Weekend Results
New Zealand 40 – 21 Ireland
Nations Championship R3, Eden Park. Six tries. Eden Park record extends to 53 unbeaten Tests.
Japan 15 – 42 France
Nations Championship R3, Tokyo. France dominant. Grandidier-Nkanang two tries on second cap.
Australia 57 – 10 Italy
Nations Championship R3, Perth. Wallabies first win. Italy finish July without a point.
Fiji 17 – 33 Scotland
Nations Championship R3, Murrayfield. Scotland trail 17-12 before Dobie double seals win.
South Africa 43 – 0 Wales
Nations Championship R3, Durban. Seven tries. Vusi Moyo's historic debut at flyhalf. Wales scoreless in South Africa for first time since 1912.
Argentina 24 – 31 England
Nations Championship R3, Santiago del Estero. England down to 12 at one stage. Feyi-Waboso two tries.
South Africa U20 16 – 5 France U20
Junior World Championship Final, Tbilisi. 45-minute lightning delay. Junior Boks defend their title. Back-to-back world champions.
Nations Championship Round 3: Game-by-Game Reports
New Zealand 40-21 Ireland (Eden Park, Auckland): The All Blacks delivered their most complete performance of the July block, scoring six tries in a comprehensive victory that ended any suggestion Ireland could be genuine world-beaters in 2026. The unbeaten streak at Eden Park now extends to 53 Tests over 32 years. Patrick Tuipulotu burst through for the opener on 15 minutes, Ardie Savea crossed from a lineout on 22, Will Jordan intercepted for his 51st Test try on 35, and Asafo Aumua touched down just before the break to give New Zealand a 28-7 lead at half-time. Ireland fought back with tries from Jack Conan, Joe McCarthy and Hugo Keenan, but Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown crossed in the second half to settle the contest. Ireland were shorn of 12 players through injury, but the gap in pace, power and skill was unmistakable.
Japan 15-42 France (Tokyo): France produced another clinical display, running in six tries at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium. Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang scored twice in his second Test cap as France extended their try tally for the tournament to 16 across three rounds. Romain Ntamack was in complete control from the first whistle.
Australia 57-10 Italy (Perth): The Wallabies finally clicked into gear, recording their first Nations Championship win with a nine-try display against an Italy side who finish the July block without a point. Italy were competitive in the first quarter but Australia's superior depth and fitness told heavily in the second half. The performances of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Fraser McReight suggest the Wallabies are finding form at the right time.
Fiji 17-33 Scotland (Murrayfield, Edinburgh): Scotland trailed 17-12 before their replacements transformed the contest. Jamie Dobie scored twice in quick succession off the bench to seal a 33-17 victory. Fiji had started strongly with three tries in the opening 34 minutes, but their discipline deteriorated and Scotland exploited the spaces. Blair Kinghorn controlled the game with assurance in the second half. The win lifts Scotland to second in the European conference.
South Africa 43-0 Wales (Durban): South Africa registered their third successive Nations Championship win with a clinical seven-try shutout at Hollywoodbets Kings Park. Jasper Wiese, Cobus Reinach, Jesse Kriel, Jaco Williams, Herschel Jantjies, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Paul de Villiers all scored. A team with 10 changes and four debutants was slick in patches, though frequently undone by knock-ons with a slippery ball. Vusi Moyo, the 20-year-old Stormers flyhalf, made history as the first black South African to start at number ten for the Springboks. Wales have now conceded 116 unanswered points in two Tests against South Africa, and travel back to the November block needing to regroup significantly. South Africa blanked Wales for the first time in consecutive Tests since 1906 and 1912.
Argentina 24-31 England (Santiago del Estero): England secured their second Nations Championship win in a chaotic, compelling match in front of a 30,000-strong Argentine crowd. Tommy Freeman scored in the fourth minute and Ben Earl crossed twice to give England a commanding 21-5 half-time lead. Argentina fought back through Santiago Carreras, a penalty try, and Justo Piccardo, at one point reducing the deficit to one point while England were down to 12 men following a cluster of yellow cards. Marcus Smith and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who scored twice, ultimately sealed the win.
