South Africa 64 USA 0: Heyneke Meyer paid tribute to Bryan Habana after the wing equalled the Rugby World Cup try-scoring record as his South Africa side confirmed their quarter-final spot with a comprehensive 10-try victory over USA.

Chris Robshaw admits England’s autumn outlook hinges on one final assault at Twickenham and failure against Australia would leave two months to stew over a dismal series.

South Africa have recalled World Cup winners JP Pietersen and Schalk Burger among five changes for Saturday’s QBE International against England at Twickenham.

As Jack McGrath lounges on a sofa, you could not imagine the young prop was preparing to go toe to toe with a mighty South African pack of forwards.

Coach Heyneke Meyer has announced the South African team that will play Ireland in Dublin on Saturday in the first of Ireland’s Autumn rugby internationals.

Wales’ long wait to claim the major southern hemisphere scalp they crave continues – but only after an heroic display in a ferocious Test match of brutal intensity at the Millennium Stadium.

All eyes will be on Thomond Park this evening when Leinster face Munster in the blue riband event of Irish rugby. But with referee Romain Poite in the middle is it likely to be a contest of 15 against 15 for the full 80 minutes?

Richardt Strauss may have belted out the words to Amhrán na bhFiann rather than those of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika but, when everything was said and done, the Ireland hooker slipped ever so briefly back into his old skin.

As he leans casually in a doorway at the South African team hotel in the Dublin suburbs, his near six feet and eight inches topped with a boyish mop of hair, the quiet presence of Eben Etzebeth appears at odds with his burgeoning reputation as the Springboks’ newest hard man.

Argentina 16 South Africa 16

South Africa 36 England 27

South Africa 9 Australia 11

THERE’S a nastily parochial feeling in this part of the world that none of the northern hemisphere nations can manage to win the three games on the trot that would allow them to take home the big chocolate box.

South Africa coach Peter De Villiers will rely on the core of the squad that became world champions four years ago after naming his 30-man World Cup squad tonight.

SARACENS come to Dublin this week marooned at the bottom of pool four, eight points behind Leinster, but Richardt Strauss has reason enough to approach Saturday’s Heineken Cup encounter with due care.

Juan Smith will captain South Africa when they take on the Barbarians next weekend in their final match of the season, it has been announced today.

South Africa may have limped into Dublin for today’s debut Test at Aviva Stadium but Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll insists they remain formidable opponents.

SOUTH AFRICA captain Victor Matfield has primed Irish rugby fans for a backlash after hearing his side dismissed as a threat for this evening’s opening autumn international at the Aviva Stadium (5.30pm).

Peter de Villiers admitted he had little choice when selecting his South Africa team for their Grand Slam tour opener against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

SOUTH AFRICA have been hit with further worries as they prepare to head to Dublin for this Saturday’s Test with Ireland.

South Africa head coach Peter de Villiers has named 11 uncapped players in his preliminary 39-man training squad for their Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland.

Allister Coetzee insists there is no truth in reports of a planned coup involving himself and Jake White aimed at toppling national coach Peter de Villiers.

NEW ZEALAND centre Conrad Smith believes New Zealand are putting the foundations in place for their latest tilt at ending their recent World Cup hoodoo.

John Smit and Victor Matfield are among a group of 10 players to be awarded national contracts by the South African Rugby Union that will run until next year’s World Cup.

THE CLASH of the Northern Hemisphere grand slam winners and the Tri-Nations and world champions at Croke Park this afternoon assumes even greater significance now that both sides are able to field as close to full-strength as makes no difference.

BIGGER THAN the Lions, and bigger than the Tri-Nations decider. That’s how the visiting World Cup champion Springboks are looking at tomorrow’s clash with Ireland in Croke Park, according to assistant coach Gary Gold, who said yesterday that he “had not encountered anything as big as the build-up to Saturday . . . the pressure and expectations are bigger than they were before the first Lions Test in Durban or that final Tri-Nations clash in Hamilton.”

South Africa have made six changes for Saturday’s test at Croke Park against Ireland.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney refuses to be deceived by South Africa’s collapse in form.

MUNSTER centre Jean de Villiers has been called up to the South Africa squad for Saturday’s clash against Ireland at Croke Park.

Ireland flanker David Wallace believes South Africa will be inspired by the ’battle of the hemispheres’ as they launch one final defence of their global supremacy.

SOUTH AFRICAN coach Peter de Villiers has scotched suggestions that there will be an element of bad blood between his players and some of their Irish counterparts this Saturday.

AUSTRALIA have made just one change to their starting XV for Saturday’s autumn international against Scotland.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has made four changes from the team beaten by France last weekend for Saturday’s clash with Italy in Udine.

FOUR months ago Jerry Flannery was in pole position to start for the Lions against South Africa, the best hooker in northern hemisphere rugby.

SPRINGBOKS coach Peter de Villiers yesterday accused sections of the British and Irish Lions travelling press of trying to whip up unnecessary controversy during the current tour.

Peter de Villiers has made 10 changes to his South Africa side to face the British and Irish Lions in the third Test at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Peter de Villiers has named three uncapped players in his South African XV to face a Namibian Invitational XV in Windhoek on Friday.

South Africa have delayed their team announcement for Saturday’s clash with England by 48 hours due to injuries.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has admitted his players are struggling to motivate themselves for Saturday’s clash with England at Twickenham.

Scotland 10 South Africa 14

Bakkies Botha has been named in a full-strength South Africa XV for Saturday’s Test against Wales in Cardiff.

Bakkies Botha has been named in a full-strength South Africa XV for Saturday’s Test against Wales in Cardiff.

South Africa 63 Argentina 9

Australia kick-started their Tri-Nations campaign with victory over South Africa at Subiaco Oval.