2015 Rugby Championship: 5 Players Under Most Pressure After 1st Round of Games

The southern hemisphere's power balance has already been shaken up after Australia finished with a spring in their step to defeat South Africa 24-20 in the first round of this year's Rugby Championship.

Defending champions New Zealand claimed a comfortable win over Argentina, but the current setting in the competition is a precarious one, with no team resting on their laurels just yet.

There were a number of star displays in Week 1 that helped lift pressure off the shoulders of those impressing, but a host of players are under the cosh to dazzle as we move forward.

Equally, even a selection of those individual giants already hitting hefty heights bear a burden to excel further, with some of those under the heaviest weight discussed in further detail ahead. 

1. Willie Le Roux, South Africa

Schalk van Zuydam/Associated Press

Willie Le Roux is like many rugby tricksters in the way that his demonstrations of fabulous flair and wit can soon be followed up by moments of madness, which proved to be the case in Brisbane last Saturday.

The Springboks full-back had a delightful hand in setting up Eben Etzebeth for his first-ever Test try against the Wallabies, but his outing may unfortunately be remembered for a costly kick in his own territory.

Le Roux kicked possession away in a moment of panic and gave the Wallabies their chance to score from the ensuing lineout through Adam Ashley-Cooper, but South Africa were holding firm until that point.

The Yellow Cap questioned Le Roux's profligacy in possession, opting to kick when the opportunity for running rugby is on the table.

The Sharks-bound playmaker undoubtedly sits as one of the finest players in the world in his position, but full-back is a role in which a calm head is required as much as any other.

There isn't another player in Heyneke Meyer's squad who can perform as well in the 15 jersey when Le Roux is at his best, but more consistency across the board will be needed if the Springboks are to revive their campaign.

2. Nicolas Sanchez, Argentina

Sang Tan/Associated Press

It's a terrific coup for Argentina's Super Rugby franchise to have signed Nicolas Sanchez, who is one of the team's few genuine stars of the squad to have done his rounds in Europe and a staple of the national team.

However, the fly-half had his off moments against New Zealand, including miscued kicks out on the full and some questionable choices of when to play the ball in possession, of which Argentina had a majority.

Sanchez wasn't the reliable guard his Pumas needed in defence, missing a joint-high total of three tackles, and a sheer improvement will be sought considering the road doesn't get much easier from here.

It's a huge responsibility to bear, but Sanchez is the man who needs to step up to the plate and make Daniel Hourcade's men tick if they're to register any wins in this year's tournament.

3. Julian Savea, New Zealand

New Zealand winger Julian Savea is the only player included in our countdown who wasn't actually involved in the first round, but the expectations placed upon him are nonetheless gargantuan.

"The Bus" is returning to the competition as one of many Hurricanes' players rested after the 2015 Super Rugby final, and Waisake Naholo's leg-break tragedy means Steve Hansen needs his gem back at his best.

Per Sky Sports, Highlanders marvel Naholo will miss the Rugby World Cup due to his injury. It seems the entire rugby community bowed their heads in sorrow for a man who seemed set for stardom but will now watch from the sidelines.

That being said, it says a lot about the All Blacks' depth that a player of Savea's quality can seamlessly swerve back into the XV, having topped the try charts in last year's Rugby Championship with four scores.

With Naholo absent, Hansen will need to lean on his tried-and-tested maestro, who has two rounds left to once again lead New Zealand to silverware glory in anticipation of his World Cup exploits later in 2015.

4. Quade Cooper, Australia

As touched upon in the case of Le Roux, Cooper is another of those heralded magicians who walks the trapeze wire between genius and madness, seeing openings and opportunities that not every mere mortal sees.

Michael Cheika chose to run with a 10/12 partnership of Cooper and Matt Giteau upon seeing the latter return to international colours, and the results suggest it was largely a winning combination.

However, Cooper brought with him his trademark sample of crazed ingenuity, as the attached video shows, while it was a horribly miscued kick that eventually sanctioned his withdrawal in place of Matt Toomua.

If Cheika is to persevere with Cooper at fly-half, he and Giteau will need more time to perfect their tandem, and the coach will again be chasing more stability from the No. 10 in particular.

The maestro is also in the race to impress for the World Cup and next year's Olympics after Jim Tucker of Fox Sports revealed Cooper has reneged on his agreement with Toulon to chase gold with Australia's Sevens team.

5. Oupa Mohoje, South Africa

South Africa's injury concerns among the pack went from bad to worse this weekend, as back-rowers Marcell Coetzee, Schalk Burger and Francois Louw picked up knocks against Australia, as well as Victor Matfield and Jannie du Plessis per ESPN.co.uk.

It won't be until later in the week that calls are made on the players' respective involvement against New Zealand this Saturday, but the flanker setbacks in particular call upon Oupa Mohoje to make his mark.

The Cheetahs utility forward came on for two separate stints against the Wallabies, first as a blood sub for Louw and secondly as a replacement for Coetzee, but there's a good chance he'll be needed to start in Johannesburg.

Covering both flanker and lock positions—an area in which Meyer was already short coming into the competition—Mohoje's versatility makes him a valuable component more so now than ever.

With Meyer clearly a fan of the player, Mohoje has built a good amount of experience since earning his Test debut in 2014, but injuries have led to him surging into a role of extreme importance.

Whether or not the player is up to answering that call, only time will tell.

All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum.