Lionel Messi was left annoyed at the state of the pitch at the Estadio Monumental de Maturin as Argentina drew 1-1 in Venezuela on Thursday.

Heavy rain in Maturin had initially caused kick-off to be delayed by half an hour, although when the players eventually took to the field it was clear that the ball was holding up in water and bounced very little.

Argentina, who had eight shots to Venezuela's 16, went ahead in the first half through Nicolas Otamendi before Salomon Rondon equalised in the 65th minute.

And Messi did not hold back in expressing his anger at the playing conditions.

"It was very difficult, it makes for very ugly matches," said Messi.

"We could not complete two passes in a row. In the second half we did it on the right a little more, but it is difficult to play like that. Very little is played."

Team-mate Rodrigo De Paul was in agreement with his captain and was another player to vent their frustration after the match.

"In this case, we couldn't play football," he said.

With the ball barely rolling on the pitch, both teams had to resort to changing their tactics to deal with the conditions. That is something Messi believes Argentina did well, but ultimately cost them the game.

"We tied because the field didn't help us do what we wanted, we had to do another game than the one prepared for," he said

"But we were prepared because we fought, won the battles, played with the error of the rival. We couldn't risk much by playing with passes to the back. 

"In the first half we made a couple passes to the back and the water would stop it, and complicated it. We [played] the game we could with the water."

The draw maintains Argentina's position at the top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying group with 19 points after nine matches. Following Colombia's defeat in Bolivia, their lead was extended by a point.

But Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was another who took the side of his captain, explaining that he thought the game should not have gone ahead.

"It did not meet the minimal conditions for a football game," he said.  "You couldn't play.

"We did what we had to do, but the conditions of the playing field were not for a match against two teams of this kind of level."

Argentina dropped points in a second successive CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier, as Venezuela held them to a 1-1 draw in Maturin.

The spoils were shared at Estadio Monumental de Maturin, where Salomon Rondon's second-half header cancelled out Nicolas Otamendi's earlier effort.

After heavy rain delayed kick-off, Argentina took the lead in the 13th minute.

Venezuela goalkeeper Rafael Romo failed to properly clear the returning Lionel Messi's free-kick, and Otamendi reacted quickest to poke home from 12 yards out.

The hosts went close to levelling either side of the break. German Pezzella cleared off the line from Rondon, while Geronimo Rulli - deputising for the suspended Emiliano Martinez - kept out Yangel Herrera's powerful header.

However, Venezuela did grab their equaliser in the 65th minute - and subsequently a point - when Rondon rose at the near post to power home from Yeferson Soteldo's cross.

Messi returned to the international scene for the first time since limping off in tears during the Copa America final.

But the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner could not help Argentina get back to winning ways, while he conceded possession the joint-most times (19) by any visiting player.

The conditions certainly affected the flow of the game, and was more to the suiting of Venezuela. Although they had just 40.1% of possession, the hosts outshot their opponents 16-8.

However, they have now failed to win their last five CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers; their longest streak since going six without victory between June and October 2021.

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi was delighted with the character of his side as they defeated Argentina 48-7 to win the Rugby Championship title on Saturday.

In a role reversal last week, the Pumas denied Kolisi’s team the chance to win the title with a game to spare, pipping them to the post in a thrilling 29-28 win.

But the Springboks channelled the frustration from that near miss into a crushing win against the same opponents, and a first title in the competition since 2019.

Kolisi said: “I am lost for words but it has been a journey and a half, after last week, the way we stood up today says a lot about our team.”

The Springboks captain was also full of praise for his opponents, stating they will only improve in the coming years and that both sides share similarities.

He told Sky Sports: “Argentina are a side you cannot look over, how hard they work and what they did to us last week - they are a proud nation, similar to South Africa, the way they use the ball like we do. They will only get better and better."

Kolisi also reserved special praise for lock and long-time friend Eben Etzebeth, who became the most capped Springbok of all-time.

"I want to say to my best friend Eben that I am so grateful to be on this journey with you," Kolisi said.

"We have been together since we were 18 and you've been a true friend and you have led us in so many ways, the way you play the game.

"I am so proud of you and pleased to be your friend. I can't wait to tell my grandkids I played with Eben Etzebeth. Cheers, my friend, I love you!"

Having brought up that milestone, Etzebeth stated his desire to continue with the national team for as long as possible.

He said: “Rugby is like a religion in our country, to play for the Boks is the ultimate. You cannot go any better than that and I don't want to, it's the best team.

"Hopefully I stay fit and the coaches keep picking me. I will try my best."

Pumas captain Julian Montoya, meanwhile, was upfront about his side’s poor performance.

Montoya said: “Credit to South Africa, we were not good enough, they were the better team today.

“Of course I am pleased with what we have done, but you are only as good as your last game, and we were not good enough today. We have to get better."

South Africa secured their first Rugby Championship title in five years with a dominant 48-7 victory over Argentina in Nelspruit. 

The Springboks dominated from the off, with first-half tries from Aphelele Fassi (two), Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cheslin Kolbe handing Rassie Erasmus' side a comfortable advantage. 

But an ill-disciplined Pumas display proved to be their downfall, with replacement Pablo Matera seeing his yellow card upgraded to a red on 20 minutes for making needless head contact during his challenge on Vincent Koch. 

The fixture was then firmly ended as a contest after a competitive first period when full-back Santiago Carreras joined Matera in the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on, reducing the visitors to 13 players while allowing the Springboks to hammer home their advantage. 

Malcolm Marx was the first to capitalise, with Du Toit quickly notching his second try of the encounter, before Jesse Kriel sealed a memorable triumph after latching onto the end of Handre Pollard's kick.

Tomas Albornoz scored the Pumas' only try in the contest, with the Springboks avenging last weekend's one-point defeat in Argentina, which briefly delayed their coronation. 

Data Debrief: Etzebeth makes history as Springboks seal title

South Africa sealed just a second Rugby Championship triumph in the competition's full format since 2009, while adding to last year's World Cup success. 

There was also an historic 128th Springbok appearance for lock Eben Etzebeth, who surpassed Victor Matfield as his county’s most-capped player.

South Africa had the chance to clinch their first Rugby Championship title since 2019 last Saturday, only to be edged out by Argentina, setting up a grandstand finish.

Rassie Erasmus' side had a perfect record to that point, but that narrow 29-28 defeat now means the Pumas have a slim chance of getting their hands on the trophy for the first time.

Argentina will be backing themselves for another upset after impressing in the tournament, and they will look to overturn the odds with one more big win.  

Meanwhile, Australia will be aiming to finish their underwhelming tournament on a high, though they face another stern test against the All Blacks.

Ahead of the final round of fixtures, we look at the best Opta facts and figures to preview both games.

NEW ZEALAND V AUSTRALIA

After succumbing to the record-breaking 67-27 defeat against Argentina in the fourth round, Australia failed to turn their luck around despite a spirited fightback against New Zealand last time out.

Joe Schmidt will endeavour to finish the tournament on a high after seeing his side struggle for much of it, though they face an uphill task having won only one of their last 13 Tests against the All Blacks (D1 L11).

The Wallabies have also won only one of their last five Test matches (L4), and have lost their last two, though they have scored more points in those defeats (55) than they managed in the three Tests prior (39 – W1 D2).

New Zealand will still feel fairly confident though, having won their last eight matches against Australia, although their last two victories in that run have come by a three-point margin.

In Wellington, the All Blacks are undefeated in five Tests against their hosts (W4 D1), conceding only 10.8 points per game in that streak.

However, overall, they have won just one of their last seven trips to the city (D2 L4), beating France 26-13 in June 2018, going winless in their last five Tests since in Wellington (D2 L3).

It is likely that Australia will need to take advantage of any opportunity they get, with their success of stealing opposition line-outs an obvious strength.

They have won the joint-most of any team in the tournament so far (nine, level with New Zealand), though they will need to improve on the one they managed against Scott Robertson's side in the last match.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New Zealand – Rieko Ioane

Rieko Ioane has made dominant contact on 64% of his 35 carries (18/35) in the Rugby Championship – the best rate of any player in the tournament (min. 10 carries).

He has made three line breaks across his last three Test matches, more than he logged in his seven games prior for the All Blacks (two).

Australia – Hunter Paisami

Hunter Paisami has scored three tries in his last four Test matches, including one against New Zealand last time out.

