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.

Australia overcame a rough start to their innings to ease to a six-wicket victory over Scotland in the teams' third T20I on Saturday, clinching a series sweep at The Grange.

Having been inspired to comprehensive victories by some expert batting from Travis Head and Josh Inglis in the first two matches of the tour, the visitors found themselves dropped to 18-2 as they chased a target of 150.

Scotland had been led by Brandon McMullen's 56 runs off 39 balls as they achieved a respectable figure despite the best efforts of Cameron Green, who finished with figures of 3-35 for the tourists.

It was also McMullen whose terrific diving catch sent Jake Fraser-McGurk walking for a duck before Head (12) swept Brad Currie's fourth-over delivery straight to George Munsey to put Australia in a spot of bother.

However, Green replicated his bowling heroics with the bat, hitting an unbeaten 62 off 39 balls to ensure Scotland's joy was short-lived.

Even the wicket of captain Mitchell Marsh, who dragged on for 31 runs from Jack Jarvis' rasping delivery in the 10th over, could not halt the tourists' momentum, and they got over the line with 23 balls to spare for just one further loss.

Data Debrief: Green shows all-round credentials

Australia's third straight victory in Edinburgh was slightly more testing than their previous two as the top order faltered, but they could count on an exceptional all-round showing from Green.

Having taken three wickets in a T20I for the very first time, he proceeded to also register his best batting performance in the format, beating his previous best of 61 versus India in 2022.

Had Scotland succeeded in setting a more challenging target, Green might have had his eyes on an even more impressive total, having slammed five sixes and two fours.

Josh Inglis' record-breaking hundred helped Australia wrap up a series victory over Scotland, winning the second T20I by 70 runs at The Grange on Friday. 

Inglis struck seven fours and seven sixes in a ruthless batting display, becoming the quickest player in Australian history to reach 100 runs in the 20-over format.

The tourists had earlier got off to a poor start with the bat as Travis Head was bowled out for a duck by Brad Currie (3-37) in the first over. 

Jake Fraser-McGurk (16) would follow shortly after, only for Inglis to take control of proceedings as he reached his ton in just 43 balls, putting Australia in a strong position. 

He would eventually fall victim to Chris Sole in the 18th over, with Cameron Green (36), Marcus Stoinis (20) and Tim David (17) helping to set Scotland a target of 197.

The hosts then found themselves with a mountain to climb, having seen four wickets fall before the halfway stage of their innings. 

Brandon McMullen's knock of 59 offered Scotland a glimpse of a comeback, but the wickets continued to tumble as Stoinis (4-23) ripped through their lower order, sealing the triumph with the wicket of Chris Greaves (6).

Data Debrief: Record breaker Inglis

Inglis was the star of the show for the tourists, recording the quickest ton for Australia in T20Is, from just 43 deliveries.

He also recorded the joint-fastest century by a designated wicketkeeper-batter from a full-time nation, equalling South African Quinton de Kock's 43-ball hundred against West Indies in 2023. 

Harry Souttar's 89th minute own-goal handed Bahrain a memorable victory over Australia, emerging 1-0 victors at the Cbus Super Stadium. 

The visitors were handed the advantage late on after Kusini Yengi's straight red card, with Souttar turning home Mahdi Al Humaidan's cross after a spell of pressure.

Australia were restricted to few opportunities in the first half, with Craig Goodwin and Yengi going close in quick succession just before the interval. 

Despite registering 69.3% of possession in the opening half, the hosts managed just five shots at Ebrahim Lutfallah's net, only one of which was on target.

Graham Arnold's side struggled to penetrate Bahrain's stern defensive shape, with their task made even more difficult when Yengi was given his marching orders for a high foot on Sayed Baqer.

And there would be a further twist in the tale as Al Humaidan drove to the byline before delivering into the area, with the outstretched knee of Souttar diverting it past Mat Ryan for Bahrain's first goal against the Socceroos in 18 years. 

It marked a nightmare start for Australia in the third round of the 2026 AFC World Cup qualifiers, with both Japan and Saudi Arabia to come. 

Data Debrief: Socceroos fail to jump into gear

Australia can only blame themselves for their defeat on home soil, generating an expected goals (xG) total of 0.79 from the 11 shots they registered in the encounter. 

