Wallabies vs Springboks: Perth Thriller
Australia 42 – 38 South Africa
Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate | Optus Stadium, Perth | September 27, 2026 | Half-time: 24-17
Tries: Australia: Len Ikitau (2), Ben Donaldson, Harry Wilson, Max Jorgensen. Cons/Pens: Nic Lonergan 4/5 cons, 2 pens. South Africa: Johan Grobbelaar, Edwill van der Merwe, penalty try, Morne van den Berg, Ox Nche. Cons: Handre Pollard (2), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2). Pen: Pollard.
A Pollard penalty put the Springboks ahead early before the Wallabies caught fire. Ikitau crossed twice and Donaldson finished off a multi-phase move with a grubber kick from Tom Wright just before half-time to give Australia a 24-17 lead at the break. The Wallabies then pulled away dramatically in the second half. Wilson dived over in the 60th minute to make it 37-17 before Jorgensen pounced on a Bok error to push the lead out to a seemingly match-winning 42-17 with 15 minutes to play.
Then came the chaos. Four yellow cards in quick succession saw the Wallabies reduced to 11 men. The Springboks scored 21 unanswered points: a penalty try from a dominant scrum, van den Berg from close range, and Ox Nche crashing over with the conversion. The Wallabies held on by the skin of their teeth for one of the most dramatic results of the year. The win extended the Wallabies' unbeaten run under Les Kiss and handed them the Mandela Challenge Plate for the first time since 2022.
Context: Much of the post-match discussion centered on the Springboks fielding a heavily rotated side, with many first-choice players resting after the Greatest Rivalry tour. South African media were divided on whether this showed disrespect to the occasion or simply reflected sensible squad management ahead of the November Nations Championship window. The conversation will continue, but Les Kiss and the Wallabies made it irrelevant on the day, as they were the better team on the day, and built a sufficient lead to withstand the final 15-minute onslaught.
LIPPY'S VIEW
What an extraordinary contest. The Wallabies were simply brilliant for an hour and looked to be coasting to a comfortable win. Then the most amazing 15-minute finish of any match I've seen took place. Four yellow cards, Australia down to 11 men, and the Springboks suddenly back in the game, scoring 21 points in 10 minutes. The Wallabies' defense in those final minutes, with a makeshift defensive line, was truly remarkable. Tom Wright and Tom Hooper in particular were outstanding. Les Kiss is building something special here. This team believes in itself; the players are connected to a goal larger than themselves, and play with real structure and intensity. The Springbok rotation story will be debated, but I don't think it diminishes the Wallabies' achievement. To beat world champions under any circumstances is a significant result. The Wallabies out "Springbokked" the Springboks. They held their own in the set piece, disrupted the Boks' lineouts, beat them on the high ball, and pounced on the Boks' mistakes to come away with points. That is typically from the World Champions' playbook. The All Blacks will look at this Wallaby performance and need to be wary for their two upcoming tests. The Bledisloe Cup opener at Eden Park on October 10 has the makings of a classic. The Wallabies being a leading team on the world stage is great for rugby, and it spices up the permutations for next year's World Cup in Australia.
Women's Rugby: A Landmark Weekend
England 26 – 19 Black Ferns
WXV Global Series | Allianz Stadium, Twickenham | September 26, 2026 | Crowd: 50,000+
In front of a stunning crowd of more than 50,000 at Twickenham on a Friday night, England came from behind to beat the Black Ferns 26-19 and extend their winning run to 17 consecutive Tests. New Zealand led 19-12 in the second half and looked set to pull off a significant upset before England scored a last-gasp intercept try in the dying seconds to seal the win. Black Ferns captain Georgia Ponsonby said it was "a hell of a match and everything we hoped for." England's Emily Scarratt made her 100th start for the Red Roses on the occasion.
USA Women: back-to-back wins: The USA Eagles Women secured back-to-back victories in the WXV Global Series. On September 20, they came from behind to beat Ireland 40-36 in Dublin in a thrilling contest. Then on September 26 in Cardiff, winger Tafuna scored a hat-trick as the Eagles edged Wales 26-24 in another close finish. Two away wins in six days against European opposition is a significant statement of where the USA women's program is heading.
LIPPY'S VIEW
That Twickenham crowd of 50,000-plus for a women's Friday night Test is the number that jumps out at me this weekend. Think about that for a moment. More fans at Twickenham for England vs Black Ferns than you would get at most men's autumn international games outside the major Test nations. The quality of the match matched the occasion; New Zealand leading 19-12 before a last-minute intercept try sealed it for England is the kind of finish that gets fans back for the next one. The WXV Global Series is working.
