Springboks Favourites as Nations Championship Heads North for Final Stretch

South Africa head into the European leg of the Nations Championship as favourites to reach the inaugural final. The Springboks sit top of the Southern Hemisphere standings on 15 points with a points difference of plus 81, and face Italy, France and Ireland in their final three Tests. Bookmakers have them at evens, and the trip to Rome on Saturday comes before the two matches that will define their campaign. France, second in the northern standings on 12 points, loom as the most likely finalists from the north, with Fiji, South Africa and Argentina to come, while New Zealand, level with the Springboks on points in the south, face Scotland, Wales and England. Former Springbok Steven Kitshoff has warned that France will be South Africa's biggest hurdle, calling the Paris clash the one making his countrymen most nervous. The finals weekend takes place at Twickenham from November 27 to 29, with the top northern side meeting the top southern side. For the Springboks, the equation is simple: keep winning, and the final is theirs.