Captain Sam Cane and hooker Dane Coles have been ruled out of New Zealand's tour of Europe.

Flanker Cane suffered two cheekbone fractures in a 38-31 win over Japan at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday.

The vastly experienced Coles missed that victory after suffering a calf injury prior to kick-off and he will return home along with Cane.

Billy Harmon has been called up to the squad ahead of a Test against Wales at the Principality Stadium next Saturday.

Wing Leicester Fainga'anuku will also join up with the All Blacks for that Test in Cardiff after leaving the squad in Japan for family reasons.

The Rugby Championship winners will face Scotland and England next month after doing battle with Wayne Pivac's side.

New Zealand head coach Ian Foster said: "It will create a great opportunity for the likes of a Dalton Papali'i and he's in good form. It's the reality of rugby, you always want to get through your first couple of games injury free.

"It hasn't worked out this way, and it doesn't change the challenges coming up."

The All Blacks will appeal against Brodie Retallick's red card for a clean-out on loose forward Kazuki Himeno in the 65th minute of the win over the Brave Blossoms, with a hearing likely to take place on Tuesday.

Blair Kinghorn missed a decisive late penalty as Scotland suffered a 16-15 defeat to Australia at Murrayfield.

The Wallabies held a 6-5 lead at the interval after Bernard Foley's pair of penalties nudged them in front following Ollie Smith's opening try, which Kinghorn failed to convert.

But Kinghorn seemingly put Scotland in command after the break, pouncing on a handling error by Australia to kick ahead for himself twice and scoop up for Scotland's second try.

He added the extras and then knocked over a penalty to make it 15-6, only for the sin-binning of Glen Young to put Scotland on the ropes.

Australia capitalised when man of the match James Slipper barged his way over. Foley converted and then made no mistake with a three-pointer to give the Wallabies a one-point lead.

Kinghorn, though, had the chance to have the final say after Australia were penalised at the breakdown, but his kick drifted wide of the left-hand post to give the Wallabies a first win in four against Scotland.

New Zealand could contest Brodie Retallick's red card in the win over Japan on Saturday as he faces the prospect of being banned for their tour of Europe.

The towering lock was dismissed for a dangerous clean-out on loose forward Kazuki Himeno in the 65th minute of the All Blacks' 38-31 victory.

New Zealand held on to avoid an upset, but they were far from convincing at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

The Rugby Championship winners will now travel to face Wales, Scotland and England next month, with a Test against Wayne Pivac's side first up at the Principality Stadium next Saturday.

Head coach Ian Foster says the All Blacks will consider whether to lodge an appeal in a bid to prevent Retallick from being ruled out of those encounters.

He said: "We're going to have a good look at it. I certainly didn't see any intention apart from trying to move a body. That's a process we’ll have to go through."

Retallick scored the first of five All Blacks tries, while 13 points came from the boot of Richie Mo'unga.

Foster was content with the way New Zealand dug in to see off the Brave Blossoms.

"I thought it was a day where we could have panicked a little bit," he said.

"But I thought they hung in there well and did what they needed to do at the right time."

Japan will now prepare to do battle with England at Twickenham on November 12 and head coach Jamie Joseph is relishing what he expects to be a bigger challenge.

He said: "The key for us really is to go to England now and replicate that performance against a better side."

Jack Dempsey is set to make his Scotland debut against his former team Australia, who will welcome Michael Hooper back to their side at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Back row Dempsey won 14 caps for the Wallabies but took advantage of a change in eligibility regulations to pledge his allegiance to Scotland.

The Sydney-born 28-year-old, who has a Scottish grandfather, has been named among the replacements for the Autumn Nations Series opener, with Jamie Ritchie leading Gregor Townsend's men after Stuart Hogg was stripped of the captaincy.

Blair Kinghorn starts at fly-half after Finn Russell was dropped, while Ollie Smith comes in for his first start at full-back in the absence of Hogg.

Hooper did not play for Australia in the Rugby Championship after stating he was not in the right frame of mind, but the flanker is back.

Dave Rennie retained James Slipper as captain rather than Hooper, with Tate McDermott starting at fly-half.

Centre Hunter Paisami and lock Nick Frost have also been recalled to the side.

Scotland team: Ollie Smith, Darcy Graham, Mark Bennett, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Blair Kinghorn, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, Zander Fagerson, Sam Skinner, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie (captain), Hamish Watson, Matt Fagerson.

Replacements: George Turner, Jamie Bhatti, WP Nel, Glen Young, Jack Dempsey, George Horne, Ross Thompson, Damien Hoyland.

