Rugby Championship blown wide open as Argentina stun All Blacks and Springboks secure revenge win over Wallabies

The 2025 Castle Lager Rugby Championship keeps dishing up surprises. On Saturday it happened again when the competition was thrown wide open after an historic weekend of results, chief of these being Argentina's monumental 29-23 victory over the All Blacks in Buenos Aires. 

This marks the Pumas' first-ever home win against New Zealand, ending a 40-year wait stretching back to 1985. Think back to last week, when the Wallabies also beat the Springboks in Johannesburg, for the first time in decades. 

Playing in front of passionate supporters at Estadio Velez Sarsfield, Argentina, despite being out-scored three tries to two, showed remarkable discipline and tenacity. Saturday’s win was a strong response to their 41-24 defeat in Córdoba last week

Los Pumas’ power of belief

Replacement fly-half Santiago Carreras was instrumental, landing three second-half penalties that pushed the Pumas clear. Captain Julián Montoya expressed immense pride in his team’s effort and the crowd’s passion saying, “The stadium was rocking, honestly it was amazing. I’m really proud of the team and the whole squad”. He added, “We believed that we could win – we’ve believed for a few years now.” 

The Pumas fully deserved victory, dominating all facets against a New Zealand side that faced significant challenges, including conceding three yellow cards, leaving them with 13 men for periods, especially late in the first half. All Blacks captain Scott Barrett conceded that he believed that the hosts showed more passion and intensity and that his team was outclassed on the day. 

Boks bounce back

Meanwhile, on the same Saturday, the Springboks bounced back with a hard-fought 30-22 triumph over the Wallabies in Cape Town. This victory, achieved in front of 56,350 supporters at DHL Stadium, saw South Africa retain the Mandela Challenge Plate and exact revenge for their shock loss to Australia in Johannesburg last weekend. 

The Springboks, though under pressure, delivered a performance built on a solid grind.

These results have dramatically impacted the Rugby Championship standings. All four teams now have one win and one loss. New Zealand currently sits atop the log with six points, followed by Australia with five points, and then South Africa and Argentina, both on four points, separated only by points difference.

All to play for in the next round

It is thus now anyone’s game, making the remainder of the competition a tantalising prospect for rugby fans. 

The next round sees the Wallabies face Los Pumas in Queensland, while the Springboks will travel to New Zealand to confront the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland on September 6th. 

Now, with the way the competition has been going, with long-standing historical records being smashed, the All Blacks will know that they cannot bank on history at their Eden Park fortress. In fact, All Blacks captain Scott Barrett acknowledged the big challenge ahead, especially as they will be putting a 34-year unbeaten run on the line at Eden Park on the line against the Springboks in two weeks’ time.