What’s left to say in The Rugby Championship at this point other than, “wow”?

Two breathtaking performances from Argentina and Australia shook Round 3 of the competition as the teams of SANZAAR resumed their annual competition following a two-weekend layoff, with the rugby on display well worth the wait as Los Pumas and the Wallabies head closer and closer toward tournament titles while both even at nine points.

But for the traditional powerhouses of the competition, New Zealand and South Africa, both were left to pick up the pieces and wonder where to go after shocking defeats this weekend. 

How each nation returns to play next weekend will be a big determinant in how the home stretch of The Rugby Championship will go, but the clock is ticking on the two teams to break out and emerge at or near the top of the competition standings.

Here’s a recap of Round 3 of Rugby Championship play as the tournament continues to be streamed live in its entirety on FloRugby.

Argentina Stuns All Blacks

It’s not controversial to say that even after New Zealand’s win over South Africa two weekends ago in The Rugby Championship, the All Blacks are still amid a slump of a generation. Sure, a win over the defending world champion was undoubtedly a big result—embattled coach Ian Foster managed to save his job until at least the end of the 2023 Rugby World Cup because of it—and a winnable duo of home ties against Argentina were still ahead in the competition, but New Zealand =needed to get on a sustained run of good form to ease some concerns. 

Following a stunning 25-18 upset by Los Pumas on Saturday in Christchurch, however, the All Blacks have slipped even further down their own personal abyss. Argentina won just its second-ever test (in 34 matches) against New Zealand (and first-ever time doing it in New Zealand). The South Americans pick up a massive win that has Los Pumas sitting at the top of the Rugby Championship table halfway through this year’s competition and has new coach Michael Cheika looking like the hire of the year in international rugby. 

What it means to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand! pic.twitter.com/MQfmny5hyy

— FloRugby (@FloRugby) August 27, 2022

The All Blacks had an 18-12 lead early into the second half following a 46th-minute penalty from Richie Mo’unga (and first-half tries from Samisoni Taukei’aho and Caleb Clarke), but Los Pumas scored the game’s final 13 points, notching their only try via Juan Martin Gonzalez in the same minute as Mo’unga’s kick. 

Argentina was largely guided offensively by the 7-for-7 kicking from playmaker Emiliano Boffelli, who accounted for 20 points by himself thanks to six converted penalties, including boots in the 56th and 65th minutes to help the visitors put the tie away. Los Pumas’ defensive effort in the game’s final quarter was particularly spectacular, and when the final siren sounded, Cheika—who became just the second coach, along with England’s Eddie Jones, to beat the All Blacks with two separate national teams (Australia and Argentina)—burst into much deserved celebration with his team. 

As for New Zealand, the miserable run of form (now six losses in eight matches) continues, with the added punch of it being the first time the All Blacks have ever lost three consecutive home matches. The team’s title hopes are all but finished as no nation has ever won a first-place trophy in The Rugby Championship era (since 2012) after suffering two defeats in the same tournament, with Foster forced to explain another lackluster New Zealand performance as his squad endures a brand new low in its recent history.

Australia Thrilling Victory Over South Africa

Maybe all Austraila’s national rugby team really needed was a change of scenery. Heavily impacted by injuries and other squad omissions from their away series split against Argentina in the first mini-tour of this year’s Rugby Championship, the Wallabies—even while hosting—still looked to be underdogs against defending World Cup champion South Africa following the Springboks’ own series split against New Zealand. 

But in Australia’s first international match at the Adelaide Oval since 2004, the Wallabies marked their return to South Australia’s capital in a big way. A double of tries from Fraser McReight plus the inspiring performance of Marika Koroibete enabled Australia to see off South Africa in a 25-17 win, extending the Boks’ recent misery in the Land Down Under (they haven’t won there since 2013) as the home side staved off a late comeback push from the tourists. 

The party started early for the Wallabies: McReight scored his first try in the opening minute, capitalizing on a South African turnover seconds after kickoff to give his team and the Adelaide Oval some instant energy. But while up 10-3 with just a few minutes before halftime, it was a bruising last-ditch tackle from Koroibete on Boks speedster Makazole Mapimpi right at the try line that prevented a burst of South African momentum right before the intermission. Koroibete himself managed to cross over in the 46th minute—10 minutes before McReight got his second. 

Biggest try saving tackle ever? pic.twitter.com/A3cCl2bME3

— FloRugby (@FloRugby) August 27, 2022

A double of Springbok tries from sub Kwagga Smith in the final six minutes gave the visitors some hope, but the Wallabies held on to keep even with points on Argentina following its own shock win against New Zealand later in the day. Aussie fly-half Noah Lolesio—the team’s third No. 10 in as many matches following Quade Cooper’s injury and James O’Connor’s subpar performance as his replacement—came back strong in the role following some mishaps in the England series last month as the 22-year-old Brumbies man notched 10 points on a 4-for-5 kicking day (two conversions, two penalties). 

But Koroibete’s try-saving tackle and subsequent score himself were undoubtedly two of the Wallabies’ most major talking points from the match, with the Fiji-born rugby league convert putting up one of his most notable performances in an Australia shirt. 

South Africa, meanwhile, will need to find a way to rebound and finally get a win in Australia for the first time in nearly a decade, especially as the Springboks currently sit last in the Rugby Championship table at four points with just three tests remaining. The poor start and some discipline issues—the Boks were down to 14 men for Koroibete’s try after scrum-half Faf de Klerk picked up a yellow card—make for two of the more obvious issues, but time is running out for coach Jacques Nienaber’s side to do so.