Australia team: Tom Banks, Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Hunter Paisami, Tom Wright, Bernard Foley, Tate McDermott; James Slipper (captain), David Porecki, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Cadeyrn Neville, Jed Holloway, Michael Hooper, Rob Valetini.

Replacements: Folau Fainga'a, Matt Gibbon, Taniela Tupou, Ned Hanigan, Pete Samu, Nic White, Noah Lolesio, Jock Campbell.

Justin Tipuric has been named as Wales captain for the Autumn Nations Series next month.

The flanker takes over as skipper in the absence of Dan Biggar, who misses the Tests against New Zealand, Argentina, Georgia and Australia due to a knee injury.

Tipuric is relishing the opportunity to lead the side at Principality Stadium, where New Zealand will be their first opponents on November 5.

"I am honoured and didn't quite expect it, to be honest," said Tipuric.

The 33-year-old missed last season due to a shoulder injury but has returned to full fitness.

He added: "I am just happy to get back in the squad, and to have the responsibility of leading such a great bunch of boys on to the field is one of those definite highlights of your career.

"It's very exciting to be back at the stadium. You take it for granted not playing there for a while, and I guess when you're out of the game for a while, you look back on it and shows how much you do miss it.

"It's one of the big things that you miss in rugby, and it's something you want to make the most of, whether it's one more game or 10 more minutes left to play there."

Alun Wyn Jones was included in Wayne Pivac's squad but was not selected as captain due to not being a guaranteed starter.

Pivac on Tuesday called up hooker Bradley Roberts after Dewi Lake was ruled out with a shoulder injury.

Courtney Lawes will miss England’s pre-Autumn Nations Series training camp next week as he continues to work through his return to play protocols.

Lawes was initially named in a 36-man squad by Eddie Jones this week, but the lock will not travel to Jersey.

Captain of his country in the series win over Australia in July, Lawes has been suffering with concussion issues after taking a blow to the head during Northampton Saints’ derby defeat to Leicester Tigers last month.

The absence of Lawes will cast doubt on whether he will be fit for the Red Rose's first November Test against Argentina at Twickenham on November 6.

London Irish's Tom Pearson has been added to the squad and will join up for a five-day camp on Monday.

Head coach Jones would face a decision over who would lead his side if Lawes is unable to play, with Owen Farrell among the contenders to have the honour once again.

England will face Japan, New Zealand and world champions South Africa next month after taking on the Pumas.

Henry Slade has been left out of England's squad for the Autumn Nations Series but Kyle Sinckler returns.

Slade missed the 2-1 series win in Australia after undergoing shoulder surgery, but has been back in action for Exeter Chiefs.

The centre was not among the 36 players Eddie Jones has called up for the Tests against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa next month.

Sinckler is back in the fold after recovering from a back injury, while wing Cadan Murley has earned a first call-up.

Val Rapava Ruskin and Raffi Quirke have also been recalled less than a year before the Rugby World Cup starts in France. 

Anthony Watson, George Ford and Jamie George are among the absentees due to injury.

Head coach Jones said: "There are a number of disappointed players who have been left out. Their job is to make sure they go back to their clubs and play so that they have to be selected. They all know what they have to do.

"This is a very strong, vibrant squad and a number of good players have been left out. We are pleased with the depth and strength of the squad."

England squad:

Forwards: Alex Coles, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tom Curry, Ellis Genge, Joe Heyes, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, George McGuigan, Val Rapava Ruskin, David Ribbans, Bevan Rodd, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Jack Singleton, Hugh Tizard, Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Jack Willis.

Backs: Henry Arundell, Joe Cokanasiga, Owen Farrell, Max Malins, George Furbank, Will Joseph, Jonny May, Cadan Murley, Guy Porter, Raffi Quirke, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward, Manu Tuilagi Jack van Poortlviet, Ben Youngs.

Michael Hooper is back in the Australia squad for the upcoming tour of Europe, but James Slipper will retain the captaincy.

Hooper has not played since he withdrew from the Wallabies squad on the eve of their Rugby Championship opener against Argentina in August.

The flanker stated that he was not in the right frame of mind to play, but is set to make his comeback on the international stage after being included in a 36-man squad on Sunday.

Slipper will continue to skipper Australia, while the uncapped Jock Campbell, Ben Donaldson, Langi Gleeson, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Sam Talakai have been included.

Overseas-based duo Bernard Foley and Will Skelton were also selected for a tour that starts with a Test against Scotland at Murrayfield on October 30.

The Wallabies, who finished third in the Rugby Championship, will also face France, Italy, Ireland and Wales next month.

