Preview for San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will make history when they face off in the first NFL regular-season game to be held in Melbourne, with both teams eyeing an early edge in the race for the NFC West title.

One of the most iconic venues in sport, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, will play host to the latest edition of the long-standing rivalry, with the 49ers and Rams each keen to respond after the Seattle Seahawks opened their bid to retain the Super Bowl title with a narrow win over the New England Patriots. The winner of this game will sit top of the division standings after Week 1.

The Rams are the favourites to dethrone the Seahawks after an offseason defined by a series of spectacular moves on defense, most notably the blockbuster trade for two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and three-time DPOY Aaron Donald’s decision to come out of retirement.

Donald did not make the trip to Australia as the 35-year-old builds himself back up to fitness after two seasons away.

But the Rams will still have hope that the addition of Garrett, along with that of cornerback Trent McDuffie, will put them in a position to slow down a 49er offense that has a clear hole on the offensive line at the left guard spot.

With Donald the only Rams player ruled out, Los Angeles will have a full strength offense with which to attack a San Francisco defense that lacks proven pass rushers outside of Nick Bosa, who has been dealing with knee tendonitis related to an ACL reconstruction.

Across two games against the Niners in a season that saw him win the MVP, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 669 yards and seven touchdowns with zero interceptions, though the caveat is that Bosa, a former Defensive Player of the Year himself, did not feature in either game due to his knee injury.

Bosa is available for the opener despite missing the opening practice of the week, while star tight end George Kittle has also been cleared to play almost exactly eight months since tearing his Achilles in the 49ers’ Wild Card Round win over the Philadelphia Eagles last season.

Kittle’s presence means quarterback Brock Purdy will have a star-studded supporting cast with which to attack the Rams, with Christian McCaffrey once again set to lead the backfield and future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans poised to make his debut for San Francisco after signing in free agency from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Yet for all the stars on the show, the game may be decided by whose travel plans prove superior.

The 49ers took the 16-hour flight last Wednesday, while the Rams made the decision to arrive this Thursday in an effort to keep their body clocks as close to the Pacific Time Zone as possible.

It will be intriguing to see if there is any early rust for the Rams having had little room for rest following a such a long flight and, while the outcome of the game should not be seen as a referendum on which plan was better, the difference in approaches adds another layer of fascination to a game that has typically been decided by tight margins in recent times.