He had not crossed the try line in his 26 career appearances for the Wallabies prior to that run.

SOUTH AFRICA V ARGENTINA

South Africa had one hand on the trophy last weekend, and though they have opened the door for Argentina, they still have a great chance of winning the trophy.

The Springboks will be confident they can bounce back from that loss, having won 17 of their 18 Test matches against Argentina on home soil (L1), with their only such defeat coming back in August 2015 in Durban.

Their record in Nelspruit is even stronger, winning all four of their Tests in the city, overcoming half-time deficits in three of those victories. South Africa defeated New Zealand 26-10 in their last match there, which is their largest margin of victory at Mbombela Stadium.

However, Argentina's confidence will be sky-high after snapping an eight-match losing streak against South Africa – they have never won back-to-back games against them before.

The Pumas have also won their last two Tests against Tier One opposition, as many as they managed in their seven such fixtures before that (W2 L5). If they can beat South Africa again, they will register their longest such winning streak since the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

And Felipe Contepomi will be urging his side to maintain their high discipline level as they aim to overturn the odds.

Argentina are the only team yet to receive a red or yellow card in the tournament and have conceded the fewest penalties (50) of any team in the campaign. In fact, they have not received a red or yellow card across their last 12 Test matches.

Only a win by a bonus point, without South Africa picking up one of their own, will be enough to hand Argentina their first title, but they have scored 96 points in their last two outings, so they cannot be overlooked.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

South Africa – Ruan Nortje

Ruan Nortje has won 31 lineouts (including two steals) in the Rugby Championship – seven more than any other in the tournament.

In addition, he has been the first to arrive at 63 of the Springboks' rucks, the second most of any player for a team in the campaign (Carlo Tizzano – 64 for Australia).

Argentina – Mateo Carreras

Mateo Carreras has been directly involved in six tries in his last six Test matches (five tries, one try assist), including two tries and a try assist in his last two Tests.

He has scored a try in each of his two career appearances against South Africa, as well as a try assist in his most recent meeting against the Springboks.

Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi hailed Los Pumas for combining "beautiful" attacking play with resolute defensive work as they kept their Rugby Championship hopes alive with a dramatic victory over South Africa.

Having won their first four games of the 2024 tournament, the Springboks knew a win in Santiago would have clinched their fifth Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship crown with a match to spare.

They raced into an early lead with tries from Aphelele Fassi and Jesse Kriel, only for Mateo Carreras, Pablo Matera, Joel Sclavi and Tomas Albornoz to go over in response for the hosts.

The visitors later re-established their lead in the second half, only for Albornoz's penalty to put Argentina 29-28 ahead, which remained the final score following a late penalty miss from South Africa's Manie Libbok.

After the win, which preserved Argentina's hopes of overhauling the Springboks in matchweek six, Contepomi said: "The victory could have been a defeat in the last minute. 

"Beyond the result, which is obviously welcome, the important thing is what we were able to do at times, which is to impose our game.

"At times it came out and we shot ourselves in the foot, because we gave them an entrance into the game with penalties and unforced errors.

"South Africa are predictable, but it's not easy. You know what they are going to do, but they do it so well that it is very difficult to stop. Every centimetre counts.

"The attacking play is what is easiest to see, or the most beautiful, but I think a lot about our work on defence."

Argentina go to Mbombela for their final game next Saturday, sitting five points behind the world champions in the standings.

"We have many areas to correct," Contepomi said, looking ahead to that rematch. "There are small mistakes that allowed them into the game. 

"It's about trying to minimise the ones you can control, the unforced errors. We are going to work on that to continue growing."

Not since 2019 have South Africa held the Rugby Championship title, but Saturday could be the day as they head to Argentina knowing victory will seal their fifth crown.

Rassie Erasmus' Springboks have been perfect in the competition thus far, making it four wins from four games with their 18-12 victory over New Zealand two weeks ago.

Standing in their way, though, are a Pumas side that have enjoyed a terrific campaign, handing Australia the heaviest defeat in their storied Test history last time out.

The Wallabies will be desperate to respond in matchweek five's other contest, and a victory over the All Blacks would help them off the bottom of the standings after a difficult campaign.

Ahead of the penultimate round of fixtures, we dive into the best Opta facts and figures to preview both games. 

