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• Rugby Championship: The Breakdown – South Africa face in-form Australia, can Argentina end All Blacks hoodoo?

  The Rugby Championship is back.

  All eyes will be on the Southern Hemisphere's finest throughout six matchdays in August and September, with the tournament returning to a full 12-game format after the 2023 edition was shortened due to the Rugby World Cup. 

  South Africa broke New Zealand's hearts in the final of that tournament in France, and now they are hoping to end the All Blacks' four-year streak of victories in this competition.

  The two favourites have been kept apart on the opening matchday, and both will be desperate to avoid any slip-ups on matchday one, as the Springboks go to Australia and New Zealand entertain Argentina.

  Here, we run through the best Opta stats ahead of this weekend's action, picking out the players to watch in each contest.

  AUSTRALIA v SOUTH AFRICA

  The action gets under way at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane as Australia host the world champions, who are targeting a third straight Test win against the Wallabies following triumphs in the last two editions of the Rugby Championship.

  They only won two of their previous eight versus Australia (two draws, four losses) and last enjoyed a longer winning run against them between September 2012 and September 2013 (three matches).

  With the Wallabies starting a period of transition under new head coach Joe Schmidt, Rassie Erasmus' men go in as handy favourites to follow up their 24-8 victory in Australia two years ago. They last won back-to-back Tests in Australia in July 1993.

  The Springboks have won 13 of their last 15 Tests, their only two defeats in that time coming against Ireland, while their 10.8 offloads per game are the most of any Tier One nation in Tests this year.

  They always bring plenty of physicality, boasting the only three Tier One players to make 10 or more carries into contact while managing a dominant carry rate of 70% or better this year, namely Ben-Jason Dixon (83%), Lukhanyo Am (82%) and Makazole Mapimpi (79%). However, the latter duo are absent from their matchday one selection.

  Erasmus will be warning his side against any complacency, however, given Australia have won their last four Test matches including all three to be played in 2024. 
  The last time they started a calendar year with a longer winning run was in 2008 (five matches).

  No Tier One team has conceded fewer than Australia's 11.3 turnovers per game in Tests this year, while only Argentina (15.33) have averaged more than South Africa (15.25). Keeping the mistakes to a minimum will be key if the Wallabies are to spring a surprise. 

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Australia – Jake Gordon

  Gordon will form one half of Australia's run-on halves pairing, alongside Noah Lolesio. The 31-year-old has been a reliable performer at the start of this new era for Australian rugby, seeing six of his 21 kicks from hand retained by a team-mate in Test action this year.

  His kick retention rate of 29% is the best of the 25 Tier One players to attempt at least 20 kicks in Test rugby in 2024.   

  South Africa – RG Snyman 

  Snyman will start at number five in place of the injured Franco Mostert, having proven a capable deputy so far this year.

  He has made 10 offloads in just 182 Test rugby minutes in 2024, averaging 4.4 per 80 minutes. No other Tier One player has averaged three or more per match this year.

  NEW ZEALAND v ARGENTINA 

  New Zealand have not failed to win the Rugby Championship in 2019, and retaining their crown will be all the more important this year, following their dramatic 12-11 defeat to South Africa in the World Cup final almost 10 months ago.

  Opening their 2024 campaign in Wellington, the All Blacks will be confident of maintaining their 100% record under new head coach Scott Robertson, who oversaw two wins over England and a 47-5 rout of Fiji last month.

  New Zealand have an excellent record versus Argentina, winning 16 of their previous 17 Tests against them on home soil and averaging a winning margin of 34.8 points across those victories. The only defeat in that run came in the 2022 Rugby Championship, at the low point of Ian Foster's reign as head coach.

  The All Blacks got their revenge by destroying Los Pumas 44-6 in the World Cup semi-finals last year, and they have now won their last three Tests against them, scoring 40 or more points in each of those meetings.

  Before that run began, New Zealand had only tallied 40 or more points in three of their previous 22 meetings with Argentina.

  Argentina, meanwhile, are yet to begin a Rugby Championship campaign with a win, losing their opening match in each of their previous 11 appearances. They did, however, beat the All Blacks in their first game of the 2020 Tri Nations.

  Like their hosts, Argentina are entering a new era under Felipe Contepomi, who took the reigns from Michael Cheika after the World Cup. 