Australia head coach Dave Rennie said: "We've got a massive opportunity over the next five matches to test ourselves against some of the best teams in the world and string together some performances that our supporters are proud of back home in Australia.

"It's been really pleasing to continue to get game time into our players through the Australia A programme and a number of those guys have been rewarded for their form with selection in the squad.

"To have Michael back in the group is massive for our team on and off the field and we'll continue to make sure that he has the support around him he needs."

Australia squad:

Allan Alaalatoa, Tom Banks, Jock Campbell, Ben Donaldson, Folau Fainga'a, Lalakai Foketi, Bernard Foley, Matt Gibbon, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Jake Gordon, Ned Hanigan, Reece Hodge, Jed Holloway, Michael Hooper, Len Ikitau, Andrew Kellaway, Noah Lolesio, Lachlan Lonergan, Tate McDermott, Fraser McReight, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Cadeyrn Neville, Hunter Paisami, Jordan Petaia, Matt Philip, David Porecki, Tom Robertson, Pete Samu, Will Skelton, James Slipper (captain), Sam Talakai, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Nic White, Tom Wright.

Jamie George will miss England's November internationals after he was ruled out for 10 weeks with a foot injury.

The hooker will be sidelined until early in December due to damage done in Saracens' Premiership win over Leicester Tigers last Saturday.

George will play no part in the Red Rose's Tests against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

Eddie Jones had already lost Leicester centre Guy Porter and Harlequins hooker Jack Walker to injury.

Courtney Lawes, Sam Underhill, Anthony Watson, Maro Itoje and Alex Dombrandt are among the other England players who are unavailable due to injury.

Danny Care has been left out of England's training squad ahead of the Autumn Nations Series but Manu Tuilagi and Sam Simmonds return.

Scrum-half Care featured in the Red Rose's series victory over Australia in July, but is not among the 36 players who will report for a three-day camp this weekend.

Centre Tuilagi and number eight Simmonds are back in the fold after recovering from injuries, while pivot Ben Youngs has been selected ahead of the November encounters with Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

Simmonds gets the nod amid reports that he could leave Exeter Chiefs to join Montpellier, a move that would make him ineligible to play for his country.

Locks Alex Coles and Hugh Tizard have been called up for the first time, while Alex Mitchell, Tom Pearson and David Ribbans are also included.

Courtney Lawes and Maro Itoje are among the absentees due to injury.

England head coach Eddie Jones said: "With a year to go to the Rugby World Cup, this is a big opportunity for players to come in and impress. We want them to show real energy and enthusiasm and that they want to be a part of this massive year.

"It doesn't mean that those who have been left out won't be considered for the Autumn Nations Series matches. We'll be looking at club games, form and fitness and the door is left open for those players.

"We finished the Australia tour well. It was a fantastic experience, particularly for the younger players. We now have to start again, but we'll build on what we've done there and continue that momentum."

England training squad:

Forwards: Ollie Chessum, Alex Coles, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tom Curry, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Jonny Hill, Lewis Ludlam, Tom Pearson, David Ribbans, Bevan Rodd, Patrick Schickerling, Sam Simmonds, Will Stuart, Hugh Tizard, Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Jack Walker, Jack Willis.

Backs: Henry Arundell, Joe Cokanasiga, Fraser Dingwall, Owen Farrell, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Will Joseph, Jonny May, Alex Mitchell, Jack Nowelll, Guy Porter, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward, Manu Tuilagi, Jack van Poortvliet, Ben Youngs.

Ian Foster warned New Zealand have "quite a bit left in this tank" after they retained their Rugby Championship title on Saturday.

The All Blacks thrashed Australia 40-14 at Eden Park on Saturday to put one hand on the trophy and South Africa were unable to dethrone them, beating Argentina 38-21 later in the day when they needed a bonus-point win by a margin of at least 39 points.

Defeats to the Springboks and the Pumas following a home series loss to Ireland had seen Foster come under huge pressure, but the head coach was backed to stay in the role.

The All Blacks boss says there is plenty more to come from his side less than a year before the Rugby World Cup starts in France.

He said on Sunday: "There is still quite a bit left in this tank. We saw that even last night. The building blocks are nice, but there are still a lot of finishing touches we're not quite getting right. But what a great spot to be in.

"It's up to us to make sure they're areas we can now tidy up. Some of the conversion rates in our line-breaks, for example, and I was disappointed we let them back on the scorecard in that last 10 minutes … they're small things but could be important things in 12 months' time."

Foster expressed his pride over the way his players have overcome adversity to win the title.