LIPPY'S VIEW
For a tournament that no one really knew how it was going to turn out, the inaugural Nations Championship has exceeded all expectations. It has been exceptionally compelling and competitive, with some remarkable storylines emerging across all three rounds. In the European conference, four teams are locked in a battle for top spot, with France, Scotland, England and Ireland all still in contention heading into the November window. In the Rest of World conference, South Africa and New Zealand are setting the pace, both unbeaten and in commanding form. That rivalry for conference leadership makes Rounds 4 through 6 very, very exciting. World Rugby should be very happy with how this competition has launched.
Nations Championship Standings After Round 3 (July Phase Complete)
| Rest of World Conference | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 3 | 3 | 0 | +81 | 15 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 3 | 0 | +51 | 15 |
| Australia | 3 | 1 | 2 | +29 | 8 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 7 |
| Japan | 3 | 1 | 2 | -26 | 4 |
| Fiji | 3 | 0 | 3 | -96 | 0 |
| European Conference | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 3 | 2 | 1 | +41 | 12 |
| Scotland | 3 | 2 | 1 | +11 | 11 |
| England | 3 | 2 | 1 | +48 | 10 |
| Ireland | 3 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 10 |
| Wales | 3 | 1 | 2 | -42 | 5 |
| Italy | 3 | 0 | 3 | -94 | 0 |
South Africa and New Zealand are clear at the top after the July phase. In the European conference, France, Scotland, England and Ireland are all tightly bunched heading into November. Grand Final at Twickenham, Sunday November 29.
Junior World Championship Final: South Africa Retain the Title
South Africa U20 16-5 France U20 (Tbilisi): In a final delayed 45 minutes by lightning near Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, the Junior Springboks retained their title with a composed 16-5 victory over France, becoming back-to-back world champions for the first time. Fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed kicked 11 points and a late try from Markus Muller secured the title in a match where defence dominated and all four combined tries were disallowed by the TMO. France's only score came from a Raphael Audebert try on 46 minutes. South Africa have now won 11 consecutive matches in the tournament. The semi-finals had been equally dramatic: South Africa overcame England 53-37 from 10 points down after England's Seb Kelly was red-carded, while France beat New Zealand 26-22 with Adrien Drault's 76th-minute try. New Zealand beat England 37-34 in the third-place play-off.
LIPPY'S VIEW
To see the size, skill and physicality of the players in this tournament is genuinely beyond imagination. It is pretty clear why South Africa and France have such a bright future ahead when you look at the level and depth of players in this final, and particularly what comes off the bench. You are going to see a lot of these players in their senior teams in the years to come. One would have hoped the tournament in Georgia would have been better attended, because the final was played with the utmost competitiveness and skill but in front of relatively empty crowds, which was a shame given the quality on display. Do not be surprised to see Rassie Erasmus bringing some of these Under-20 players into the Springbok senior environment very soon. Yaqeen Ahmed, who guided the Junior Springboks to their historic back-to-back title and was the tournament's leading points scorer, is exactly the kind of player who is going to define the future of the Springboks.
World Rugby Nations Cup: Americas Phase Complete
The July leg of the World Rugby Nations Cup concluded on July 18. Georgia and the USA both finished the Americas phase unbeaten at 3-0, leading their respective pools heading into the November fixtures.
Romania 38 – 37 Samoa
Nations Cup R3. Romania edge an eight-try thriller.
Hong Kong China 42 – 40 Uruguay
Nations Cup R3. Hong Kong's biggest ever win in a high-scoring contest.
Georgia 49 – 22 Chile
Nations Cup R3. Georgia complete a perfect Americas phase 3-0.
Portugal 32 – 28 Tonga
Nations Cup R3. Portugal win their second straight.
USA 29 – 22 Spain
Nations Cup R3. USA complete a perfect 3-0 Americas phase.
