South Africa survived a late scare to beat Argentina 17-10 in Buenos Aires, with the Pumas coming within inches of a dramatic draw. Argentina won a 50-22 with a minute remaining and, after 14 phases, centre Matias Moroni had a chance to score in the corner, but a high pass slipped through his hands into touch.
Springboks hold on
Argentina dominated large periods of the first half and led 10-3 after openside Benjamin Grondona crossed from close range following a superb offload. The Pumas repeatedly threatened with attacking kicks, finding six line breaks, while South Africa struggled with their kicking game. But the Springboks' defence stood firm, and right on half-time Andre Esterhuizen's offload created space for Edwill van der Merwe to race clear and score under the posts, levelling at 10-10.
After the break, South Africa took control as their kicking game pinned Argentina back and their bench strengthened the scrum and maul. A dominant scrum created the opportunity for Cameron Hanekom to dive over for a 17-10 lead, and the Springboks then produced a huge defensive effort to hold on. Captain Siya Kolisi was forced off early with a hamstring injury and will undergo scans.
Pollock worth £1m, says St Quinton
Gloucester chair Martin St Quinton says England star Henry Pollock is worthy of a £1m-a-year contract, agreeing with boxing promoter Eddie Hearn's claim that the 21-year-old should be earning substantially more at Northampton Saints. Pollock's current deal, signed in December 2024 and expiring in summer 2027, is thought to be worth £150,000 a year. Hearn believes Pollock is "certainly a seven-figure player."
St Quinton told Track Radio: "I actually think Henry Pollock is worth £1m, but it’s a very different question as to whether Northampton Saints should be paying him £1 million because it would be impossible for Northampton Saints to pay any individual player who isn’t their marquee player £1m."
Japan league mourns player
Japan's domestic league has issued a statement following the death of Fijian player Saimoni Vunilagi, who passed away on Friday after being hospitalised on Monday with suspected heatstroke following a training session in Fukuoka. His club, second-tier Kyushu KV, confirmed the news on Saturday. Japan's Rugby League One said: "We express our heartfelt condolences upon receiving the news of the passing of Saimoni. We offer our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and all those involved."
Kiss pleased with Wallabies start
New Wallabies coach Les Kiss was satisfied as his side overcame Japan 35-32 in Osaka despite a 20-minute red card for Miles Amatosero in his first game in charge. Kiss said: "The coaching team were very calm and collected and stayed on point, which was good. We didn't let our emotions run away with ourselves, that's for sure. At half-time, we just talked about making sure we managed our energy with 14 men. The way we played our game slightly changed just so that we could manage our energy, which I think was crucial on the back end." He added: "Very happy how the boys scrambled and won the moments that we needed to win. That was important for us."
Nonu to face All Blacks
All Blacks legend Ma’a Nonu has been named to face New Zealand next week. The 44-year-old centre recently signed for the Sharks and is in line to make his debut against the All Blacks on Wednesday, named on the bench. Nonu played 103 times for New Zealand, winning two World Cups. All Blacks second-row Patrick Tuipulotu said: "I didn’t expect him to be named, but am certainly looking forward to it. A lot of the boys know him and are close to him. It’s no secret how long he’s played; his career’s been this long because he’s a true professional of the game, and he’s been blessed to keep playing. I think it’ll be quite a spectacle to see him come up against us. Might catch up with him midweek and give him a jab or two."