They also managed 20 touches in the opposition's penalty area, compared to Bahrain's four, while also ending the contest with 71% possession. 

Bahrain, meanwhile, will count their lucky stars having only managed an xG of 0.07, managing just one shot on target from the three they attempted. 

England captain Jos Buttler will miss the three-match T20 series against Australia due to a calf problem.

Buttler has not played since the T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India on June 27, sustaining the injury in training for The Hundred, forcing him to sit out of the entire competition.

He was due to be back for England's T20I series but has suffered a setback, which also makes him a doubt for the five one-day internationals that follow.

Phil Salt will lead the side for the first time in Buttler's absence, with Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton called up to the squad as his replacement.

Should Buttler also miss the ODIs, which start on September 19, Harry Brook will be the stand-in captain, with Essex batter Jordan Cox added to the group as cover.

The T20I series is England's first white-ball assignment since the World Cup, with head coach Matthew Mott since leaving his role.

Marcus Trescothick will take charge of his first game on Wednesday as interim head coach, with Test coach Brendon McCullum set to take charge of the limited-overs sides in a combined role which will begin in January.

Travis Head smashed 80 runs off just 25 balls as Australia romped to a seven-wicket win over Scotland in the first of three T20Is at the Grange. 

Having been put in to bat by visiting skipper Mitchell Marsh, Scotland set Australia a target of 155 for victory, with opener George Munsey top scoring with 28 runs.

Sean Abbott finished with figures of 3-39 while Xavier Barlett and Adam Zampa managed two wickets apiece for Australia, who needed just 10 overs to get over the line.

Head hit 12 fours – as many as the entire Scotland team combined – and five sixes to ensure the visitors avoided any real pressure despite debutant Jake Fraser-McGurk being caught for a duck by Charlie Cassell early on.

Head's wicket was one of two scalped by Mark Watt in the seventh over but Australia were well on their way to victory by that point, with Josh Inglis (27) and Marcus Stoinis (8) finishing things off in composed fashion.

The second T20I takes place on Friday, with Scotland attempting to force a decider for the final contest the following day.

Data Debrief: Travis head and shoulders above the rest

Head's superb knock was the key for Australia, who needed less than half their allocated balls to bring up their target of 155, but he may be frustrated at missing out on a first T20I century.

His best figure in the format remains a knock of 91 in a victory over South Africa in Durban last year.

Scotland all-rounder Michael Leask is confident they can claim a historic series win over Australia in their three T20Is in Edinburgh.

Scotland have never beaten Australia in any format, though they came close to a stunning upset in the group stage of the T20 World Cup in June, eventually losing out by five wickets.

The Scots also looked set to upset at-the-time reigning champions England in the tournament, only to be denied the chance by torrential rain as the match was abandoned.

Given a rare opportunity to face one of cricket's powerhouses outside global events, Leask is keen to prove that Scotland have what it takes to go up against the big teams.

"It's lovely to have Australia on our home patch, especially for three games," Leask told BBC Scotland.

"It's an exciting opportunity for our guys, given what happened at the World Cup and how close we came.

"We've got a very exciting squad that’s ready for the challenge - it is going to be a challenge - they are some of the best in the world for a reason, but they are on our home patch.

"We're targeting a series win and that would be the icing on the cake of what has been a very good summer."

Meanwhile, despite being firm favourites to win the series, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh is not going to take anything for granted against Scotland.

Marsh is leading a new-look Australia side, with Matthew Wade and the now-retired David Warner unable to be called on.

Despite their strong record against Scotland, he believes they will be in for a tough test at The Grange.

"Scotland were well drilled [at the World Cup], certainly up for the challenge, and it was a great game of cricket," Marsh said. "I'm sure there will be more of that over the next few days.

"It's spoken about it a lot, but Scotland are a good cricket team, and they have improved a lot.

"The more cricket that teams like Scotland can play against the bigger nations, the better it is for the world game.

"It's our responsibility as players to keep growing the game, so I certainly hope they get more opportunities over the next period of time."

The first of the three T20Is will take place on Wednesday.

Joe Schmidt admitted he was on edge before Australia ended their eight-match Rugby Championship losing streak with a last-gasp 20-19 win over Argentina.

Ben Donaldson slotted over from close range with the last play of the game, much to the Pumas' frustration when the referee blew the full whistle.