AUSTRALIA V NEW ZEALAND

Australia were utterly humiliated by Argentina last time out, the game running away from them in the second half as they succumbed to a record-breaking 67-27 defeat, having earlier led by 17 points.

Joe Schmidt's team are up against it as they bid to bounce back this weekend. The Wallabies have only won one of their last 12 Tests against New Zealand, drawing one and losing 10.

The All Blacks have won each of the last seven meetings between the teams by an average margin of 17.4 points per game. The last time they enjoyed a longer winning run against their neighbours was a 10-match span between August 2008 and September 2010.

They also boast a tremendous record in Sydney, where this week's contest takes place. New Zealand have only lost one of their last 10 Tests against Australia in the city, winning the last four while averaging 44.3 points per game. 

Australia have themselves, however, won their last two Tests in Sydney, as many victories as they managed in their 15 games in the city prior to that span (two wins, one draw, 12 defeats). 

And New Zealand have not exactly been faultless on their travels lately, losing three of their last four Tests on foreign soil, including their last two – both in South Africa in this year's Rugby Championship.

If the All Blacks are to halt their miserable run on the road, their ability to create turnovers could be key. 

Their 23 turnovers won in the 2024 Rugby Championship are more than any other team, while their four tries scored from turnovers won are second only to Argentina's five.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Australia – Marika Koroibete

Koroibete has made four line breaks in this year's Rugby Championship tournament, the joint-most of any player this campaign (also Beauden Barrett, with four for New Zealand).

He has recorded at least one in each of his three games in the tournament, after making only two line breaks across his six Test matches before this year's competition began.

New Zealand – Damian McKenzie

McKenzie has made 10 break assists in the Rugby Championship this year, at least four more than any other player in the tournament. 

In addition, he has been directly involved in a try on each of his last three starting appearances in Tests against Australia (one try, two try assists) – will he haunt the Wallabies again here? 

ARGENTINA V SOUTH AFRICA 

South Africa have dominated from the off in this year's edition of the Rugby Championship, scoring 112 points but, most impressively, allowing their opponents just 58 through their four outings to date.

Another victory on Saturday would take them second in the outright charts for most Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship titles, ahead of Australia but behind New Zealand (20).

It would also bring up their outright longest winning run in the history of the Rugby Championship, at six games. History is on their side in Santiago, with the Springboks having won their last eight Tests against Argentina by an average margin of 15.4 points per game. 

They were given a scare when the teams last met in August 2023, though, trailing 10-3 at half-time before rallying to secure a 24-13 victory.

Los Pumas may need something incredible to overhaul South Africa in the standings from here, but they will be on a real high following their thumping win over Australia.

Of the last six occasions where Argentina have scored 50 or more points in a Test, they have followed up with a victory four times, including in their last two such matches.

Felipe Contepomi's team have scored a half-century of points twice in 2024, last doing so on three occasions back in 2015.

They will not expect a repeat against South Africa's fearsome defence, but they could trouble the visitors with their physicality. 

Los Pumas have scored three tries when starting their possession from a scrum in this year's Rugby Championship, as many as all the other teams combined (South Africa two, New Zealand one). 

South Africa, meanwhile, have made a habit of praying on their opponent's mistakes, making 11 kicks in play that resulted in an opposition error, more than twice as many as Argentina, who are second by that metric with five.

The Springboks have also retained possession from 26 in-play kicks, at least 15 more than any other team in the competition, with Argentina and New Zealand logging 11 apiece and Australia recording eight.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Argentina – Tomas Albornoz 

Albornoz has gained 98.4 metres per 80 minutes from his 152 minutes played in the Rugby Championship this year – the most of any player in the campaign.

South Africa – Ruan Nortje 

Nortje (26 – including two steals) and team-mate Eben Etzebeth (21, one steal) have won more lineouts (including steals) than any other players in the Rugby Championship this year. 

Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh is confident the Wallabies will be ready to compete with the British and Irish Lions next year, despite suffering the heaviest defeat in their Test history last time out.

Australia were crushed 67-27 by Argentina in the Rugby Championship last time out, their third defeat in four games in this year's tournament.

They were also dumped out of last year's Rugby World Cup in the pool stage following losses to Fiji and Wales, and they are down to ninth in the World Rugby Rankings.

