Dan Biggar says the All Blacks is no longer the biggest game in international rugby – and Siya Kolisi’s Springboks are to blame.

The gaze of the sporting world turns to Twickenham on Saturday when England play New Zealand. Always a thunderous occasion, traditionally the hottest ticket in the sport.

Only this time seats are still available both on viagogo and StubHub to see Steve Borthwick’s men take on the World Cup runners-up for the third time in as many matches.

New hot ticket

Wales great Biggar says: “South Africa has probably replaced the All Blacks as the main fixture. It feels like that anyway.

“They clearly are the team that is way ahead at the moment, Rugby Championship winners, back-to-back World Cup winners.

“If someone said to me place a fiver on the team to win the next World Cup, I’d be hard-pressed to put it on anyone other than the Springboks.

“They clearly don’t get much love from outside South Africa but how can you argue with what they’ve done over the last five years.”

Rassie Erasmus‘ Boks are late to the party that is the Autumn Nations Series. Their programme does not start until Sunday week when they open at Murrayfield before moving to London and on to Cardiff.

Consequently, talk this week has been dominated by England versus New Zealand and, inevitably, the pre-match haka.

But Biggar, the former Wales captain who plays his club rugby for Toulon in France, has been mesmerised by the evolution of South Africa in the year since they retained the Webb Ellis Cup.

“They’re a winning machine,” says the fly-half, a welcome addition to TNT Sports‘ ANS coverage. “It feels to me like THE challenge in rugby now is South Africa in South Africa, not New Zealand in New Zealand.

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“If the Springboks keep the core group of their squad together they’re going to arrive at the next World Cup with the most experienced squad the tournament has ever seen.

“They have evolved this year and played far more rugby in the recent Rugby Championship than previously. That’s a scary notion for everybody else that they’re trialling out a new style while still being able to win trophies.”

Biggar continues: “When you’ve got the core that they have all you need is to develop three or four players at a time in the next 12-24 months and their strength in depth is going to be huge.

“I think they’re in a brilliant position. I think they’re a brilliant team. Of course it’s difficult to know how things will look in 2027, but right now it is hard to see past them for another World Cup.”

Last month Biggar took to social media to publicly congratulate South Africa for finishing top of the Rugby Championship and add them to his list of all-time great sporting teams that are “littered with leaders”.

He praised Erasmus and his coaching team for “creating a core group of incredible seasoned pros who are now natural leaders – all the while having the ability to change the way they’re trying to play and give lots of new players a chance.”

Southern hemisphere final

It is remarkable to think a year ago in France there were those predicting an all-Northern Hemisphere last-four at the World Cup.

It did not turn out that way as only England, narrow winners against Fiji, survived the quarter-final chop. France, Ireland and Wales perished, losing to South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina respectively.

“That makes this an important autumn for the North,” argues Biggar. “But let’s be frank, it’s pretty key for Australia and New Zealand as well.

“Look at what Australia have got coming up next summer with the Lions. They have to start improving quickly. And New Zealand are coming off as poor a year as many can remember, even though did they get to a World Cup final.

“With games against England, Ireland and France you could see New Zealand go nought from three. It’s not inconceivable. They’ve lost that little bit of aura about them.

“They’re still going to be incredibly motivated but they’ve got three phenomenally tough games. So this autumn has got everything. Every game seems to matter.”

Every match of 2024 Autumn Nations Series is exclusively live on TNT Sports and discovery+ Watch The Autumn Nations Rugby Show, free-to-air on Quest every Thursday at 10pm