Australia vs Japan Prediction & Odds

The Bulls face a formidable New Zealand side enjoying a flawless five-win streak on their South African tour, having recently dispatched the Stormers 38-21 and Sharks 54-0. With no recent head-to-head data, the home side seeks to replicate their historic 1976 victory against the All Blacks, despite being undercooked due to a truncated pre-season.

The Bulls are bolstered by the return of Springboks Elrigh Louw and Johan Grobbelaar to the bench, joining four other Springboks in the starting lineup, with scrumhalf Embrose Papier and tighthead Francois Klopper also key figures. New Zealand sees tour captain Codie Taylor return from injury, leading a side featuring starting debuts for Xavier Numia and Josh Jacomb, while Damian McKenzie and Will Jordan are sidelined with injuries as a precaution.

This match serves as a crucial final audition for several All Blacks players vying for spots in the upcoming Springboks series, with coach Dave Rennie making sweeping changes to his lineup. The Bulls, known for their strong set-pieces and gain-line prowess, will aim to exploit scrummaging weaknesses previously observed in the All Blacks, who are expected to play a high-tempo, ball-in-hand game.