Argentina held healthy leads twice, going 10-0 and 16-7 up. Jake Gordon and Rob Valetini crossed for Australia before Noah Lolesio's three kicks left the game on a knife edge before Donaldson sealed the win.

It is the first time the Wallabies have won in the competition since beating South Africa in 2022, and Schmidt was overjoyed that they were able to get the result over the line.

"It was heart in mouth," said Schmidt. "I'm really delighted for the boys, they found a way to win. I'm just really proud.

"We made a few things hard for ourselves, giving them a big start at home, a big crowd and difficult conditions.

"We put ourselves straight back under pressure by dropping restarts, but we fought, scored tries and created some other chances that would have been great.

"It'll be back to the drawing board a little bit, but I think we might even enjoy this one, just because we really had to fight to get it."

Argentina host Australia again in Sante Fe next week, while South Africa and New Zealand will meet in Cape Town in round four. 

Barbados-born Jacob Bethell has received his maiden call up to the England squad for their three T20 Internationals and five One-Day Internationals against Australia in September.

Bethell, 20, a left-handed batter and spin bowler, has been picked for the three-match T20 series and five one-day internationals that follow after scoring 356 runs for Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast this season, including a 15-ball fifty against Northamptonshire.

Bethell’s Warwickshire team-mate Dan Mousley, 23, another left-hander who also offers a slow-bowling option, was also included in the T20 squad for the first time after amassing 375 runs in Birmingham's run to the Blast quarter-finals.

Leicestershire left-arm seamer Josh Hull and right-arm Hampshire quick John Turner could also make white-ball debuts after being included in both groups, while a fifth uncapped player, Essex batter Jordan Cox, is in the T20 party.

England white-ball stalwarts Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Jordan have been left out and may very well have played their last international matches.

England T20I squad: Jos Buttler (capt), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, John Turner

England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Reece Topley, John Turner

Australia will celebrate the 150th anniversary of their first Test match by welcoming rivals England to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 2027.

The MCG played host to Australia's first-ever red-ball contest in March 1877, with the hosts beating England by 45 runs before losing a second Test at the same venue.

Australia celebrated the 100th anniversary of their inaugural Test by beating England at the MCG in 1977, and Cricket Australia has confirmed plans are in place for another celebration to cap the team's 2026-27 season.

"The 150th anniversary Test match at the MCG in March 2027 will be a wonderful celebration of the pinnacle format of the game at one of the world's great sporting arenas and we can't wait to host England on that occasion," said Nick Hockley, chief executive of Cricket Australia.

The plans were announced as Cricket Australia locked in venues for a series of key fixtures until 2030-31, with the MCG continuing to host the traditional Boxing Day Test and the Sydney Cricket Ground staging the New Year's Test.

Joe Schmidt said he cannot recall ever being involved in a more "bizarre" Test as his Australia side were downed 30-12 by South Africa in the Rugby Championship.

Malcolm Marx touched down twice for the Springboks in rainy Perth to make it two from two in the tournament but the Wallabies were hit by a swathe of injuries.

Front-row pair Allan Alaalatoa and Angus Bell were unable to return for the second half and scrums went uncontested after replacement prop James Slipper failed a head injury assessment.

The Wallabies even went down to 14 briefly when hooker Josh Nasser went off injured, though they did return to a full 15.

Reflecting on the unfortunate series of events, head coach Schmidt told Stan Sport: "It's probably one of the most bizarre games I've ever been involved in.

"In over 100 Test matches that I've been involved in I've never had a situation like that before. It happened so early in the game as well. When Slips got a head knock right after half-time.

"And then we were straight down. And then we played with 14 for a period of time before the officials worked out that we were still entitled to have a full pack because of the HIA.

"But I still am proud of the way that the guys fought their way through that second half. And the way that they stayed in the fight in the first half. It could have been, and I know it could have been as easy to say, but it could have been 12-11 at half-time and that would have been a massive lift for the boys."

Australia are winless through their first two matches, both against the Springboks, and will next face Argentina in La Plata on August 31.

Malcolm Marx scored two tries in the second half to lead South Africa to a 30-12 victory over Australia in rainy Perth.

After a tight first half, the Springboks asserted their dominance to make it two wins from two in the Rugby Championship ahead of their meeting with New Zealand next week.