He said: "It's very special. It's been a different journey to other Rugby Championships we've won. To do it from behind the eight-ball at the start … it's not the way we wanted, but it's very satisfying. I'm really proud of the effort the boys have put in."

Foster added: "In life you don't know what it's going to chuck at you. You can only deal with the situation you're in and no one can walk in those shoes but yourself.

"What have we learnt? That under pressure we stay tight, under pressure we've sought solutions that have made us uncomfortable at times, but the goal is to get the performance right."

Ian Foster says he has "forgotten about the rollercoaster" after New Zealand hammered Australia 40-14 to stand on the brink of retaining the Rugby Championship title.

The All Blacks put their trans-Tasman rivals to the sword in front of a capacity crowd at Eden Park, scoring five tries with Richie Mo'unga booting 13 points.

A resounding victory ensured South Africa need to a bonus-point win over Argentina by at least 39 points to claim the title later on Saturday.

It is not long since Foster was in danger of losing his job, with New Zealand suffering a home series defeat to Ireland before losing to the Springboks and Argentina in the Rugby Championship.

All Blacks head coach Foster said: "I've forgotten about the rollercoaster. I'm just happy in the moment.

"We've come into a championship, we've had, in our mind, the hardest draw by having both tests against South Africa in South Africa, got one out of two in that space, we've let ourselves down in Christchurch [in a defeat to Argentina], but our response to that has been really positive.

"We look at the last half of the championship and we're really pleased with what went in. All we can do is deal with what's in front of us right now.

"I know we've got a buffer [over South Africa] – whether it's enough I don't know. But we've given ourselves a chance and that's all we want."

Foster knows New Zealand remain a work in progress, but he has been impressed with the way they have knuckled down in challenging times.

He added: "All you can do, in the circumstances you get dealt, is try and find a way out of it and I think we've owned very clearly that we put ourselves in a situation. But I back the group we've got to get through an issue.

"I said at the time we're going through stuff that none of us had really gone through in an All Blacks jersey and it was hard. We just had to own it and we had to be the people who came up with the solutions.

"We've done some good problem-solving. We've worked hard, and it's given this team a little bit of steel and it's given us some harsh lessons we kind of wish we didn't have to deal with, but we did.

"In those situations you either fold and walk away because it's too hard, or you buckle up and get stuck into work.

"The work of the players has been phenomenal, and we're growing belief. But we've still got some steps to go."

The final round of Rugby Championship fixtures are upon us and two teams are realistically left standing in the battle to be crowned 2022 champions.

In what has been the most competitive tournament since Argentina joined a decade ago, all four teams have at one point looked good value to finish top.

New Zealand are level with South Africa at the summit, but they have the advantage in terms of the sides' net points difference, which may be used as a deciding factor.

The All Blacks therefore know a bonus-point win over Bledisloe Cup rivals Australia in a repeat of last week's classic will all but land them an eighth title in 10 years.

South Africa play Argentina, the only side entirely out of the running, later on Saturday and will know what they have to do to have a chance – if any – of overtaking New Zealand.

Here, Stats Perform previews the weekend clashes in round six of the championship using Opta data.

NEW ZEALAND v AUSTRALIA

FORM

New Zealand beat Australia 39-37 in last week's thrilling Test in Melbourne through a hugely contentious late try to make it four wins in a row in this fixture – their best such run since winning seven on the bounce between August 2015 and August 2017.

The All Blacks' record on home soil against Australia is even better, having won each of the last 22 Tests in Auckland by an average margin of 18 points per game. The last time Australia got the better of their neighbours in that city was in September 1986.

Australia therefore have a huge task on their hands at Eden Park as they aim to avoid losing three Tests in a row in the Rugby Championship for the first time since September 2013, with this current run following a streak of six wins from their previous seven matches in the competition.

The Wallabies, who need a bonus-point win and would then hope South Africa fail to get the result required against Argentina, will look to exploit any ill-discipline from their rivals. Their goal-kicking accuracy of 92 per cent on place-kicks this year (33/36) is some 11 percentage points higher than any other Tier One nation.

ONES TO WATCH

Will Jordan has made 10 line breaks for New Zealand across 2022, which is the most of any player from a Tier One nation. To put that into some further perspective, it is double the tally of Tom Wright (five), Australia's best performer in that area.

Australia wing Marika Koroibete could hold the key to breaking down the hosts. The 30-year-old has beaten 23 defenders in 2022 – the most of any player from a Tier One nation and two more than New Zealand's best Rieko Ioane.

SOUTH AFRICA V ARGENTINA

FORM

Following last week's 36-20 bonus-point triumph in Buenos Aires, South Africa have won their past five Tests against Argentina. However, a win alone may not be enough on Saturday and the Springboks could find themselves going all out for an emphatic victory in pursuit of New Zealand.

