Test 3: South Africa vs All Blacks
South Africa 29 – 24 All Blacks
Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Test 3, FNB Stadium, Soweto, September 5, 2026. Half-time: 12-12. Series: SA 2-1 NZ.
Try scorers: South Africa: Kurt-Lee Arendse (21), penalty try (38), Jesse Kriel (58), Malcolm Marx (65). Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2 conversions, 1 penalty. New Zealand: Ardie Savea (10, 26), Will Jordan (56), Samisoni Taukei'aho (80+2). Ruben Love 1 conversion, Damian McKenzie 1 conversion.
The match: In front of a capacity crowd of 85,976 at the Calabash, this was the match the Springboks had to win. With Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu sinbinned in the 8th minute for a deliberate knock-down, the All Blacks immediately exploited the extra man, Ardie Savea crashing over in the 10th minute with the Springboks on 14 men. Savea crossed again in the 26th minute before leaving the field with a shoulder injury shortly after, handing the captaincy to Luke Jacobson. Kurt-Lee Arendse finished with electric footwork in the right corner in the 21st minute to make it 10-7. On the stroke of half-time, with Ruben Love sinbinned and the All Blacks defending a five-metre scrum, South Africa were awarded a penalty try to level at 12-12.
The second half was a completely different contest. Will Jordan restored the All Blacks' lead in the 56th minute, but Jesse Kriel raced through after Leroy Carter missed a tackle in the midfield channels to level. A long Jordan kick then went dead, handing the Springboks a scrum and a significant loss of territory at a crucial time in the match. This then resulted in a scrum penalty which led to a massive lineout drive that split the All Blacks' pack, Malcolm Marx crashing over under the posts from the maul to give South Africa a 26-17 lead. Feinberg-Mngomezulu added a penalty to extend it to 29-17. Fabian Holland was then pinged for an illegal cleanout inside the final 10 minutes. Taukei'aho scored a consolation try after the siren but the damage was done. Springboks win 29-24, lead the series 2-1.
The injury toll: Ardie Savea dislocated his shoulder and has been ruled out of the Baltimore Test, flying home where further scans will determine if he faces the rest of the year sidelined. Luke Jacobson, who took over the captaincy, is also flying home with an elbow tendon injury. Quinn Tupaea suffered an MCL knee injury in the second half and will not travel to Baltimore. On the Springbok side, Cheslin Kolbe suffered a broken jaw and plays no further part in the series. Siya Kolisi became South Africa's most successful captain with his 55th Test win as skipper.
LIPPY'S VIEW
Another compelling and competitive match between these two remarkable rugby-playing teams and countries. For the All Blacks, the loss came down to just a few key moments: one missed conversion, one missed penalty, two missed one-on-one tackles, one penalty try from a scrum while Ruben Love was in the sin bin, one Jordan kick that went dead handing the Springboks a lineout and an insane driving maul that seemed to obliterate the All Blacks, and the loss of their remarkable captain to a shoulder injury. All of that resulted in a five-point win for the Springboks, but at this level that many key negative moments is just too many to beat a team like South Africa. Well deserved, but an amazing reflection of how close these two teams are. A great situation for the sport to have its number one and two teams playing at this level.
The injury count and attrition has been devastating, especially to the All Blacks, and it is going to be very interesting to see how they regroup in Baltimore. I am going to be there in person and cannot wait!
Wallabies vs Argentina: Historic Series Win
Argentina 28 – 28 Australia
Flight Centre Series Test 2, Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza, September 5, 2026. Australia win series 1-0: first-ever series win on Argentine soil.
The match: Australia secured a historic first-ever series win in Argentina despite being held to a 28-28 draw in Mendoza in four-degree weather and sleeting rain. Australia led 14-0 at half-time through tries to captain Harry Wilson and wing Max Jorgensen, but Argentina levelled at 14-14 through tries to Pablo Matera and Ignacio Mendy. Argentina then took a 28-21 lead with 15 minutes remaining. The match turned when Lucio Cinti was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on, and moments later fullback Santiago Carreras repeated the offence conceding a penalty try that levelled at 28-28. With Argentina down to 13 men, the Wallabies could not find a winner. The series win, however, is historic: no Australian side has ever won a Test series in Argentina before. Les Kiss remains unbeaten, with four wins and a draw from five matches in charge.
LIPPY'S VIEW
This was a match that seemed like I was watching many different matches over the course of the game. The first part was absolute Wallaby dominance, the second part was a remarkable resurgence by the Pumas, next came error-strewn stop-start rugby, then amazing power from the Pumas, then a comeback from the Wallabies, ending with 15 Wallabies against 13 Pumas for the last nine minutes. But the Pumas held steady and competed like their lives depended on it, and the Wallabies showed some wobbles in being able to put them away.