NPC: Round 9 Results and Standings
Tasman 45 – 26 Bay of Plenty
Thursday September 24. Tasman bonus-point win to stay in touch with the top eight.
Manawatu 40 – 34 Auckland
Friday September 25. Manawatu continue their strong run with a bonus-point win over Auckland.
Counties Manukau 22 – 19 Northland
Friday September 25. Counties take the Ranfurly Shield from Northland in a tight contest.
Canterbury 34 – 21 Southland
Friday September 25. Canterbury win to stay in second place on the table.
North Harbour 32 – 21 Otago
Saturday September 26. North Harbour remain top of the table after beating Otago.
Waikato 34 – 10 Wellington
Saturday September 26. Waikato comfortable winners. Wellington's winless season continues.
Taranaki 50 – 14 Hawke's Bay
Saturday September 26. Taranaki demolish Hawke's Bay in a stunning 50-14 result. Massive implications at the top.
The Shield changes hands: Counties Manukau's 22-19 win over Northland claims the Ranfurly Shield, ending Northland's tenure. The other headline is Taranaki's 50-14 hammering of Hawke's Bay: a team that sat comfortably in the top four two rounds ago has now suffered two heavy defeats in a row, with serious implications for playoff qualification. North Harbour remain top after nine rounds.
| NPC Standings After Round 9 (Top 8 of 14) | P | W | L | PD | B | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. North Harbour | 9 | 6 | 3 | +115 | 12 | 36 |
| 2. Canterbury | 9 | 7 | 2 | +61 | 7 | 35 |
| 3. Northland | 9 | 6 | 3 | +122 | 9 | 33 |
| 4. Hawke's Bay | 9 | 6 | 3 | +73 | 8 | 32 |
| 5. Otago | 9 | 6 | 3 | +100 | 8 | 32 |
| 6. Waikato | 9 | 5 | 4 | +39 | 9 | 29 |
| 7. Taranaki | 9 | 5 | 4 | +63 | 9 | 29 |
| 8. Tasman | 9 | 5 | 4 | +12 | 7 | 27 |
Top 8 of 14 shown. One round remaining before playoffs. Northland lose the Ranfurly Shield to Counties Manukau.
English Premiership: Round 1
Northampton 59 – 26 Newcastle
Prem R1, Friday September 25. Defending champions open with a statement bonus-point win at Franklin's Gardens.
Bath 33 – 17 Harlequins
Prem R1, Friday September 25. Bath impressive at The Rec in their season opener.
Gloucester 45 – 24 Exeter
Prem R1, Saturday September 26. Gloucester win away at Sandy Park with a bonus point.
Bristol 34 – 24 Sale
Prem R1, Saturday September 26. Bristol Bears win comfortably at Ashton Gate.
Saracens 40 – 38 Leicester
Prem R1, Sunday September 27. A last-gasp Saracens win in a high-scoring contest.
Defending champions Northampton set the tone with 59 points against Newcastle. Gloucester's bonus-point win away at Sandy Park is the outstanding result of Round 1, while Saracens edged Leicester in a tight Sunday thriller. Four teams on five points, all with bonus points.
| Premiership After Round 1 (Top 4 of 10) | P | W | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Northampton | 1 | 1 | +33 | 5 |
| 2. Gloucester | 1 | 1 | +21 | 5 |
| 3. Bath | 1 | 1 | +16 | 5 |
| 4. Bristol | 1 | 1 | +10 | 5 |
Top 4 of 10 shown. One round played of 18. Full standings at premiershiprugby.com.
Top 14: Round 4
Perpignan 38 – 25 Bordeaux-Begles
Top 14 R4. Perpignan end Bordeaux's perfect run with a convincing home win.
Toulon 28 – 10 Vannes
Top 14 R4. Toulon's first win of the season.
Stade Francais 31 – 10 Lyon
Top 14 R4. Stade Francais end Lyon's perfect start with a commanding home win.
Bayonne 20 – 17 Racing 92
Top 14 R4. Bayonne's third win from four.
Clermont 20 – 6 Castres
Top 14 R4. Clermont move up the table with a controlled home performance.
Pau 39 – 17 La Rochelle
Top 14 R4. Pau's bonus-point win moves them to joint-top on 14 points.
