous matches, there scoring more than 30 points in each, against Wales and Scotland.
  • Surprisingly for nations who pride themselves on their forward power, Argentina (80 per cent) and South Africa (81 per cent) had the worst scrum success rates in last year’s competition.
  • Juan Imhoff (pictured) was involved in all four of Argentina’s tries in their win over the Springboks last season (three tries and one assist). Since the beginning of 2015 only three players have scored more tries than Imhoff (8) – Anthony Watson (12), Jonathan Joseph and Julian Savea (both nine).

Rankings predictor

A victorious South Africa can still lose third place in the rankings to Australia if the Wallabies beat New Zealand by more than 15 points. Argentina stand to climb three places to sixth on the back of a gain of 1.92 rating points – leapfrogging Ireland, France and Scotland in the process – if they win in South Africa. Fifth place is even without their grasp should they win by more than 15 points, as it would take them to 83.07 points, almost six tenths more than Wales. Los Pumas cannot drop any lower than ninth in the rankings, even if they lose heavily on Saturday given a near five-point cushion over Fiji below.