The British and Irish Lions will face Australia in three Tests when they tour down under between June and August next year, with many fearing Joe Schmidt's team will be blown away.

Waugh, however, says there is plenty of time for the Wallabies to get things right before then, telling the Sydney Morning Herald: "You can see the progress is there.

"It is not nearly where we need it to be, but if we keep progressing at the speed with which we have moved things in the last six months, then there is plenty of time.

"It is a team that is, and I hate using the word 're-building', but it is a team that is re-setting, and it takes experience in big moments to get better. 

"Obviously, the enormity of the scoreline in that second half was disappointing.

"But there is context that is important... we are not the most experienced team in world rugby, and we are building that experience."

Australia conclude their Rugby Championship campaign with two fixtures against New Zealand before the end of September, then face England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in their Autumn International Tests in November.

Colombia gained a measure of revenge for their Copa America final loss to Argentina by beating the Albiceleste 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Barranquilla.

Nestor Lorenzo's side approached Tuesday's clash at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez five points adrift of their opponents in the 10-man CONMEBOL qualification group, but a deserved win saw them close that gap to two points.

Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera, who was later carried off injured on a stretcher, headed in the opener after 25 minutes, nodding into an unguarded net after James Rodriguez sent a delicate cross over to the far post.

Argentina struggled to carve out clear-cut chances in the first half but levelled just three minutes into the second period, with James' slack pass being cut out by Nicolas Gonzalez, who darted into the area before sliding his finish home.

James was given a chance to redeem himself just 12 minutes later, however, as a VAR review led to Colombia being awarded a penalty for Nicolas Otamendi's trip on Daniel Munoz.

James – the Player of the Tournament at this year's Copa – made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Emiliano Martinez the wrong way for what proved to be the winner.

Colombia almost added a third goal at the death, only for Otamendi to nod Munoz's goal-bound flick off the line, but time still ran out on Argentina.

Data Debrief: Messi-less visitors come unstuck

Argentina made light of Lionel Messi's injury-enforced absence as they thrashed Chile 3-0 last time out, but they struggled to create chances without their talisman on Tuesday.

They ended the game having only hit the target with one of their 13 shots, with a total expected goals (xG) figure of 0.9, in contrast to Colombia's 2.99.

Prior to Tuesday's match, Argentina had only fallen behind on the road in a South American qualification game once under Lionel Scaloni, when fighting back to beat Bolivia 2-1 in October 2020. There was to be no comeback this time around. 

Australia suffered their biggest-ever Test defeat on Saturday, as Argentina came from behind to win 67-27 in the Rugby Championship.

And Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said his team simply "fell off a cliff" after taking a 17-point lead.

Having snapped an eight-game winless run in the Rugby Championship with their last-gasp victory over Argentina last week, Australia were looking to keep the momentum going.

And they looked well set to do just that as tries from Carlo Tizzano and Andrew Kellaway propelled them into a 20-3 lead.

But Mateo Carreras and Julian Montoya, who was playing for Argentina for the 100th time, dragged Argentina back into it and paved the way for Australia's capitulation after the break.

Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo, Juan Cruz Mallia and Lucio Cinti all crossed for the Pumas in the second half, with Santiago Carreras' conversion condemning Australia to their record defeat.

"To lead a Test match 20-3 and get run down in the manner which we did is really disappointing," said Schmidt.

"We cannot let a game get away from us like it did and fall off a cliff.

"We lost connection in our defensive line. We were forever chasing them.

"We didn't put enough pressure on at the breakdown, so they were operating off a lightning-quick ball, and it's just too difficult to keep chasing a team on a hot day when they’ve got the ball and going forward."

Australia's previous record Test defeat had come against South Africa in 1997.

Matters do not get any easier for the Wallabies, who now face two matches against Schmidt's native New Zealand as they aim to avoid finishing bottom of the pile.

Second-place Argentina, meanwhile, will tussle it out with Rugby Championship leaders South Africa.

Lautaro Martinez believes he is worthy of being in consideration for the Ballon d'Or after leading Inter and Argentina to silverware in recent months.

Martinez was, unlike his compatriot Lionel Messi, one of 30 players nominated for world football's most prestigious individual prize earlier this week.

