Featuring a battle of the airlines, X Factor, premature rumours of an international demise, and much more.

Well, well, well. There was a buzz around the Springbok camp with the news that Japan had beaten Ireland 19-12 just before South Africa were due to kick-off against Namibia.

The answer to whether the Springboks are Rugby World Cup 2019 contenders remains a strong ‘yes’ after Saturday’s epic battle against the All Blacks in Yokohama.

The scenarios in Pools A and B may already became clearer ahead of Ireland’s kick-off against Scotland yesterday but asking South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus about quarter-final permutations following this defeat was a fool’s errand.

Today’s meeting between New Zealand and South Africa will be their 99th.

The All Blacks may have suffered a major blow to their chances of retaining the Rugby World Cup after influential lock Brodie Retallick left today's 16-all draw with South Africa with an injury.

They led 24-3 early on in a thrilling Test.

South Africa 34 Scotland 16: Stand-off Duncan Weir hopes his stunning second-half burst against South Africa on Saturday will help seal his place in coach Vern Cotter’s plans as Scotland look to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals.

If the London Olympics of four years ago is the yardstick by which the Rugby World Cup is to be judged then the tournament organisers have set themselves an incredibly high standard.

Ronan O’Gara suggests it is not so much the no 10 who is pivotal to Rugby World Cup success, but the goal-kicker. 

IT’S been a testing week for the Munster set-up despite that bonus point win over Zebre, writes Donal Lenihan. 

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

Munster’s personnel issues in midfield have prompted the signing of the young and inexperienced South African centre Pat Howard on a three-month contract from Western Province.

In the lead-up to facing Ireland anyone wearing a Springbok tracksuit proclaimed that the Autumn tour to Ireland, Britain and Italy was the beginning of their World Cup preparation and not an isolated sequence of games.

Thursday lunchtime in Ireland’s HQ in Kildare, and all the talk is of the side’s new centre combination.

The visitors hold all the aces in terms of recent form, preparation, settled combinations and the confidence that stems from beating New Zealand last time out.

“I think physicality sometimes is determined by the will of the person rather than the size.”

“It was going to be a new pairing no matter what happened and we decided to go with what we had the most time to prepare with.”

Rob Kearney says fly-half Handré Pollard is the driving force behind South Africa’s recent successes.

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.

Defence coach Les Kiss has insisted his four-month Ulster sabbatical will have no impact on his preparations for Ireland’s autumn Test series.

Temperatures in Johannesburg are expected to reach 26 degrees this week.

Patrick Lambie’s late long-range penalty consigned New Zealand to just their second defeat in 38 Test matches as South Africa edged to a 27-25 Rugby Championship victory at Ellis Park.

New Zealand 14 South Africa 10

Australia 24 South Africa 23

South Africa got their Rugby Championship campaign up and running with victory over Argentina, although it was far from easy for the Springboks in testing conditions at a rain-drenched Loftus Versfeld.

South Africa have beaten Scotland 55-6 in their Test in Port Elizabeth.

A top international coach has endorsed the nomination of Ireland’s Garry Ringrose for player of the tournament in the IRB Junior World Cup.