Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne forged a 147-run partnership to propel hosts Sri Lanka to a lead of 202 on day three of the first Test against New Zealand. 

Chandimal (61) and Karunaratne (83) notched 12 fours between them, having seen Pathum Nissanka (two) fall inside the first two overs to Will O'Rourke (3-37).

New Zealand resumed on 255-4 but were restricted to adding just 95 runs to their overnight total, with Prabath Jayasuriya (4-136) starring for the hosts. 

Nissanka's early dismissal handed the tourists a lifeline, only for Chandimal and Karunaratne to take centre stage and increase Sri Lanka's advantage. 

Karunaratne's innings came to an end after being bowled out by Ajaz Patel (1-68), with Chandimal following his partner in the following over. 

However, steadying knocks from both Angelo Mathews (34 not out) and Dhananjaya de Silva (34 not out) saw the Lions inch toward their hard-earned lead at stumps.

Data Debrief: Double trouble for Sri Lanka

Chandimal and Karunaratne took the fight to New Zealand, with their respective innings coming to a close with impressive numbers to show for it. 

Karunaratne ended with a strike rate of 65.35 from the 127 deliveries he faced, while Chandimal finished on 40.67 having batted against 23 more balls than his team-mate.

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. 

Tom Latham and Kane Williamson led the way as New Zealand moved to within just 50 runs of Sri Lanka on day two of the first Test in Galle.

Latham opened with 70 while Williamson notched 55 on the way to taking the Black Caps to 255-4 at stumps.

Sri Lanka resumed the first Test at 302-7, though just 15 minutes of play were possible during a rain-curtailed morning session. Nevertheless, it was long enough for New Zealand to bowl out their opponents for the loss of just three runs.

Latham led the Black Caps' revival with 70 from 111 balls, as Williamson also passed the half-century mark with his knock of 55 off 104 deliveries.

Dhananjaya de Silva looked to restore Sri Lanka's authority over proceedings when he dismissed Williamson and Rachin Ravindra in the space of two overs.

However, Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell steadied the ship, with their unbeaten stand of 59 off 105 edging New Zealand closer to their opponents' tally.

Data Debrief: Half-century stands galore for resurgent Black Caps

Partnerships were crucial for New Zealand in their chase, with four 50-plus stands during the innings.

Latham and Devon Conway's opening stand of 63 got the ball rolling, while Latham and Williamson notched 73 from just 120 balls.

The Williamson-Ravindra stand of 51 took just 84 deliveries, and it remains to be seen how long Mitchell and Blundell will last when play resumes on Friday.

Kamindu Mendis continued his phenomenal start in Test cricket, hitting his fourth red-ball ton as Sri Lanka ended the day 302-7 versus New Zealand at the Galle International Stadium. 

Mendis struck 114 runs from 173 deliveries before being caught by Daryl Mitchell, with the tourists picking up two late wickets to keep themselves in with a chance. 

Sri Lanka got off to a poor start with the losses of Dimuth Karunaratne (two) and Pathum Nissanka (27) to Will O'Rourke inside the first six overs. 

New Zealand's persistence continued to pay off after lunch as they grabbed a further three wickets, only for Mendis to come to the crease and steady the ship. 

He formed a steady partnership alongside Kusal Mendis, going on to notch 11 fours during his 273 minutes on the field before his day came to an end. 

Ramesh Mendis (14 not out) and Prabath Jayasuriya (0 not out) were left in play at stumps on what was a promising start for the hosts. 

Data Debrief: Mendis the man

Mendis has set the world of Sri Lankan cricket alight since his debut, with his performance against New Zealand his fourth Test 100 in just his seventh appearance in the format. 

To go along with his phenomenal record, he has also now scored more than 50 runs in eight Test matches too. 

Afghanistan's Test versus New Zealand became just the eighth match in red-ball history to be abandoned without a single ball being bowled due to rain on Friday.

The Greater Noida region of Afghanistan has seen heavy rainfall all week, leaving the Greater Noida Sports Complex surface unplayable on each of the first four days.