He fired Inter to their 20th Scudetto last season, topping Serie A's scoring charts with 24 goals in 33 matches, eight more than his closest rival, Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic. 

He then carried that form into the Copa America as Argentina won a record-breaking 16th continental crown, winning the Golden Boot with five goals – including the winner in the final versus Colombia – in just 221 minutes on the field.

Martinez finished 20th in the voting for the 2023 award but expects to be higher up the rankings this time around.

"Considering the season I had, I deserve to be where I am," Martinez said. "I worked hard and suffered so much in the previous years. 

"This is the second year in a row that I will participate in this ceremony. I think that I am ready to compete for this recognition."

With Messi out injured, Martinez partnered Julian Alvarez in attack as Argentina thrashed Chile 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday, the Atletico Madrid man scoring with a stunning long-range strike.

Albiceleste boss Lionel Scaloni was impressed with how the forwards dovetailed in that match, saying: "The duo of Julian and Lautaro performed well. They complement each other well, they don't give up a single ball.

"Lautaro assisted, Julian also went very well, he scored. They worked for us and they are two strikers who can continue to play together, we will see.

"I don't think there is so much superiority to the rest. They leave everything out there, the key is not to give anything up in advance. 

"They are always hungry. Football is very strange, at any moment it can put you in your place."

Argentina cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Chile in their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier, thanks to Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez and Paulo Dybala.

In their first match since winning the Copa America in July, the Albiceleste showed no signs of missing talisman Lionel Messi, still out with an ankle injury, or the now-retired Angel Di Maria, who received a tribute pre-match.

Argentina were on top from the first whistle but struggled to find a breakthrough. However, they received a scare on the stroke of half-time, with Matias Catalan striking the post.

Just three minutes after the break, Mac Allister finally broke the deadlock, finishing off a lovely team move with a low finish.

The hosts' dominance was further rewarded in the 84th minute, with Alvarez rifling a powerful long-range shot in off the underside of the bar, giving Gabriel Arias no chance.

Paulo Dybala added some gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time, marking his return to the national team by beating the goalkeeper at his near post.

Argentina remain top of the qualifying with 18 points, while Chile sit second-from-bottom with just five. 

Data Debrief: Argentina stay on top

Argentina won all seven matches played at the Monumental during Lionel Scaloni's tenure as coach. During that time, the Albiceleste scored 14 goals and conceded none, averaging 17.7 shots per game and 69% possession.

In this game alone, Argentina had 16 shots, their highest total in World Cup qualifying so far, with eight of those on target, while they also had 65% possession.

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has missed out on a nomination for this year's award, with Lamine Yamal, Rodri and six England internationals making the 30-man shortlist.

Round four of the 2024 Rugby Championship is almost upon us, taking us past the halfway stage of a competition so far dominated by South Africa.

The Springboks made it three wins from three games against New Zealand last time out, though they left it late as tries from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Grant Williams handed them a dramatic 31-27 victory at Ellis Park.

Heading from Johannesburg to Cape Town on Saturday, they know another victory would all but wrap up their first triumph in the competition since 2019, ending the All Blacks' five-year reign.

The world champions enter round four with an eight-point lead over New Zealand in the standings, with Argentina one point further back ahead of their second Test against Australia.

Here, we dive into the Opta data to preview this weekend's action, bringing you the best facts and figures from each game.

SOUTH AFRICA V NEW ZEALAND 

At various points last week, it looked as though New Zealand were set to breathe fresh life into this year's Rugby Championship race.

The All Blacks held a 27-17 lead at one stage, but Ofa Tu'ungafasi's 69th-minute sin-bin put South Africa in the ascendancy and two late tries helped them claim victory in a re-run of last year's World Cup final.

It will now take an almighty collapse to stop the Springboks from getting their hands on the trophy. They are chasing a fourth straight Test win over New Zealand, last recording more successive victories against them between September 1937 and September 1949 (six).

The All Blacks, meanwhile, have lost two of their last three Test matches (one win) after only losing one of their previous nine (eight victories). 

Last week's defeat was a particularly demoralising one for Scott Robertson's team, as even scoring four tries was not enough for victory. Prior to that game, the last time the All Blacks were beaten when scoring four or more tries was in August 2019 (47-26 v Australia).