The Boks have some much-needed momentum on their side thanks to two wins in a row – matching the number they managed in their previous seven games in the competition – with those victories coming by a margin of exactly 16 points.

Argentina cannot be written off, though, having already defeated New Zealand and Australia during the first half of their championship campaign. Los Pumas have lost back-to-back matches since then, as many as they lost in their six games prior.

Turnovers could be a huge factor in this contest as Argentina and South Africa have won the most of any teams in this year's tournament with 22 apiece, while also making the most and second-most tackles with 706 and 600 respectively.

ONES TO WATCH

Springbok lock Lood de Jager has played a big part for his country this campaign and is second only to Italy's Federico Ruzza for line-outs won among players from Tier One nations in 2022 with 36.

Matias Moroni was among the try scorers for Argentina in last week's loss when finishing off a well-worked set-piece and is among the starters for this latest tussle. He has made dominant contact on seven tackles this year, placing him second only to Italy's Monty Ioane (eight) among elite nations.

Michael Cheika has urged Argentina to rise to the "huge challenge" of tackling world champions South Africa at Kings Park on Saturday.

For the first time, the Pumas could finish a Rugby Championship campaign with wins against all three of their rivals.

A 36-20 loss to the Springboks in Buenos Aires last week saw the Springboks score two late tries after Argentina got within two points heading into the closing minutes.

With wins over Australia and New Zealand already in the bag, Argentina head into their final match in Durban looking to complete the set, although Cheika is reluctant to address what such an achievement would signify.

"We can talk about that if it happens," he said. "We've got objectives and goals, but that's a good discussion to have once it's done. We've got a lot of work to do, a huge challenge in front of us for it to happen.

"We've just got to get in there, get dirty and do our bit, and see where we end up, and we can talk about that stuff after."

Cheika wants to give the Argentinian public something to celebrate after the late disappointment against the South Africans. Argentina came from 22-6 behind to recover to 22-20 last week, before being unable to complete the comeback.

"In relation to where we want to end up as a team, of all the games we've played so far we're probably most disappointed with that one because of the context," Cheika said. "I don't think I've seen a crowd going like that ever, and I want them to go like that this week when they're watching on telly.

"I don't want to go bigger picture here, I just want to say here's an opportunity: full house in Durban against the world champions, a chance to take, we've got to go there and try to take it."

Cheika has made two selection changes, bringing in wing Juan Imhoff and centre Matias Moroni for Lucio Cinti and Matias Orlando. That follows South Africa also making two changes when naming their line-up on Tuesday, with Frans Steyn coming in at fly-half for the injured Damian Willemse, and flanker Pieter Steph du Toit stepping in for Franco Mostert.

Argentina team: Juan Cruz Mallia, Emiliano Boffelli, Matias Moroni, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Juan Imhoff, Santiago Carreras, Gonzalo Bertranou; Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Julian Montoya (captain), Eduardo Bello, Matias Alemanno, Tomas Lavanini, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera.

Replacements: Augustin Creevy, Mayco Vivas, Joel Sclavi, Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo, Tomas Cubelli, Benjamin Urdapilleta, Bautista Delguy.

South Africa team: Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Frans Steyn, Jaden Hendrikse; Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese.

Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Duane Vermeulen, Kwagga Smith, Faf de Klerk, Kurt-Lee Arendse.

Australia lock Darcy Swain has been suspended for six weeks for his reckless clean-out of New Zealand's Quinn Tupaea in last week's Rugby Championship clash.

Swain entered a ruck and made firm contact with the knee of All Blacks centre Tupaea, who suffered a ruptured medial cruciate injury and is facing nine months out.

The 25-year-old was shown a yellow card at the time and was cited after New Zealand's remarkable 39-37 Bledisloe Cup victory at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

A SANZAAR Judicial Committee ruled on Wednesday that Swain contravened Law 9.11, which states "players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others".

Swain's ban extends to November 6, ruling him out of this weekend's return match with New Zealand, as well as tour matches against Scotland and France.

He had controversially been selected in Australia A's squad to tour Japan next month, with that seen as a ploy to use up the suspension.

However, by making the ban time-related, rather than match-related, that controversial ploy has been negated.

Asked about Swain's ban on Thursday, All Blacks coach Ian Foster said he was satisfied with the process.

"It is what it is," he said. "We spoke after the game and basically said there's a process that people go through. We're fully aware of that. He's got what he's got.

"I haven't read the judiciary [report], but clearly he's gone through a process and that's what they've come up with."