  Los Pumas have scored an average of 6.3 tries per game in Test action this year, the most of any Tier One nation, while they also lead the way for dominant contact on carries, doing so 51 times per game on average. 

  PLAYERS TO WATCH 

  New Zealand – Ardie Savea

  Savea will lead New Zealand out for the ninth time on Saturday, with a finger injury leaving regular skipper Scott Barrett sidelined.

  Savea has been directly involved in six tries in his last six Test matches (four tries, two try assists) and scored a try when the All Blacks last faced Argentina in the Rugby Championship last August.

  Argentina – Pablo Matera 

  Matera is also a stand-in captain for this match, with Julian Montoya absent due to a rib injury.

  He made a competition-high 44 carries in the 2023 edition of the Rugby Championship, while his four offloads were the joint-most of any player in that tournament. 

• Vandersay rips through India as Sri Lanka snatch series lead

  Jeffrey Vandersay tore through India's batting lineup with six wickets as Sri Lanka snatched the ODI series lead with a 32-run victory in Colombo.

  Leg-spinner Vandersay managed 6-33 – his best international figures – as Rohit Sharma's tourists collapsed in remarkable fashion on Sunday, falling 1-0 down with one ODI remaining in the three-match series.

  India held their hosts to a modest 240-9 in the first innings as Washington Sundar (3-30) led the way, while Avishka Fernando and Kamindu Mendis anchored at either end of the batting order with 40 apiece.

  Rohit responded by crashing 64 off just 44 deliveries as India raced to 97 without loss, only for the captain to fall when attempting to reverse sweep a climbing Vandersay delivery in the 14th over.

  The 34-year-old spinner would soon remove Shubman Gill, on 35, and Shivam Dube without scoring in the same over, before trapping Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer in front to complete his first ODI five-wicket haul.

  KL Rahul followed to leave India struggling at 147-6, though Axar Patel offered resistance before falling on 44 to Charith Asalanka, who then removed Sundar and Mohammed Siraj.

  Arshdeep Singh was then run out as a battling Sri Lanka seized control heading into the final clash on Wednesday.

  Data Debrief: Vandersay becomes Sri Lanka's new Murali

  Vandersay had only managed 27 wickets in 20 previous ODI innings for Sri Lanka, though added six with an eye-catching showing of leg-spin bowling here.

  His previous 4-10 best in this format came against cricketing minnows Zimbabwe, but a remarkable six-wicket haul will live long in the memory after dismissing two India greats in Rohit and Kohli.

• Bashir credits 'class' Leach for his recent England success

  Shoaib Bashir has drawn inspiration from fellow England spinner Jack Leach, following his stunning five-wicket haul against West Indies. 

  Bashir recorded figures of 5-41 at Trent Bridge to become the first spinner since Muttiah Muralitharan in 2006 to take five wickets in a men's Test match. 

  The 20-year-old also became England's youngest ever bowler to take five wickets in a home Test as the hosts confirmed the series win on Sunday.

  Bashir replaced Somerset team-mate Leach for the home Test series against West Indies after impressing on England’s tour of India.

  Prior to being picked for their 4-1 Test defeat to the Men in Blue, Bashir had played in six first-class matches and picked up two five-wicket hauls in three matches.

  "We had a chat, and he was over the moon for me," Bashir told BBC Sport on his conversation with Leach after his performance at Trent Bridge. 

  "Leachy understandably is getting in the Somerset team ahead of me. He's played a lot more cricket than me and he's a class spinner. I've learned a lot from him.

  "A lot of things have happened over the last few years for myself personally, and I'm just grateful for everything."

  Still behind Leach in the Somerset pecking order, Bashir went on loan to Worcestershire in order to remain in the County Championship.

  Bashir did not feature in England's first Test meeting with the Windies, as they won by an innings and 114 runs in James Anderson's final match. 

  At six feet and four inches, he is unusually tall for a spinner and his release point of 2.35 metres is the third-highest recorded for a slow bowler in Test cricket.

  Nevertheless, England believe it will serve as a weapon on the hard, bouncy pitches ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia.

  "I'm grateful I'm a six foot four inch spinner because it's a nice attribute to have," Bashir said. "If you land the ball in the right areas, a few will bounce and a few will skid on, so the bounce does help.

  "It's always a learning curve. I'm grateful for everything that's been given to me, and I've just got to keep working hard. I'm still learning, still developing."