Noah Lolesio's penalty gave Australia the early lead, but they could not hold onto it for long as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu equalised moments before Aphelele Fassi latched onto a long kick to touch down the first try.

Lolesio slotted in two more kicks only to miss another on the stroke of half-time that would have given the Wallabies the lead.

They were punished for it after the break as Marco van Staden and Malcolm Marx twice touched down to maintain South Africa's perfect start.

Though it was a marked improvement for the Wallabies from their opening-day performance in Brisbane, Joe Schmidt still has work to do to get them ready for Argentina next weekend. 

Data Debrief: Springboks extend Australian run

South Africa have now won each of their last three Test matches against the Wallabies in Australia. The last time they recorded a longer such winning run was a four-match span from July 1971 to July 1993.

Though Australia have suffered back-to-back defeats, they showed more of a fight. Last week, it took them 75 minutes to score, compared to just three this time around. 

The Rugby Championship returned with a bang last weekend.

World champions South Africa stated their intent from the very start, dishing out a 33-7 thrashing to end Australia's unbeaten run under Joe Schmidt.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's crown could be under threat after they suffered an opening day slip-up as Argentina pounced, upsetting the All Blacks with a 38-30 victory.

Australia and New Zealand have a chance to right those wrongs on matchday two, while South Africa and Argentina will be looking to pull clear at the top of the table.

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

NEW ZEALAND V ARGENTINA

New Zealand's defence of their Rugby Championship title did not get off to the desired start as they let their half-time lead slip to lose to Argentina in Wellington last weekend, ending head coach Scott Robertson's perfect start.

However, they will be stepping out in Auckland this time around, a happy hunting ground for them as they are undefeated across their last 51 Test matches there (49 wins, two draws), scoring an average of 36.7 points per game across that span. Their last defeat in the city was a 20-23 loss against France in July 1994.

New Zealand also won their only previous meeting with Argentina at Eden Park, cruising to a 33-10 victory in the 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.

They bring plenty of physicality too, having made 11 offloads in the first round, the most of any team; the All Blacks have logged more than 10 offloads in their last two matches in the competition after doing so only once across their previous nine games in the tournament beforehand.

Argentina, meanwhile, won their Rugby Championship opener for the first time, having lost it in their previous 11 appearances.

And, after coming from behind to win that game, they look to have a new lease of life under Felipe Contepomi as they aim to get back-to-back wins over New Zealand for the first time.

Indeed, Los Pumas have won each of their last two Test matches against tier one opposition (38-30 v New Zealand and 33-25 v France) - the last time they recorded a longer winning run in such fixtures was a three-match span at the 2007 Rugby World Cup (v France, Ireland and Scotland).

Argentina made 183 tackles in round one of the Rugby Championship, the most of any team; it is the third time they have logged 180+ in a match in the tournament since the beginning of 2021 – Australia (twice) are the only other team to have done so more than once in that time.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New Zealand – Ethan Blackadder

Despite being on the wrong end of the scoreline, Blackadder managed to catch the eye as he completed 20 tackles in round one of the Rugby Championship, the most of any player.

In fact, it was the joint-most he has made in a Test match for the All Blacks (also 20 v Ireland in November 2021).

Argentina – Matteo Carreras

While Agustin Creevy stole the headlines during Argentina's win last weekend, Matteo Carreras' involvement was equally important.

He has scored three tries in his last two Test matches, including one try against New Zealand last time out, as many as he scored in his eight Tests prior to that run combined (three).

AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa started as they mean to go on with their statement win over Australia last weekend, and they have now won their last three Test matches against the Wallabies by an average margin of 24.3 points.

The last time the Springboks recorded a longer winning run against the Wallabies was a seven-match span from August 1969 to August 1971.

Indeed, South Africa have won each of their last two Test matches against their opponents in Australia, conceding no more than eight points on the day in either of those two wins.

South Africa's form anywhere away from home is impressive enough. They have won each of their last six Test matches outside their country, with three of those six victories coming by a single-point margin on the day. The last time the Springboks recorded a longer winning run outside the country was a nine-match span from August to November in 2007.

Rassie Erasmus' side completely dominated as they gained 547 metres on matchday one of the Rugby Championship, 149 metres more than the team with the second most (Argentina – 398); only once across their last 22 matches in the competition prior have the Springboks gained more in a game (698 v Australia in July 2023).

