Wallabies to kick off Jones era in South Africa

MELBOURNE : Eddie Jones's second stint as Australia coach faces its first test in the South African highveld when the Wallabies take on the world champion Springboks at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on July 8.

The match is Australia's opener in the southern hemisphere's truncated Rugby Championship ahead of the World Cup in France in September.

The Wallabies then head home to play Argentina at Western Sydney Stadium a week later, with back-to-back tests against champions New Zealand to follow at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 29 and in Dunedin on Aug. 5.

The MCG test will only be the fourth at the 100,000-seat venue, the last in 2007 when the Wallabies defeated New Zealand 20-15 in front of a crowd of nearly 80,000.

The All Blacks matches also double as tests in the Bledisloe Cup, the annual series contested by the trans-Tasman nations.

New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003.

"You've got the MCG which is one of the most iconic stadiums in the world with 100,000 Wallabies supporters there cheering us on," Jones said in a statement.

"There's plenty to be done between now and then but I can't wait to bring the team together and get to work."