New Zealand beat Argentina to reclaim top world rank, Australia stun South Africa at Ellis in Rugby Championship

New Zealand’s Samisoni Taukei’aho scored two late tries to seal a 41-24 Rugby Championship win over Argentina and return the All Blacks to the top of the world rankings earlier today.

Ahead 31-10 at the interval, New Zealand held off a second-half fightback from the Pumas in Cordoba and ultimately emerged victors by scoring six tries to three.

The All Blacks clinched the world number one ranking for the first time since 2021, leapfrogging world champions South Africa, who were stunned 38-22 by Australia in Johannesburg in the tournament opener.

Winger Sevu Reece also scored a double for the visitors while fly-half Beauden Barrett kicked 11 points and was a controlling figure with his tactical kicking.

Barrett’s opposite Tomas Albornoz scored 14 points, including a try, but the Pumas were unable to end their winless record on home soil against New Zealand, which stretches to 15 matches.

The result continues an unbeaten start to the year for the All Blacks, who swept France 3-0 in their June home series.

The teams meet again in Buenos Aires next week.
Meanwhile, Australia rallied from 22-0 down as captain Harry Wilson scored two tries in a stunning 38-22 bonus-point victory over South Africa in their Rugby Championship opener on Saturday, the Wallabies’ first victory at Ellis Park since 1963.

South Africa raced into a commanding lead through tries by winger Kurt-Lee Arendse, centre Andre Esterhuizen and number eight Siya Kolisi, but their Achilles heel has been the breakdown and it was there that Australia began to take control.

The Springboks led 22-5 at halftime but Australia came alive in the second period and were excellent in soaking up pressure and hitting the world champions with fast breaks as they won on South African soil for the first time in 14 years.

Winger Dylan Pietsch, centre Joseph Suaalii, winger Max Jorgensen and Tom Wright also crossed for the visitors in one of Australia’s greatest test wins.
South Africa did not score a point after the 18th minute in a performance that will provide much soul-searching as they could not handle Australia’s accuracy in the tight and broken play.

Australia looked all at sea at the start, but thanks to several outstanding individual displays they clawed back to secure a comprehensive victory.

When Arendse, Esterhuizen with his first Springbok try, and Kolisi crossed, it was early one-way traffic but by the half-hour mark the momentum had swung Australia’s way.

They scored first in the second half to close the gap to 10 points when Wilson burst into a gap in the Springbok defence and flyhalf James O’Connor added the conversion on his return to test rugby after three years.

Australia then took control against the rattled home side, whose increasingly desperate attacks were countered with further tries by the visitors.

- Agencies