There is something weird about the number 23 in matches involving the Springboks and the Wallabies.
Let’s rewind the clock back to 2016.
With the two teams playing each other twice a year, the Wallabies won their home leg 23-17.
In 2017 they played to two draws and one of the, you’ve guessed it, was a 23-all result.
Then this year it was the Wallabies that won their home leg 23-18, while the Springboks beat them in Port Elizabeth on Saturday 23-12.
Anyway, 23 points probably won’t be enough to down the All Blacks at Loftus this weekend.
But the Boks go into that match as favourites - at least in my books.
Having narrowly lost (25-24) to the New Zealanders in Cape Town last year, the Springboks will be full of confidence heading into this encounter after beating the tournament champs in their own backyard a few weeks back.
And while it’s a rarity to enter any contest against the Kiwis as favourites, it will be interesting to see how captain Siya Kolisi and his teammates handle a different kind of pressure.