Toulouse 40 – 18 Montpellier
Top 14 R4. Toulouse put eight tries past Montpellier to move to joint-top.
| Top 14 After Round 4 (Top 8 of 14) | P | W | L | PD | B | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Lyon | 4 | 3 | 1 | +26 | 2 | 14 |
| 2. Toulouse | 4 | 3 | 1 | +61 | 2 | 14 |
| 3. Pau | 4 | 3 | 1 | +46 | 2 | 14 |
| 4. Bayonne | 4 | 3 | 1 | -16 | 1 | 13 |
| 5. Bordeaux-Begles | 4 | 2 | 2 | +40 | 2 | 10 |
| 6. Clermont | 4 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 2 | 10 |
| 7. Montpellier | 4 | 2 | 2 | +21 | 1 | 9 |
| 8. Stade Francais | 4 | 2 | 2 | -16 | 1 | 9 |
Top 8 of 14 shown. Four rounds played of 26. Full standings at lnr.fr.
United Rugby Championship: Round 1
Stormers 29 – 15 Connacht
URC R1, Friday September 25. Stormers make a powerful start at DHL Stadium, Cape Town.
Benetton 19 – 19 Dragons
URC R1, Friday September 25. A draw in Treviso. Both teams earn a bonus point.
Edinburgh 34 – 29 Ulster
URC R1, Friday September 25. Edinburgh win a high-scoring contest in Belfast.
Lions 27 – 26 Leinster
URC R1, Saturday September 26. The Lions edge Leinster by a single point at Ellis Park. A statement result.
Sharks 41 – 24 Ospreys
URC R1, Saturday September 26. Sharks impressive with a bonus-point win in Durban.
Glasgow Warriors 26 – 20 Munster
URC R1, Saturday September 26. Glasgow win at Scotstoun in a competitive match.
Bulls 47 – 13 Zebre
URC R1, Saturday September 26. Bulls make a dominant start in Pretoria.
Cardiff Rugby 21 – 15 Scarlets
URC R1, Saturday September 26. Cardiff win the Welsh derby.
All four South African franchises won in Round 1, with the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers all securing bonus points. The Lions' one-point win over Leinster at Ellis Park is the standout result: Leinster losing their URC opener by a single point away in South Africa. Edinburgh's win in Belfast is another notable away result.
| URC After Round 1 (Top 8 of 16) | P | W | D | L | PD | B | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bulls | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +34 | 1 | 5 |
| 2. Sharks | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +17 | 1 | 5 |
| 3. Stormers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +14 | 1 | 5 |
| 4. Glasgow Warriors | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +6 | 1 | 5 |
| 5. Edinburgh | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +5 | 1 | 5 |
| 6. Cardiff Rugby | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +6 | 0 | 4 |
| 7. Lions | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | 4 |
| 8. Benetton | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Top 8 of 16 shown. One round played of 18. Full standings at unitedrugbychampionship.com.
Around the Grounds
Perth controversy: respect or rotation? The debate that has followed the Perth Test is whether the Springboks disrespected the Wallabies by fielding a largely rotated side. Several South African media figures pointed out that many first-choice players were resting or recovering after the gruelling Greatest Rivalry series. Others argued that the world champions owed it to the occasion and to Test rugby to field their best available team. The counter-argument is that Rassie Erasmus is managing a 30-man squad for the long game, and protecting key players for the November window is entirely rational. The conversation will continue, but Les Kiss and the Wallabies made it irrelevant on the day, as they were the better team on the day, and built a sufficient lead to withstand the final 15-minute onslaught.
Nations Championship November window is four weeks away: Round 4 runs November 6-8: Ireland vs Argentina (Dublin, Nov 6), Italy vs South Africa, Scotland vs New Zealand, Wales vs Japan, France vs Fiji (all Nov 7), and England vs Australia at Twickenham (Nov 8). The schedule builds towards a Finals Weekend at Twickenham on November 27-29. South Africa and New Zealand cannot meet in the Grand Final due to conference rules, which means England, Ireland or France must navigate a path to face one of the southern hemisphere giants on the biggest stage.
Bledisloe Cup outlook: The Wallabies head to Eden Park on October 10 for Bledisloe Cup Test 1 in genuine form and belief. The All Blacks need one win to retain the Cup; the Wallabies must win both Tests to claim it. The last time Australia held the Bledisloe was 2002. After Saturday's performance in Perth, no one is writing them off.
Looking Ahead
October 10: Bledisloe Cup Test 1 | All Blacks vs Wallabies, Eden Park, Auckland.
October 17: Bledisloe Cup Test 2 | Wallabies vs All Blacks, Accor Stadium, Sydney.
NPC Round 10: Final regular-season round before playoffs.
Premiership, Top 14, URC: Round 2 continues across Europe.
November 6-29: Nations Championship November window, culminating in Finals Weekend at Twickenham.