The visitors will now be acutely aware of South Africa's resilience, and the Springboks have actually won their last three Tests in Cape Town despite trailing at half-time in two of them, having lost four such matches in a row prior to the start of this run.

South Africa face a nervous wait on the fitness of Siya Kolisi after he took a heavy blow to the cheek from Sam Cane last time out, delaying their team news announcement by two days to give their captain every chance of making it.

But regardless of who starts, they will bring plenty of physicality. The Springboks have crossed the gain line on 64% of their carries in this year's Rugby Championship – at least 6% more than any other team. Their tackles success rate of 89%, meanwhile, is also the highest in the tournament.

New Zealand will have to make the most of their opportunities, but they can take encouragement from their efficiency in the 2024 tournament to date. Their 22 line breaks are at least four more than any team, while their average of 3.6 points scored per attacking 22m entry is also the best in the competition. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

South Africa – Elrigh Louw

Louw has crossed the gain line from 73% of his 26 carries so far in the 2024 Rugby Championship. That is the highest rate of any player with 20 or more carries in the competition this year.

New Zealand – Caleb Clark

While the All Blacks were unable to get over the line against South Africa last week, Clark impressed with two tries, having failed to score versus the Springboks in three previous career appearances against them.

Overall, he has six tries in his last six Tests, scoring at least once in each of his last three.

ARGENTINA V AUSTRALIA 

Australia finally got up and running in this year's tournament in round three, overcoming Argentina in another dramatic finale in La Plata. 

Ben Donaldson kicked a last-gasp penalty as the Wallabies triumphed 20-19, and though a fifth Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship title is now surely beyond them, they could restore further pride this week by claiming back-to-back wins in the competition for the first time since 2022.

Australia have now won four of their last six Test matches against Los Pumas (two defeats), though they have typically had to do things the hard way, not leading at half-time in any of the teams' last four meetings (two wins, two defeats).

Indeed, Argentina should be expected to keep things competitive again, having seen four of their last five Rugby Championship matches decided by margins of no more than eight points (two wins, three losses).

This will be the first time they have welcomed Australia to Sante Fe, where they will be desperate to improve on their underwhelming record. They have lost their last two games in the city, going down 30-12 to Wales in 2018 and 35-25 to England in 2017.

The hosts will again be looking to make the most of kick returns, having gained 423 metres from such situations in the Rugby Championship this year – 170 more than Australia, who rank second with 253m.  

Australia, meanwhile, lead the tournament charts for turnovers won, with 16. The Wallabies have also registered 44 successful exits from their defensive 22m zone, with only New Zealand (47) recording more.

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Argentina – Juan Martin Gonzalez

Gonzalez, alongside Australia's Carlo Tizzano, has made dominant contact on more tackles than any other player in the Rugby Championship 2024 (seven each).

Gonzalez has also crossed the line for a try in each of his last four Test matches against Australia, including for Argentina's sole score last week. He has gained 4.1 metres per carry in the Rugby Championship 2024, the best average among all forwards (minimum 10 carries attempted).

Australia – Rob Valentini 

Valentini has been directly involved in four tries in his last four Test matches (three tries, one try assist), including going over Argentina last time out.

That is more involvements than he logged across his previous 27 Tests for the Wallabies prior to this span (three – two tries, one try assist).

Rodrigo De Paul says the Argentina captaincy "still belongs" to Lionel Messi despite his extended injury lay-off.

The Inter Miami star has been out of action since the Copa America final due to an ankle injury and will not be involved in Argentina's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.

Messi is still a key part of Lionel Sclaoni's plans with the national side, and he played in all but one of their games at that tournament, though only registered one goal and one assist for the tournament. 

Angel Di Maria retired from international duty after their Copa America triumph and was the usual deputy to Messi, who has captained Albiceleste since 2011.

With neither of those two available, it is expected that De Paul, who has 69 international caps, will wear the armband against Chile, but he has played down the idea of deputising for Messi.

"I always say that I play the role that they give me," De Paul said.

"It's been many years. I feel like an important player in this team. That's all I can say.

"Afterwards, we know that the armband belongs to Leo. Whoever has to wear it will be circumstantial because he is the captain of this team."

Argentina are currently top of their qualifying group with five wins from six games. Meanwhile, Messi is back in training again and is expected to make his return in MLS later this month.