Rugby round-up: Springboks nil Wales, Joe Schmidt leaves Wallabies with a win

There were wins for South Africa, Australia, France and Scotland in the Nations Championship on Saturday

South Africa's Jesse Kriel celebrates after scoring a try during the Nations Championship Test rugby match against Wales, in Durban. Pic: AP Photo/Themba Hadebe

Wales failed to score a single point once more against South Africa as the Springboks ran out convincing 43-0 Nations Championship winners in Durban on Saturday.

South Africa won their previous meeting 73-0 in November when Wales, without England and France-based players in a Test played outside World Rugby’s official window, conceded 11 tries and suffered their heaviest home defeat.

The world champions were nowhere near as ruthless on home soil, but still scored seven tries with Jasper Wiese, Cobus Reinach, Jesse Kriel, Jaco Williams, Herschel Jantjies, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Paul de Villiers crossing.

New boy Vusi Moyo and Marnie Libbok kicked four conversions between them.

Wales could actually call on more caps and experience in the two starting line-ups but were simply unable to combat South Africa’s power game.

This was the Springboks’ 11th consecutive win and their third in the Nations Championship after victories over England and Scotland to take them top of the Southern Section.

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Australia produced a brilliant performance as they clinched their first victory of the Nations Championship with a crushing 57-10 win over winless Italy in Joe Schmidt’s last game in charge.

Joe Schmidt is handing the reins over to Les Kiss from here on in. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland

The Wallabies were rampant in the opening period and ran in six tries which gave them a 38-5 lead at the break courtesy of Josh Canham’s two tries and scores from Tom Wright, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell and Len Ikitau right at the end of the half.

Italy’s Monty Ioane struck right after the break to get their second try of the game following Michele Lamaro’s effort in the first period, but that was all the joy they had with Marcio Rcccioni seeing red after 65 minutes.

🚨 Tempers flare!

A heated confrontation ends with Australia awarded a penalty and Italy shown a red card.#AUSvITA #VMSport #NationsChampionship pic.twitter.com/9pMdr6y8v0

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) July 18, 2026

The hosts were piling on the misery in the second period, Canham striking again to get his hat-trick before Billy Pollard made it 50. 

Ben Donaldson added another try late on to give Schmidt a winning send off following two-and-a-half years at the helm.

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Maxime Lamothe and Matthieu Jalibert each scored two tries as France registered a 42-15 bonus-point win over Japan in round three of the Nations Championship.

No.8 Alexandre Roumat and scrum-half Maxime Lucu also crossed in Tokyo to help Les Bleus back up last weekend’s victory over Australia following a narrow opening defeat to New Zealand.

Hooker Lamothe touched down inside the opening minute, before Eddie Jones’ hosts briefly led after a Takuro Matsunaga penalty and Kippei Ishida’s 14th-minute try.

Matthieu Jalibert has been in superb form for France. Pic: Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

Full-back Jalibert, Roumat and Lucu turned the match in France’s favour, with a converted score from Japan prop Sojiro Otsuka leaving the visitors 28-15 ahead at the break.

Jalibert and Lamothe again went over early in the second period. Romain Ntamack added the extras to the first of those tries before Lucu slotted his fifth conversion of the match.

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Jamie Dobie scored a double off the bench as Scotland’s replacements made their mark in a second-half comeback over Fiji.

Replacements Pierre Schoeman and Scott Cummings also grabbed tries as Scotland overturned a 10-point deficit to triumph 33-17 in the Nations Championship at Murrayfield.

Jonny Gray had opened the scoring for Gregor Townsend’s side but Fiji responded with three first-half tries, the final one when they were temporarily down to 14 men.

Scotland had been too predictable in the opening half after Townsend made 14 changes for their final summer encounter.

But the rhythm, directness and conviction came after Townsend made changes and Fiji’s resistance was broken as Scotland dominated the final half hour to seal the bonus-point win.

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Ireland went down 40-21 to New Zealand at the start of the day, while Argentina and England will bring the third round to a close on Saturday evening.