South Africa vs Australia LIVE: Rugby Championship result and reaction as Springboks thrash Wallabies
Australia seek a first win at Loftus Versfeld as Eddie Jones begins his second stint in charge of the Wallabies
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Your support makes all the difference.South Africa put Australia to the sword as Eddie Jones’s second stint in charge of the Wallabies got off to a disastrous start.
Kurt-Lee Arendse’s hat-trick powered the Springboks to a seven-try 43-12 victory in Pretoria as the hosts flexed their strength.
Jacques Nienaber had named a side short of several regular first-choice stars for the Rugby Championship opener, but it mattered not as Australia were blown away.
Showing early attacking ambition and then taking full control with their power game, South Africa produced a statement performance in their first fixture of this World Cup year.
Australia twice had players sent to the sin bin after conceding penalty tries, Dave Porecki shown a yellow card after hauling down a ball before Suliasi Vunivalu’s deliberate knock on denied Arendse a walk-in fourth score.
It leaves Jones with plenty of thinking to do as Australia prepare to host Argentina in Sydney next weekend.
Argentina welcome New Zealand to Mendoza later on Saturday in round one’s other fixture.
Follow all the live updates from the Rugby Championship below:
Argentina 5-31 New Zealand, 54 minutes
Argentina bring on Nicolas Sanchez for Sebastian Cancelliere. Santiago Carreras will go into the back three.
That’s not the best start from the veteran fly-half, though, a horrible hack of a kick that gives New Zealand ideal attacking position on the left.
Argentina 5-31 New Zealand, 56 minutes
Stern edge defence from Argentina, drifting perfectly to both snatch Beauden Barrett’s ankle and prevent him getting the pass away. They steal the ball, too, but fumble an offload and miss out on a chance to launch a counter.
TRY! Argentina 5-36 NEW ZEALAND (Beauden Barrett try, 58 minutes)
A silkily smooth set piece strike!
Pretty patterns from the All Blacks. They’ve been setting that move up all day, Jordie Barrett taking on the rumble off Damian McKenzie’s left hand with Rieko Ioane in the sidecar. Barrett assesses his options at the line and pulls back behind his centre partner, with a looping McKenzie’s extra pace valuable as he arcs around.
Through he scythes to Matias Moroni’s outside, with Beauden Barrett accelerating up alongside him one lane over to finish things off.
Argentina 5-36 New Zealand, 60 minutes
A roar from the home crowd as Argentina pinch a lineout at the front. Santiago Carreras has gone to the wing, with Emiliano Boffelli staying at full back and trying to offerhimself as a second playmaker beyond Nicolas Sanchez.
Nifty stuff from the trio, all working together to create space. Carreras finds Boffelli, who jabs an intelligent angled kick down the right. Out it tumbles about ten metres from the All Blacks line. New Zealand bring on Finlay Christie for Aaron Smith, while Tomas Lavanini is replaced by Pedro Rubiolo in the Argentina pack. Santiago Grondona is on, too, for Juan Martin Gonzalez.
Argentina 5-36 New Zealand, 63 minutes
Changes coming thick and fast - New Zealand have switched in a new front row, while Richie Mo’unga is on for Beauden Barrett, with Damian McKenzie sliding into the backfield. Tupou Vaa’i appears to be out there, too.
Argentina swap one Matias for another - Orlando has taken over from his Newcastle teammate Moroni.
Argentina 5-36 New Zealand, 65 minutes
That’s just a really entertaining passage of test rugby. Argentina work all sorts of different ideas in phase play, swapping in and out their three playmakers to try alternative lines of inquiry. New Zealand, though, hold firm, shifting from side to side but keeping their forward momentum, like Space Invaders.
Eventually, Argentina run out of steam on the right. Jordie Barrett sticks his head into a cranny between two tired forwards attempting to clear, winning a holding on penalty.
Argentina 5-36 New Zealand, 67 minutes
Tupou Vaa’i has plenty of spring and shows it at the front of that lineout, up like a power forward to collect off the glass. Another decent platform for attacking is squandered by Argentina.
Emoni Narawa, largely quiet on debut, makes a firm tackle as Argentina run back a kick towards his wing.
Argentina 5-36 New Zealand, 68 minutes
A roar from the crowd as ex-skipper Agustin Creevy steps in for the current wearer of the armband, Julian Montoya also warmly applauded as he leaves the field. Creevy is now only two games away from a century of appearances - he’ll be at Sale next season, backing up Luke Cowan-Dickie, after the desperately sad demise of London Irish.
Argentina 5-36 New Zealand, 71 minutes
A rare glimpse of Mateo Carreras in a bit of room, the dynamite left wing kept quiet by New Zealand. He threatens to zip between Nepo Laulala and Ofa Tu’ungafasi, but the replacement props do just enough to keep the will-o’-the-wisp from weaving away.
Argentina 5-36 New Zealand, 73 minutes
Sam Cane has been excellent today. The All Blacks captain has led from the front, rock solid defensively throughout. Ardie Savea hasn’t maybe been at his boisterous best but that back row trio has worked very competently together - you wonder if Scott Barrett at six might be the option when Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock return, but it’ll please Ian Foster to see his skipper fitting back in so smoothly after missing last autumn’s European tour.
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