Canada 23 – 19 Zimbabwe
Nations Cup R3. Canada recover to win after two defeats.
| Americas Pool | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 3 | 3 | 0 | +24 | 14 |
| Chile | 3 | 2 | 1 | +11 | 10 |
| Samoa | 3 | 1 | 2 | +25 | 7 |
| Tonga | 3 | 1 | 2 | -7 | 7 |
| Canada | 3 | 1 | 2 | -20 | 7 |
| Uruguay | 3 | 1 | 2 | -9 | 7 |
| Europe/Africa/Asia Pool | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 3 | 3 | 0 | +55 | 14 |
| Portugal | 3 | 2 | 1 | +27 | 12 |
| Spain | 3 | 2 | 1 | +6 | 9 |
| Romania | 3 | 2 | 1 | -16 | 9 |
| Hong Kong China | 3 | 1 | 2 | -66 | 5 |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 0 | 3 | -30 | 2 |
LIPPY'S VIEW
A similar construct is playing out in the Nations Cup, and it is equally exciting to watch. The USA going three from three in the Americas phase is a brilliant result for American rugby and for Scott Lawrence's program. Georgia are leading their pool just as convincingly. But the most interesting storylines may well emerge in the November phase, when these teams meet each other across pools and the real pressure kicks in. This tournament is giving tier two nations meaningful, competitive rugby with real stakes, and that is exactly what the game needs.
Around the Grounds: What the Pundits Are Saying
Rugby's Greatest Rivalry: the tour that follows the Nations Championship: With the July Nations Championship block now complete, attention turns to the next chapter of the 2026 calendar: the All Blacks' tour of South Africa, officially branded Rugby's Greatest Rivalry. The tour kicks off on Friday August 7 when the All Blacks face the Stormers in Cape Town, the first major tour of South Africa by New Zealand in 30 years. Eight matches in total are scheduled, including four Tests. The provincial opponents are the Stormers (August 7, Cape Town), Sharks (August 11, Durban), Bulls (August 15, Pretoria) and Lions (August 25, Johannesburg). The four Tests are: Test 1, August 22 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg; Test 2, August 29 at Cape Town Stadium; Test 3, September 5 at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg; and a landmark fourth Test at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, USA on September 12. The Baltimore fixture marks the first time either nation has hosted a Test in the United States and is expected to generate significant commercial interest ahead of the 2031 Rugby World Cup.
Vusi Moyo's historic debut: The Stormers flyhalf became the first black South African to start at number ten for the Springboks in Saturday's win over Wales. Planet Rugby noted that Rassie Erasmus has now used 36 different players across the three July Tests, and described the squad depth as the most democratic talent selection in Springbok history. The fact that a side making 10 changes with four debutants can blank Wales 43-0 says everything about the system Erasmus has built.
Ireland's World Cup alarm bells: The Irish Times noted after the Eden Park loss that Ireland have now lost six consecutive Tests against New Zealand, France and South Africa by at least 10 points, calling it "a chastening reminder that, a year out from a World Cup, Ireland are not at the upper echelons of the world game." Stuart Barnes took a similar view in The Times, noting that Ireland's attack lacked zip or threat for long periods and that the injury list does not fully explain the tactical passivity. The Breakdown NZ suggested November's three Tests against the Rest of World sides will be the real indicator.
England's yellow card problem: The Rugby Pod highlighted England's four yellow cards and a period with 12 men in Santiago del Estero as a recurring structural issue. Andy Goode noted that three of the four came at the breakdown, suggesting a coaching intervention is needed before November's three home Tests.
The Nations Championship halfway verdict: RugbyPass Talking Rugby concluded their mid-tournament review with a clear ranking: South Africa and New Zealand are in a class of their own, with France showing the most improvement across the July block. England and Scotland have exceeded expectations. Ireland and Australia are below where their coaches need them to be heading into November.
Looking Ahead
The Nations Championship resumes in November. The Rest of World sides tour Europe for Rounds 4, 5 and 6.
Friday November 6: Nations Championship Round 4. Ireland vs Argentina, Dublin; Italy vs South Africa, Milan; Scotland vs New Zealand, Edinburgh; Wales vs Japan, Cardiff; France vs Fiji, Paris; England vs Australia, London.
August 7 to September 12: Rugby's Greatest Rivalry, New Zealand tour of South Africa. Four Tests at Ellis Park (Aug 22), Cape Town Stadium (Aug 29), FNB Stadium (Sep 5) and M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore (Sep 12).
Sunday November 29: Nations Championship Grand Final, Twickenham.