The Rugby Championship often fixes our attention at this time of year and with the World Cup looming that focus only intensifies in 2019.

Which of the southern hemisphere nations are sharpening their tools effectively? And which are craftily keeping half a deck of cards up their sleeve?

Is there a lurking bolter like Nehe Milner-Skudder somewhere in the midst? That graceful winger who debuted for New Zealand in the 2015 Rugby Championship before taking the World Cup by six-try-storm just weeks later.

The answers will be even more closely investigated by those in World Cup proximity to the southern hemisphere protagonists, and Italy – fighting it out in Pool B with the All Blacks and South Africa – have cause for special attention this weekend with those two great rivals meeting.

Three-time World Cup winners New Zealand and two-time champions South Africa are favourites to progress from Pool B but Conor O’Shea and the Azzurri set-up will be checking for chinks on Saturday morning at Wellington’s Cake Tin.

Every possible gain will be sought and you can imagine O’Shea dialling up his old friend and former Springbok coach Dr Brendan Venter for an insider’s prognosis – see also Benetton Rugby head coach and former All Black selector Kieran Crowley.

With a view to potential World Cup quarter-finals, Scotland and Ireland will also no doubt be tuned in with croissants and coffee in hand at 8:35am on Saturday, in what should be a thunderous clash.

The Springboks bound across to New Zealand with a spring in their step after their comprehensive five-try victory over Australia last weekend – debutant scrum-half and one-time Scarlet, Herschel Jantjies grabbing many headlines with two tries on debut.

Quite terrifyingly for upcoming World Cup opponents and due to Jantjies’ emergence, Cobus Reinach – joint top try-scorer in the English Premiership last season – can’t make the squad for Wellington. Jantjies, Faf de Klerk and Reinach is some set of No.9s for your Japan squad.

Running with that theme of ominous signs, South Africa’s battering of Australia was achieved without an advance squadron of 13 senior players who were already setting up a beachhead in New Zealand.

Hence Duane Vermeulen comes in at No.8 to captain in a much-changed side – Kwagga Smith, Franco Mostert, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx and Steven Kitshoff also freshly installed recruits.

In the backs, Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Handre Pollard and De Klerk are all unleashed.

Although All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen has played this match down you suspect he might have had more than one eye on it too – his weakened side edged past Argentina 20-16 last week and has a more familiar feel to it this weekend.

In-form Richie Mo’unga comes in at fly-half, with Beauden Barrett moving to full-back, while Joe Moody, Codie Taylor and Owen Franks start in the front row.

The experienced Sam Whitelock returns, as does No.6 Shannon Frizell, openside Matt Todd and captain Kieran Read.

TJ Perenara is behind the scrum, with Sonny Bill Williams and Jack Goodhue in midfield – Ben Smith and Rieko Ioane out wide.

Not all will be revealed on Saturday, but if the Springboks can recreate their stunning win in the same stadium last year, the confidence gained and implications for the World Cup could be significant.