Match Results (Rugby Championship)
What a wild day for rugby. Australia pulled off something special against South Africa at Ellis Park, clawing back from a brutal 22–0 deficit to win 38–22. Five tries in the second half—that doesn’t happen often, especially not in Johannesburg. Hard to believe it’s their first win there since 1963.
Earlier, New Zealand took care of business against Argentina in Córdoba, finishing 41–24. With these results, the All Blacks are back on top of the rankings, pushing South Africa down to third.
Next up, Australia and South Africa face off again in Cape Town, while New Zealand heads to Buenos Aires to play Argentina. Both matches are on August 23. It should be interesting to see how things shake out.
Player News (Injuries & Fitness)
The Springboks are dealing with some injury setbacks. Captain Siya Kolisi will be out for around four weeks with a knee issue, meaning he will miss the next couple of tests. Pieter-Steph du Toit is out too after a concussion, along with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe, who both have knee and ankle problems. At least there’s some good news—Cheslin Kolbe and Damian de Allende should be back soon after recovering from minor knocks.
Over in the Wallabies camp, things aren’t much better. Dylan Pietsch broke his jaw in the last match against South Africa, and James Slipper won’t be playing either after failing a concussion test. Ben Donaldson is also sidelined with an abductor strain. A tough break for both teams ahead of the next game.
The All Blacks might have to do without Patrick Tuipulotu for the second Argentina test after he took a knock to the head. On a brighter note, Scott Barrett’s Achilles seems to be healing well, and Fabian Holland should be fine too—just some cramp issues. Wallace Sititi and Tamaiti Williams are getting closer to full fitness, which is good news after their recent injury troubles. Things could be worse, but they could definitely be better too.
Team News & Lineups
South Africa’s coach, Rassie Erasmus, has brought in Makazole Mapimpi to cover for the injured Kolisi and Arendse. Jesse Kriel is stepping up as captain while Kolisi recovers.
In the Australian camp, they’ve called up Filipo Daugunu, Rhys van Nek, and Hamish Stewart for the upcoming test in Cape Town. Their captain, Harry Wilson, tweaked his leg after scoring and is being monitored closely.
For New Zealand, Scott Barrett is back in the mix after sitting out early against Argentina to manage his Achilles. Fabian Holland is also fit, and there’s a chance Sititi and Williams might return this week as they work their way back.
Tournament Updates
The All Blacks are back on top of the world rankings after their latest win, while South Africa slipped down to third. Australia’s surprise loss didn’t help their cause either. Now all eyes turn to Argentina, where the Pumas will try to bounce back when they face New Zealand in Buenos Aires on August 23.
Meanwhile, Australia has a tough road ahead—they’ll take on South Africa in Cape Town that same weekend. Both matches could shake things up even more. The Rugby Championship is heating up, and these next games might just decide who stays in the hunt.
Quotes & Commentary
Tate McDermott seemed pretty happy with the win, but you could tell he wasn’t getting carried away. He mentioned how it wouldn’t count for much if they didn’t follow through next time. Will Skelton, on the other hand, was already thinking ahead—saying something about the Springboks coming hard at them, like they’d be throwing punches.
Justin Harrison, who used to play for the Wallabies, called it their best win since that rough World Cup last year. Even David Campese, who’s usually pretty outspoken, admitted he might have been wrong about the coach’s choices.
Over in the Argentina camp, Julián Montoya didn’t sugarcoat things. He pointed out their discipline was a mess, basically saying they ruined their own chances. They’ve got to clean up the penalties and figure out how to stop those mauls.
And then there’s South Africa. Rassie Erasmus didn’t hide how bad the loss felt—he said they were embarrassed by it. But he also made it clear they know where they went wrong and that they’d fix it. It sounded like they’re already regrouping.