Winger Sevu Reece and substitute hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho scored two tries each as New Zealand saw off an Argentina resurgence to open their Rugby Championship campaign with a 41-24 win in Cordoba on Saturday.

Rassie Erasmus pulled no punches as he laid into his South Africa side following their second half capitulation in the stunning 38-22 loss to Australia in their Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Wallabies recovered from 22-0 down to prevail 38-22 and record their first triumph over the Springboks at Ellis Park since 1963. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

South Africa head to the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England this month without the same aura about them as the men’s team but with renewed belief having shown rapid improvement in the last 12 months under coach Swys de Bruin.

The Wallabies have produced one of the greatest comebacks of all time to stun South Africa in the first round of the Rugby Championship.

The southern hemisphere competition reaches the end of an era with change on the way – but there is optimism for a strong campaign for each competing nation

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Australia are counting the cost of their epic 38-22 Rugby Championship victory over South Africa at Ellis Park on Saturday after wing Dylan Pietsch and experienced prop James Slipper were ruled out of Saturday's second test in Cape Town.