On Friday – scheduled to be the fifth and final day of the Test – continued rain ensured there would be no play, making the Test the first this century to be abandoned with no balls being bowled.

The last time it occurred was a scheduled Test between New Zealand and India at Carisbrook in December 1998.

Only seven previous Tests have been abandoned without a single ball being bowled, two in England, two in New Zealand, and one each in Australia, West Indies and Pakistan.

Black Caps coach Gary Stead said everyone connected with the team was frustrated as they were denied a chance to prepare for series in Sri Lanka and India.

"The most disappointing part for us is that we lost the opportunity to be match-hardened and match-ready when we go into our Test match next week," Stead said.

"The guys are really disappointed. It was an opportunity to play Afghanistan. It doesn't come around that often.

"They have some unique bowlers – it's always good to get your head around how you face them. The way they play is a little bit different to other countries."

New Zealand's first Test against Sri Lanka begins on September 18 with the second match set for the following week. Their three-match tour of India then begins on October 16.

Christian Pulisic hopes the arrival of new head coach Mauricio Pochettino will improve the United States' mentality and culture, following their 1-1 draw with New Zealand.

The Stars and Stripes were denied a first victory in four matches after Ben Waine's fortuitous equaliser in the 89th minute cancelled out Pulisic's opener in Cincinnati.

Pochettino was officially announced earlier in the day as the successor to Gregg Berhalter, who was dismissed following the United States' poor Copa America campaign.

The former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss will pick up the baton from interim coach Mikey Varas, and Pulisic hopes the Argentine's arrival will spark the nation back into life.

"Hopefully, a culture that is willing to fight, that is willing to take risks, you know, win," the Stars and Stripes skipper said when asked what he wants Pochettino to bring to the role.

"There are a lot of things that need to change, just the mentality and the culture of the group. I think we have the quality, but hopefully that's the first thing he's going to want to change."

Pochettino will also be tasked with improving the United States' results, having now won just one of their last seven matches. And Pulisic issued a rallying cry to his team-mates.

"Obviously, [these are] difficult results for us, and it's not a great feeling," he added.

"But I think moving forward, it's time to turn a page, and we really have to pick up a level - I mean everyone that's a part of this. It feels pretty low right now, but I know there are better times ahead."

Ben Waine's late goal earned New Zealand a 1-1 draw with the United States, who ended the night on a low after the confirmation of Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach.

Christian Pulisic looked to have earned victory in Tuesday's friendly with his 69th-minute finish, only for Waine to fortunately capitalise on some poor defending by the hosts a minute from the end.

A lacklustre first half saw just one shot on target from either side as the USA failed to make their dominance count, entering the interval with 66.4% possession. 

But Milan's Pulisic emerged from the bench to spark the contest into life, rounding off a free-flowing move with a left-footed finish low into Max Crocombe's goal.

However, USA's dismal run, which has seen them win one of their last seven games, continued after a moment of defensive misfortune.

Nando Pijnaker's hopeful punt caused trouble, with Mark McKenzie's attempted clearance striking Waine and looping over the helpless Matt Turner. 

Data Debrief: Plenty to do for Poch

If Pochettino had any illusions about the scale of the task that awaits him as newly-appointed USA head coach, this showing will have set him straight.

Despite registering 17 shots, USA only saw five hit the target, underperforming their expected goals (xG) total by 0.33. 

But Pochettino can hold on to hope that captain Pulisic can lead his side back to glory.

His introduction from the bench in the 57th minute saw him register an xG of 0.27, a total only bettered by Brenden Aaronson (0.29), while the former Chelsea man also created more chances (four) than any of his team-mates.

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi said he had to prove himself after being given the chance to lead the Springboks out in their Rugby Championship win over New Zealand.

Kolisi's early try after the break sparked the hosts' revival after they went in at half-time 9-3 down before roaring to an 18-12 victory in Cape Town. 

It was the fourth successive win by the Springboks over the All Blacks, as they maintained their perfect record in this year's Rugby Championship.

Kolisi described the encounter as South Africa's most important game since they won the World Cup final against the same opponents in Paris last year.

