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

Beauden, Jordie, and Scott Barrett will become the first trio of brothers to start a Test together for the All Blacks when they line up in the series-opener against France at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday.

Wasps 26 - Ulster 7: Wasps ended their European Champions Cup group campaign on a winning note with a convincing 26-7 victory over Ulster at the Ricoh Arena.

James Haskell was sent off for a dangerous tackle as Wasps collapsed to a dramatic 33-28 defeat by Harlequins that all but ends their European Champions Cup quest.

Elliot Daly scored two tries as Wasps kept alive their hopes of progressing to the Champions Cup quarter-finals with a hard-fought 21-3 victory.

Forget Willie Le Roux’s swan dive non-try, the celebration of the day in Aviva Stadium on Saturday was Fergus McFadden’s.

Leinster 32 Wasps 17

Having scored 73 tries in 18 Aviva Premiership matches and conceded 49, it is perhaps unsurprising to learn that Wasps are being labelled as rugby’s answer to Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers.

Conor O'Shea's Italy claimed their first-ever victory over South Africa with a nail-biting 20-18 success in Florence.

The immediate response on the final whistle at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was one of acute disappointment given Ireland finished this gruelling series camped on the South African line after a 19-phase onslaught in search of what could have been a winning score and a series clincher. It was that tight.

Ireland’s newest cap Matt Healy is hoping that out of the disappointment of a series defeat in South Africa his nascent Test career can flourish.

There’s a huge onus on Ireland’s new boys to hold the defensive line, writes Donal Lenihan.

South Africa produced a brilliant second-half performance to come from 16 points down and force their three-Test series to a decider in Port Elizabeth next week.

When New Zealand and South Africa clash, all bets are off.

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.

Wales finally cracked the code of success against major southern hemisphere opposition as full-back Leigh Halfpenny’s relentless goalkicking saw off Millennium Stadium visitors South Africa.

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.

The Scots went to some trouble to make Richie McCaw feel at home at Murrayfield, unearthing evidence placing his ancestors from the same county as Robbie Burns, Bill Shankly and Robert the Bruce.

England 28 South Africa 31

An 11-hour flight getting to Hong Kong gives you plenty of reasons to burn the weekend’s tests onto a CD, and plenty of time to dissect them, writes Ronan O'Gara.

Johnny Sexton’s nomination for the IRB World Rugby Player of the Year Award gives him a chance of becoming the first Irishman since inaugural winner Keith Wood to take the prestigious honour.

Ireland fly-half Jonathan Sexton has been nominated for the 2014 International Rugby Board World Player of the Year award.

Everybody loves to see the schoolyard bully getting a bloody nose now and again and that’s exactly what happened when South Africa pitched up at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

Rhys Ruddock and Tommy Bowe plundered tries to guide stubborn Ireland to their first victory over South Africa in five years at the Aviva Stadium.

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.

A genuine treat awaits. Notwithstanding the fact New Zealand will be giving Dublin a skip this month, some of rugby’s standout performers are coming to town in November, writes Donal Lenihan.

New Zealand 14 South Africa 10

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

Scotland 0 South Africa 28

South Africa 27 New Zealand 38