Five takeaways from a thrilling Round 4 of the Rugby Championship

Here, we take a look at five talking points following another spellbinding Saturday of rugby. 

The victory heard all around the world

The Springboks' 43-10 record win over the All Blacks is one that should send shockwaves around world rugby. Down 7-10 at halftime, the World Champions produced a performance for the ages in the second stanza, running in five more tries and holding the hosts to zero for the first time in their storied history. 

There were many questions raised about the Boks' backline selections, but they were all answered emphatically. Damian Willemse, playing at 12 for the first time in the green and gold, was world-class. Rookie Ethan Hooker played like a seasoned veteran. Canan Moodie patrolled the midfield with aplomb and even Manie Libbok - who's had his fair share of naysayers - played 70 minutes of good rugby and kicked six from seven. 

While Bok leaders have acknowledged they've been marmalised by the All Blacks in the past, this landmark victory goes some way to settling the score and will be celebrated for years to come. 

Player of the Week

The return of the King, Damian Willemse. The 27-year-old double World Cup winner came into the match with a bit of cloud around him, as injuries have hampered his season and he was coming off a poor performance against the Wallabies in the Ellis Park disaster.

As such, eyebrows were raised when he was named to start out of position, but boy, did he deliver. He took the ball to the line, kicked with accuracy and his magic feet were a thing to behold. His post-contact skills are incredible. Even when fullback Aphelele Fassi was forced off the park, Willemse moved seamlessly to the backfield.  Stats-wise, he beat six defenders, his 14 carries added up to 90 metres and he had two offloads.

Willemse's try was also a moment of brilliance, as he reset himself after a dodgy pass and rode tackles from Quinn Tupaea and Leroy Carter to power his way to a crucial score.

Discipline woes for the Wallabies

The Los Pumas were good, but ultimately it was the Wallabies' ill-discipline that prevented them from doing the double against the South Americans. The hosts gave away no less than 14 penalties and the Los Pumas were ruthless in converting, as sharpshooter Santiago Carreras chipped over seven of them for an impressive points haul. 

This is in sharp contrast to their two-match tour of South Africa, where they gave away ten penalties in total. Five Wallabies - Max Jorgensen, Corey Toole, Billy Pollard, Jeremy Williams and Fraser McReight -  gave away two penalties apiece.

The men from Down Under will need to clean this up if they have any hope of winning their first Rugby Championship title since 2015.

The guys you don't want to be talking about

For the second week in a row, the officiating is unfortunately stealing attention from the players. Ideally, we don't want to talk about the match officials. It's a thankless task and if they aren't on everyone's lips in the post-match chatter, they've had a good game. 

But that is not what's transpiring. Last week, referee Karl Dickson was the subject of much scrutiny after appearing to swallow his whistle for the final stages of the All Blacks' epic defence of Fortress Eden Park.

This week, the TMO in Sydney called back a marginal pass with the Wallabies hot on attack, then let a blatant forward pass go unnoticed. While the score didn't get the hosts the win, it did earn them a bonus point. In a competition as tight as the 2025 TRC, that could literally be the difference between a title and third place. Which brings us to…

Nip 'n tuck on the table

What a race! The Los Pumas held on for a vital win Down Under and the Boks earned a record victory over the All Blacks, resulting in just two points covering the whole TRC table. With that sketchy bonus point, the Wallabies top the table on 11, followed by South Africa in second on 10 due to points difference, the All blacks on 10 and Los Pumas are just one behind.

With two rounds remaining, the 2025 TRC title race is wide open. The Boks host Argentina in Durban on 27 September, then meet them in the final match of the tournament in London the following week. The All Blacks face a resurgent Wallabies at Eden Park, then hop across the Tasman to Perth.