5 Pivotal Factors That Will Decide Rugby Championship Title

New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Argentina are enjoying their final rest week ahead of the last two rounds of this year's Rugby Championship, with tensions building ahead of the competition's closing chapters.

The All Blacks enter their last two fixtures with a six-point lead over Australia and South Africa, but their chances of retaining the title remain balanced on a knife's edge. 

Both they and the other hopefuls—Argentina no longer in the running—will play their part in deciding the overall standings come tournament's end, with five of the biggest factors dictating the 2014 crown discussed in finer detail.

1. All Blacks' Line-Up Consistency a Poisoned Chalice?

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

For the most part, Steve Hansen has been able to rely upon a solid spine in his line-up during the opening four rounds of this year's competition, utilising the same batch of stars time and time again.

In total, nine New Zealand players have started all four matches thus far, the head coach clearly settled with the majority of his first XV, with only a few major injury concerns to speak of.

It's especially impressive that while other teams have chopped and changed, Owen Franks, Dane Coles and Wyatt Crockett have started as Hansen's front-row selection, showing little sign of fatigue or breaking down as the competition wears on.

Given how successful they have been, it's clear the strategy is working, but it's possible the tournament may be growing weary on certain shoulders at this stage. 

At their healthiest, the All Blacks are still the best team in the world, but one has to wonder whether the same stellar standards can be kept up for the next 160 minutes of rugby.

2. South Africa's Home Advantage

Ross Setford/Associated Press

Just as they have done in the previous two years of the contest, South Africa will boast home advantage for their last two fixtures of the Rugby Championship.

The Springboks are assuredly a force to be reckoned with, irrespective of where they play, but South Africa has developed some reputation for being a difficult place to earn points, both in Super Rugby competition and internationally.

Australia travel to Newlands in Week 5 before the tournament once again rounds to an almighty climax, New Zealand making their way to Ellis Park, hopefully with the stakes as high as last year's meeting, simply dubbed "The Final."

Heyneke Meyer's side won their first home outing of this year's competition with a 13-6 win over Argentina in Round 1, but a more convincing standard will be required for the Wallabies and the All Blacks.

3. Pumas Prowling for Points

Victor R. Caivano/Associated Press

They may be out of the title race, but that doesn't mean Argentina can't still have a monumental impact on who wins this year's title, starting with next Saturday's meeting with the league leaders.

The Pumas have made their South American borders a difficult place to draw points from and took South Africa to within two points in Week 2, their only home fixture thus far.

With three points to their name, Daniel Hourcade's men have already beaten their 2013 points tally but are still as adamant as ever to chase that elusive maiden win of their tournament history.

Should they be able to upset New Zealand or Australia in their final two fixtures, be it through a win or draw, the table could be shaken considerably.

4. Wallabies' Lack of Conviction

Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

It's been a stigma of the Wallabies game at times that fine build-up has often been put to waste with a breakdown of play in their opponents' 22.

There was a moment on the Gold Coast in Round 4 where Bernard Foley summarised this issue succinctly, launching a break through the heart of Argentina's defence, choosing to throw a dummy five metres out and get tackles rather than offload to his wide-open team-mate.

It's not the first time Australia have made the opportunities to up their try count and failed, and it most likely won't be the last.

New Zealand and South Africa don't suffer the same issues to the same extent. Even Argentina showed a killer touch at the Cbus Super Stadium when snapping up chances from nothing.

Ewen McKenzie's outfit seem almost to over-think their task at hand sometimes, and it leads to complications that are sure to upset their closing fixtures against South Africa and Argentina.

5. Hansen's Half-Back Partnership the Stuff of Dreams

Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images

Half-back consistency has been a rare commodity among the southern hemisphere giants of late, but through the two Aarons, No. 9 Smith and No. 10 Cruden, Steve Hansen has struck gold.

While Australia hum and haw over whether it should be Kurtley Beale or Foley starting, South Africa debate if Hendre Pollard is ready, an untapped source but one who needs time before he can really unleash his potential.

Hourcade has his duo in scrum-half Martin Landajo and fly-half Nicolas Sanchez, albeit nowhere near as talented as their All Blacks counterparts.

Indeed, Hansen has a half-back duo to make his coaching compatriots green with envy, and they've started every match this year, save for Beauden Barrett's filling in against the Pumas while Cruden was injured in Round 3.

For all the stars and torque under Hansen's hood, relying on Smith and Cruden has been an extremely valuable luxury for the coach, and their continued success can be the key in finishing off the competition with aplomb.