Even though it is a series win, the Wallabies must be very frustrated with leaving this one out there and not having the cohesion to put away a Pumas team with 11 players who had fewer than 11 caps. With upcoming Tests against some very strong opposition, including the Springboks, the All Blacks twice, England, Scotland and Wales, the true assessment of their rebuild and resurgence will be tested. Cannot wait to see how they fare, but I wonder if depth will become an issue for them as they go up against these very strong nations.
Currie Cup Semifinals
Griquas 52 – 12 Lions
Currie Cup Semifinal, Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley, September 6. Griquas ruthless. Seven tries. Straight into the final.
Pumas 27 – 24 Cheetahs
Currie Cup Semifinal, Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein, September 6. Clinton Swart's late penalty seals a stunning upset. Pumas into the final.
Currie Cup Final: Griquas vs Pumas, Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley, Saturday September 12. Defending champions Griquas were commanding against the Lions. The Pumas produced a stunning upset, coming from behind to beat the Cheetahs 27-24. The Pumas beat Griquas in the SA Cup Final earlier this season, so these two sides meet in a second domestic final in 2026.
NPC: Round 6 Results
Taranaki 28 – 12 Auckland
Thursday Sept 3. Taranaki end their losing run. Auckland suffer a third straight loss.
Hawke's Bay 35 – 24 Otago
Friday Sept 4. Hawke's Bay extend their unbeaten run to six. A quality contest in Napier.
Manawatu 29 – 12 Bay of Plenty
Saturday Sept 5. Manawatu continue their resurgence.
North Harbour 57 – 42 Northland
Saturday Sept 5. A remarkable 99-point contest. North Harbour jump to second on the table.
Counties Manukau 47 – 24 Southland
Sunday Sept 6. Counties Manukau claim back-to-back wins.
Canterbury 36 – 14 Waikato
Saturday Sept 6. Canterbury win convincingly to stay in the top eight.
| NPC Standings After Round 6 (Top 8 of 14) | P | W | L | PD | B | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawke's Bay | 6 | 6 | 0 | +131 | 6 | 30 |
| North Harbour | 6 | 4 | 2 | +98 | 8 | 24 |
| Northland (RS) | 6 | 4 | 2 | +84 | 6 | 22 |
| Otago | 6 | 4 | 2 | +58 | 6 | 22 |
| Tasman | 6 | 4 | 2 | +19 | 4 | 20 |
| Canterbury | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 20 |
| Waikato | 6 | 3 | 3 | +23 | 7 | 19 |
| Taranaki | 6 | 3 | 3 | -7 | 6 | 18 |
Northland (RS) = Ranfurly Shield holders. North Harbour jump to second after 57-42 win. Top 8 qualify for playoffs. Full standings at npc.rugby.
Around the Grounds: What the Pundits Are Saying
Soweto reaction: the Boks' set-piece the difference: The consensus across RugbyPass, The Breakdown NZ and Sky Sports was that South Africa's set-piece dominance in the second half was decisive. Squidge Rugby highlighted that the All Blacks conceded three set-piece tries or penalty tries from scrum and lineout maul across the match. The Breakdown NZ noted that Rassie Erasmus had correctly identified Carter's defensive vulnerability in midfield and built his second-half game plan around isolating that channel. Justin Marshall on RugbyPass was direct: "The All Blacks were well beaten in that second half. South Africa controlled it."
The Baltimore decider: Rugby media globally has already begun building the narrative around Test 4 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday September 12. The match will be played on a neutral venue, the first time in 105 years of rivalry that a series-deciding Test has been played outside South Africa or New Zealand. The Springboks need only a draw to win the series. The All Blacks must win. Stuart Barnes noted that a neutral venue may actually suit New Zealand's game more than the altitude and crowd factor of Soweto.
Wallabies: historic milestone, imperfect performance: Tim Horan on RugbyPass Talking Rugby praised the Wallabies' collective character in Mendoza but was critical of the handling errors that let Argentina back in. Morgan Turinui called the historic series win significant but said it should be viewed as a stepping stone: "The real test comes in the Rugby Championship and the Bledisloe Cup later this year."
Black Ferns beat Springbok Women 52-20: In the curtain raiser at FNB Stadium, the Black Ferns defeated the Springbok Women 52-20 in a dominant performance. The match was played in front of a full house, with the atmosphere at the Calabash electric well before the main event.
Looking Ahead
Saturday September 12: Rugby's Greatest Rivalry. TEST 4: All Blacks vs Springboks, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA. Series: SA 2-1 NZ. SA need a draw; NZ must win.
Saturday September 12: Currie Cup Final. Griquas vs Pumas, Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley.
NPC Round 7 begins Thursday September 10.