Schmidt's hopes of a strong start to the tournament quickly evaporated in Brisbane, but a move to Perth could be a good boost for their confidence, with Australia only losing one of their last nine Test matches in the city (winning seven, drawing one).

Australia won 20 line-outs (inc. two steals) in round one of the Rugby Championship, the most of any team; only once across their last 40 Test matches prior to that game had the Wallabies logged as many (20, inc. four steals v Fiji in September 2023). If they can make those count, they could give themselves a chance.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Australia – Harry Wilson

While Australia's attacking play left much to be desired, Harry Wilson provided them with a driving force as he crossed the gainline on 10 carries on matchday one, the second most of any player (Ardie Savea, 12).

He also won seven line-outs, the most of any player in the opening round of the tournament.

South Africa – Kurt-Lee Arendse

Kurt-Lee Arendse continued his impressive run of form with two tries against Australia last time out, meaning he has now scored four tries in his last four Test matches.

He has scored five tries in his two career appearances against the Wallabies, scoring a hat-trick against them last year in addition to last week's brace.

Australia coach Joe Schmidt says his team now know the "benchmark" for what is expected after losing to South Africa in their Rugby Championship opener.

Schmidt's unbeaten start in charge of the Wallabies ended on Saturday as they were hammered 33-7 in Brisbane.

Australia trailed 21-0 at half-time after a dominant first half from the Springboks, and though Hunter Paisami managed a late consolation, it was never going to be enough to deny South Africa a first win in Brisbane since 2013.

Schmidt acknowledged how his side were outplayed but explained how the defeat would determine their preparation for the next game.

"They won the physical battle today, their breakdown was really strong, and they dominated possession and territory in that first half, which saps the strength out of the boys a little bit," Schmidt told Stan Sport post-match.

"The team hung in there, fought back, lost the second half 12-7; it would have been great to get a little bit more out of the game, but we've got a benchmark.

"And it wasn't a massive shock to where the Springbok would be, and it's somewhere that we're going to have to build toward."

South Africa have won back-to-back Test matches against the Wallabies in Australia for the first time since July 1993, successfully ending Australia's four-Test winning streak with ease.

Before the tournament, Schmidt had overseen two wins over Wales and another against Georgia in his unbeaten start, but he remains optimistic after taking the positives from their performance.

"We saw some real heart. I thought we got back and defended a couple of times when we were a little bit unlucky, they got a few bounces of the ball which are always going to go in your favour when all the momentum is going your way. And they earn it, and they physically impose it, so that they make it very, very difficult," Schmidt added.

"At the same time, I'm a little bit heartened by the way the boys rolled their sleeves up and kept trying to fight, and then that second half, 12-7 is a lot closer than the three tries they put on in the first half."

Australia will meet South Africa again in the Rugby Championship next weekend in Perth. 

South Africa ended Joe Schmidt's unbeaten start as Australia coach in emphatic fashion as the Springboks hammered the Wallabies 33-7 in Brisbane.

The world champions were in control throughout their Rugby Championship opener as South Africa silenced an expectant 50,000-plus crowd at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

Visiting captain Siya Kolisi crashed over early on from a rolling maul before Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kurt-Lee Arendse crossed to seal a 21-0 half-time lead.

Kwagga Smith added another after the interval, punishing an error-strewn Australia, while Arendse doubled his own account with the Springboks' fifth try on away soil.

Hunter Paisami managed a late consolation for the drab hosts, converted by Tom Lynagh, but the damage was done as South Africa triumphed in Brisbane for the first time since 2013.

New Australia boss Schmidt had overseen two wins over Wales and another against Georgia, though needs desperate improvements ahead of the second meeting with the Springboks in Perth next Saturday.

Data Debrief: Springboks continue hold over Australia

South Africa have now secured back-to-back Test victories against the Wallabies in Australia for the first time since July 1993, following their 24-8 win in September 2022 in Sydney.

The Springboks are also on a three-match winning run against the Wallabies, their best such streak since a three-Test span from September 2012 to September 2013.

Having won 14 of their last 16 international fixtures, South Africa will fancy their chances of another victory in Perth after ending Australia's four-Test victorious streak with ease.