Overview
- South Africa beat England 45-21 at Ellis Park on Saturday after England were reduced to 13 men late in the match and the Springboks ran in seven tries to secure a bonus-point win.
- Coach Rassie Erasmus revealed a growing injury list after the game, noting late withdrawals of Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth and new concerns over Ox Nche and Andre Esterhuizen that could affect next weekend’s team selection.
- New Zealand edged France 34-32 in Christchurch, with Will Jordan scoring two crucial tries as the All Blacks held on in a tight opener for the southern conference.
- Ireland staged a dramatic comeback to beat Australia 33-31 in Sydney when replacement forward Tom Clarkson scored with three minutes left and Sam Prendergast’s conversion proved decisive.
- The 12-team Nations Championship replaces traditional tours with North v South conferences played in July and November, runs to a London finals series in late November, and is being used by coaches to assess depth and manage World Cup preparation.