Australia vs New Zealand is one of the oldest and most intense rivalries in rugby union. The neighbors are about to duke it out for the first time in 2023, with the All Blacks knowing that a third win will guarantee them this season's Rugby Championship title. Saturday's Australia vs New Zealand live stream at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, followed by next weekend's game in Dunedin, will also comprise this year's Bledisloe Cup between the two sides.
This year's Rugby Championship 2023 is not to be missed, so read on and we'll show you how to watch the Australia vs New Zealand live stream for FREE from anywhere with a VPN.
Australia coach Eddie Jones has made seven changes to his starting XV for this one. The biggest news is that fly half Carter Gordon has come for his first Wallabies start, with Quade Cooper dropping to the bench. Tate McDermott also starts at scrum half, with Angus Bell getting the nod in the front row. Michael Hooper hasn't recovered from injury. For New Zealand, the injured Sam Crane hasn't made it, so Ardie Savea will captain the All Blacks. Ian Foster otherwise selects an unchanged lineup, meaning Aaron Smith, Richie Mo'unga and Beauden Barrett all start.
It's set to be a dry evening. in Melbourne with temperatures at 18 degrees. Essentially, the perfect conditions for a game of rugby, then. Time to get it on.
• Date: Saturday (July 29)
• Time: 10:45 a.m. BST / 5:45 a.m. ET / 2:45 a.m. PT / 7:45 p.m. AEST / 9:45 p.m. NZST
• Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia
• FREE LIVE STREAM — 9Now (Australia)
• U.S. — FloRugby
• U.K. — Sky Sports
• Watch anywhere — Try ExpressVPN 100% risk free
If Eddie Jones could explain away an opening round Rugby Championship defeat to reigning world champions South Africa, there was little positive spin he could put on the Wallabies' 34-31 home loss to Argentina a fortnight ago. The former England head coach's return to his native country hasn't had the best of starts and not even making six changes to his starting XV against the Pumas could inspire his side to victory, even after leading 10-0 and only falling behind after conceding Juan Martin Gonzalez's late try two minutes from time. Yet Jones thrives as the underdog and will have the added motivation of knowing that his side have an outside chance of denying their big rivals the 2023 Rugby Championship. He must do without outside centre Len Ikitau, though, who is injured and will be sweating on the return to fitness of captain Michael Hooper.
New Zealand are peaking at just the right time, with the 2023 World Cup just around the corner, yet there remain chinks for opposition to target in the All Blacks. Ian Foster's side may have one hand on the 2023 Rugby Championship thanks to a 35-20 victory of world champions South Africa two weeks ago, but the Kiwis went overly defensive in the second and gave up the initiative to allow the Springboks back into the game despite a 20-3 half-time deficit. Fly half Richie Mo'unga has been in inspired form with both ball in hand and from the kicking tee, with Beauden Barrett slotting in comfortably at full back. The backs are flying with the ball in hand and captain Sam Cane is leading the pack well.
If Australia can follow South Africa's lead in turning the game scrappy, with plenty of set-piece action, then they may frustrate New Zealand but it's the All Blacks who start as significant favorites at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, which hasn't played host to the Wallabies since the opening fixture of the 2007 Bledisloe Cup. The score that day in front of nearly 80,000? A 20-15 Australia win. Can history repeat itself, with 100,000 expected?
You will not want to miss the Australia vs New Zealand live stream, and we’ve got all the ways the watch the Rugby Championship 2023 for free down below.
How to watch the Australia vs New Zealand live stream for FREE in Australia
Rugby fans in Australia are in for a treat, as they can watch Wallabies games at the 2023 Rugby Championship for FREE on Channel 9, including Australia vs New Zealand.
That means viewers can also fire up a free Rugby Championship live stream on the 9Now streaming service, which is compatible with most smart devices.
Stan Sport, meanwhile, is the live streaming every match of the Rugby Championship, ad-free.
A subscription costs $10 per month (on top of a $10 Stan sub), after a 7-day Stan Sport FREE trial.
Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead, and we'll show you how to do that below. Our favorite VPN service right now is ExpressVPN, but you'll find others in our best VPN services list
How to watch the Australia vs New Zealand live stream free from anywhere
It's natural that you might want to watch the Rugby Championship 2023 Australia vs New Zealand live stream in your home country and with your favourite pundits and commentators, but what if you're not there when the fight is on? With a virtual private network, or VPN, you can appear to be surfing the web from your home town and access the same streaming services you already paid for.
Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. It offers superb speeds and excellent customer service. But you've got other VPN options as well. Here are our top picks.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.K. and want to view an Australian service, you'd select Australia from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to 9Now, Sky Sports or another service and watch Australia vs New Zealand.
How to watch the Australia vs New Zealand Rugby Championship 2023 live streams in the US
Great news for oval-ball fans in the US. Rugby fans can watch every game of the 2023 Rugby Championship, including Australia vs New Zealand, on dedicated rugby streaming service FloRugby in the US.
A monthly subscription costs $29.99, with an annual subscription costing $150.
Both packages give you access to the entire FloSports network, which includes coverage of cycling, motorsport and American Football, all of which can be streamed on a range of devices, including iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV.
If you already use FloRugby but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can watch the South Africa vs Australia live stream by using a VPN such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch the Australia vs New Zealand Rugby Championship live stream in the UK
Sky Sports is your destination to watch the Australia vs New Zealand in the Rugby Championship 2023 live streams online. The tournament will air on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action, depending on the fixture, so make sure you sign up today.
If you're not currently in the U.K. and have a valid TV license, you can still watch a Australia vs New Zealand live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch the Australia vs New Zealand Rugby Championships 2023 live stream in New Zealand
Kiwis can access the Rugby Championship 2023 lives stream, including Australia vs New Zealand, via Sky Sport. This costs $60.98 NZD per month, or you could go for the Sky Sport Now service, which gives you just the Sports channels but for a reduced cost of $19.99/week, $39.99/month or $399/year.
Not at home in New Zealand right now? You can still follow the game by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.
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