Argentina, Australia, England seek first Nations Championship wins

Following defeats on the opening weekend, Argentina, Australia, and England are all aiming for their first victories in the inaugural Nations Championship this Saturday. Scotland also seeks a breakthrough win in the competition, which awards points for each game, culminating in a November final at Twickenham between top teams from the north and south divisions.

Argentina suffered a surprising home loss to Scotland in Cordoba but, with more time to gel, are eager to rebound against Wales in San Juan. The team's players, spread across European clubs, often struggle with initial preparation, leading to a lack of rhythm and consistency, as seen in their performance against the Scots.

Australia was narrowly defeated by Ireland in Sydney and now faces a formidable challenge against France in Brisbane. The Wallabies have been hit by further injuries to their flyhalves, Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson, marking their seventh different flyhalf in the last 17 tests. France's coach, Fabien Galthie, described Australia as an "on or off" team, capable of beating anyone but prone to moments of inconsistency and fragility, urging his team to capitalize on these lapses.

England is set to play Fiji in Liverpool, benefiting from home advantage ceded by the Pacific Islanders. This match presents an ideal opportunity for a much-needed win after their 45-21 loss to South Africa in Johannesburg. An upset defeat could put significant pressure on England coach Steve Borthwick, whose team has lost their last five tests.

Scotland faces South Africa in a venue where they have never won. However, with improved form and the return of Finn Russell, they are hopeful of causing an upset against the world champions, who are continuing to experiment with their squad. Other matches include New Zealand hosting Italy in Wellington and Japan facing Ireland in Newcastle.

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Australia are a case of ‘on’ or ‘off’... They are capable of beating anyone. They went and beat the South Africans on their home turf in a match where they were trailing 22-0 but ended up winning 38-22. That was the ‘on’ mode. Then curiously they switch to ‘off’. You get the impression they are dominating their opponents, imposing a game based on speed and power, and then suddenly they have moments of inconsistency and fragility. It’s up to us to capitalise on that.