"The coach gave me the chance when I said I was okay so I couldn’t go half-hearted. Nobody is going to celebrate you if you don’t go flat out," said Kolisi.

"We didn’t start the way we wanted to and the coach was quite honest with us [at half-time]. At the start of the second half we did what we wanted.

"This game was really big for us."

The triumph marked the first time since 1949 that South Africa have won four straight Tests against New Zealand.

However, head coach Rassie Erasmus was muted despite achieving the most successful streak against South Africa's arch-rivals in the professional era.

"It was nice, but they have had big scores against us and six times in a row they have beaten us," he said.

"It's nothing to brag about because they have done worse to us. But it was special."

South Africa continued their dominance in this year's Rugby Championship as they clinched an 18-12 victory over New Zealand in Cape Town on Saturday.

Having trailed by six points heading into the break, the hosts rallied to record a fourth consecutive win over the All Blacks and lift the Freedom Cup for the first time in 15 years.

New Zealand started brightly, with their dominance rewarded by the boot of Damian McKenzie after Jasper Wiese had been sent to the sin bin.

McKenzie converted his second penalty just before the half-hour mark as the Springboks saw some uncharacteristic errors punished. 

Handre Pollard's penalty failed to change the sway of momentum, with McKenzie's third conversion of the half giving the All Blacks the advantage at the break. 

But an immediate response transpired after the interval as Siya Kolisi burst over the tryline, with Pollard's conversion handing the Springboks the lead for the first time.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu extended South Africa's advantage, but McKenzie's fourth and final penalty of the encounter closed the gap once again. 

However, the hosts sealed the win when Malcolm Marx powered over for a try six minutes from time to see the Springboks close in on the title.

Data Debrief: Cape Town comforts

This is the first time since 1949 that South Africa have won four straight Tests against their great rivals New Zealand.

They have also now won four straight Tests in Cape Town, and that is despite trailing at half-time in three of those four matches. 

New Zealand, meanwhile, have lost three of their last four Tests, having only suffered one defeat across their previous nine matches.

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).

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi warned his team the job is far from done despite them rallying for a thrilling victory over New Zealand in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.

The Springboks secured a 31-27 win over the All Blacks at Ellis Park, coming from behind with two late tries from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Grant Williams.

The victory hauled South Africa onto 14 points in the Championship standings as they bid to end New Zealand's four-year stranglehold on the title, but Kolisi says there is still work to be done.

Addressing the capacity crowd in his post-match interview, Kolisi said: "We play for a lot but you people are our number one motivation. 

"We appreciate you every single day. Please don't stop. When times are tough, please keep supporting us. We cannot do it without you.

"We respect the All Blacks. No matter what people say about them, when they need to turn up, they turn up. We believed in ourselves, we didn't panic, and we did what we wanted.

"They were catching us on the exit. After the first try in the second half, we picked it up. I'm really proud of the boys but the job is not done."

All Blacks captain Scott Barrett, meanwhile, was proud of his team-mates' efforts but admitted they had just fallen short of putting together a complete performance.

"Well done to the Springboks, it showed the class team they are," he said. "We weren't quite good enough. We were good for 62 minutes and it's an 80-minute game.

"There were two key moments after kick-offs where we couldn't quite get out of our half and they punished us. It was a huge effort, we're certainly proud, but it was just not quite to be.

"We'll regroup pretty quickly. Some guys have played here for the first time. It's intense and we'll have to be better next week."

South Africa host New Zealand again in Cape Town next week, while Australia go to Argentina for their round-three matchup. 

New Zealand exacted revenge on Argentina following their shock defeat to the Pumas last week, winning 42-10 on Saturday to extend their unbeaten run at Eden Park to 50 tests. 

The All Blacks responded in ruthless fashion, scoring six tries as Scott Robertson's side now await world champions South Africa in Johannesburg next week. 

New Zealand got off to the perfect start when Damian McKenzie latched on to Jordie Barrett's chip for the first try in the sixth minute, with captain Ardie Savea adding a second 11 minutes later. 

Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan and Beauden Barrett all crossed to give the All Blacks a 35-3 lead at half-time in challenging conditions at the Auckland fortress. 

Jordan notched his second try of the encounter shortly after the restart, but Argentina were able to halt the constant New Zealand pressure for much of the second half. 

The Pumas would score their first and only try eight minutes from time, with Juan Cruz Mallia going over to take some of the shine off an otherwise dominant display. 

Fly-half McKenzie converted all six All Blacks tries, with New Zealand captain Savea happy with his side's response to the defeat in Wellington seven days ago. 

"Very happy to get the win and respond the way we did," said Savea.

"We're the All Blacks, we've got to bring that every week and not rely on a loss to get that response from us."

Data Debrief: 50 not out at Eden Park

The All Blacks responded in some style to their 38-30 defeat against Argentina last week, getting their Rugby Championship title defence back on track. 

New Zealand's emphatic triumph saw them extend their unbeaten run at Auckland's Eden Park to 50 matches, last losing in 1994 against France. 

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.

Agustin Creevy has hailed Argentina's "amazing" performance after they came from behind to beat New Zealand 38-30 in their Rugby Championship opener.

The All Blacks made a strong start to the game and held the lead at the halfway stage, but Argentina started the second half brightly, fighting back to edge in front.

It was Creevy who proved the hero for the Pumas with a try before Mateo Carreras sealed another famous victory, having also beaten them in August 2022.

It is the first time in 12 attempts that Argentina have won their opener at the Rugby Championship, and Creevy, who missed that match in 2022, was buoyant after clinching the win.

"It was amazing," Creevy said. "I think we had a really good performance. We spoke in the week about hitting first and we hit first. I thought we dominated the whole game.

"For me, personally, I am 39 and this is the first time in my life I have won in New Zealand. This game for us is f****** amazing. And now, thinking, I want to win next week."

Meanwhile, it was Scott Robertson's first defeat since taking over the All Blacks, having earned a 2-0 series triumph over England before earning a dominant win over Fiji.

Sam Darry and Anton Lienert-Brown provided the tries in the first half to give them the lead, but they struggled to regain their foothold in the second, and Robertson was candid about where it went wrong for New Zealand on Saturday.

"We weren't good enough," Robertson admitted. "It started off at the kick-off and every time we received one, we couldn't get off our back fence.

"That kept us in a pressure cycle, and we just made too many errors."

Argentina and New Zealand will meet again in the Rugby Championship next weekend in Auckland.

Agustin Creevy proved the late hero as Argentina stunned New Zealand with a 38-30 victory in a Wellington thriller on Saturday.

Hooker Creevy bundled over with just 11 minutes remaining, with his sixth try in 109 Tests paving the way for Santiago Carreras' penalty to seal an eye-catching triumph in their Rugby Championship opener.

Having triumphed two years ago on Kiwi soil, Argentina held out for another significant victory in New Zealand despite missing captain Julian Montoya due to a rib injury.

Sam Darry had earlier opened the scoring for the hosts before Anton Lienert-Brown restored New Zealand's lead after Lucio Cinti powered over for the visiting Pumas.

Mateo Carreras reduced the deficit heading into half-time, with New Zealand leading by five points before the boot of Carreras edged Argentina into a 25-23 advantage after the interval.

Mark Tele'a picked the right moment to dance through the Argentina defence to send the All Blacks back ahead, yet Creevy provided the late heroics before Carreras punished a line-out error to seal a famous victory.

Data Debrief: All Blacks rare failure on home soil

New Zealand had won 16 of their 17 Test matches against Argentina on home soil (L1), recording an average winning margin of 34.8 points across those 16 victories.

Yet that winning run came to an abrupt end as Argentina triumphed for just a second time in seven Rugby Championship matches, adding to a 34-31 victory against Australia in July 2023.

This landmark triumph also marked their first opening win at this competition in 12 attempts, having lost all 11 prior appearances in the Rugby Championship opener.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's struggles in Wellington continued. They have now won only one of their last seven Tests at this venue, with the All Blacks seeking revenge at Eden Park next Saturday.