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• The Rugby Championship: Springboks target trophy in Santiago

  Not since 2019 have South Africa held the Rugby Championship title, but Saturday could be the day as they head to Argentina knowing victory will seal their fifth crown.

  Rassie Erasmus' Springboks have been perfect in the competition thus far, making it four wins from four games with their 18-12 victory over New Zealand two weeks ago.

  Standing in their way, though, are a Pumas side that have enjoyed a terrific campaign, handing Australia the heaviest defeat in their storied Test history last time out.

  The Wallabies will be desperate to respond in matchweek five's other contest, and a victory over the All Blacks would help them off the bottom of the standings after a difficult campaign.

  Ahead of the penultimate round of fixtures, we dive into the best Opta facts and figures to preview both games. 

  AUSTRALIA V NEW ZEALAND

  Australia were utterly humiliated by Argentina last time out, the game running away from them in the second half as they succumbed to a record-breaking 67-27 defeat, having earlier led by 17 points.

  Joe Schmidt's team are up against it as they bid to bounce back this weekend. The Wallabies have only won one of their last 12 Tests against New Zealand, drawing one and losing 10.

  The All Blacks have won each of the last seven meetings between the teams by an average margin of 17.4 points per game. The last time they enjoyed a longer winning run against their neighbours was a 10-match span between August 2008 and September 2010.

  They also boast a tremendous record in Sydney, where this week's contest takes place. New Zealand have only lost one of their last 10 Tests against Australia in the city, winning the last four while averaging 44.3 points per game. 

  Australia have themselves, however, won their last two Tests in Sydney, as many victories as they managed in their 15 games in the city prior to that span (two wins, one draw, 12 defeats). 

  And New Zealand have not exactly been faultless on their travels lately, losing three of their last four Tests on foreign soil, including their last two – both in South Africa in this year's Rugby Championship.

  If the All Blacks are to halt their miserable run on the road, their ability to create turnovers could be key. 

  Their 23 turnovers won in the 2024 Rugby Championship are more than any other team, while their four tries scored from turnovers won are second only to Argentina's five.

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Australia – Marika Koroibete

  Koroibete has made four line breaks in this year's Rugby Championship tournament, the joint-most of any player this campaign (also Beauden Barrett, with four for New Zealand).

  He has recorded at least one in each of his three games in the tournament, after making only two line breaks across his six Test matches before this year's competition began.

  New Zealand – Damian McKenzie

  McKenzie has made 10 break assists in the Rugby Championship this year, at least four more than any other player in the tournament. 

  In addition, he has been directly involved in a try on each of his last three starting appearances in Tests against Australia (one try, two try assists) – will he haunt the Wallabies again here? 

  ARGENTINA V SOUTH AFRICA 

  South Africa have dominated from the off in this year's edition of the Rugby Championship, scoring 112 points but, most impressively, allowing their opponents just 58 through their four outings to date.

  Another victory on Saturday would take them second in the outright charts for most Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship titles, ahead of Australia but behind New Zealand (20).

  It would also bring up their outright longest winning run in the history of the Rugby Championship, at six games. History is on their side in Santiago, with the Springboks having won their last eight Tests against Argentina by an average margin of 15.4 points per game. 

  They were given a scare when the teams last met in August 2023, though, trailing 10-3 at half-time before rallying to secure a 24-13 victory.

  Los Pumas may need something incredible to overhaul South Africa in the standings from here, but they will be on a real high following their thumping win over Australia.

  Of the last six occasions where Argentina have scored 50 or more points in a Test, they have followed up with a victory four times, including in their last two such matches.

  Felipe Contepomi's team have scored a half-century of points twice in 2024, last doing so on three occasions back in 2015.

  They will not expect a repeat against South Africa's fearsome defence, but they could trouble the visitors with their physicality. 

  Los Pumas have scored three tries when starting their possession from a scrum in this year's Rugby Championship, as many as all the other teams combined (South Africa two, New Zealand one). 

  South Africa, meanwhile, have made a habit of praying on their opponent's mistakes, making 11 kicks in play that resulted in an opposition error, more than twice as many as Argentina, who are second by that metric with five.

  The Springboks have also retained possession from 26 in-play kicks, at least 15 more than any other team in the competition, with Argentina and New Zealand logging 11 apiece and Australia recording eight.

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Argentina – Tomas Albornoz 

  Albornoz has gained 98.4 metres per 80 minutes from his 152 minutes played in the Rugby Championship this year – the most of any player in the campaign.

  South Africa – Ruan Nortje 

  Nortje (26 – including two steals) and team-mate Eben Etzebeth (21, one steal) have won more lineouts (including steals) than any other players in the Rugby Championship this year. 

• Ronaldo can reach 1,000-goal milestone before retirement - Jorge Andrade

  Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of reaching 1,000 career goals as long as he continues to look after his body, according to Jorge Andrade.

  The five-time Ballon d'Or winner netted his 900th goal for club and country in Portugal's 2-1 Nations League win over Croatia on 5 September.

  Ronaldo then added to his tally with a late winner in the 2-1 victory over Scotland three days later, setting him on his way to reaching the four-figure milestone.

  Former Portugal star Jorge Andrade, speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, backed his compatriot to do just that.

  "With Cristiano Ronaldo, nothing is impossible," Andrade said to Stats Perform. 

  "Since we've watched football, the idea of the 1,000 goals is associated with our great idol, Pele. 

  "But nowadays, both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have managed to overcome other idols, Diego Maradona and Pele. 

  "They managed to be the highlight of the football game in a short time. It's not surprising Ronaldo can break that record. He looks after his body. 

  "He has a history of very few injuries. In terms of the Portuguese national team and the league he is in, he manages his efforts well."

  Ronaldo has scored 132 of his goals for Portugal, with whom he won Euro 2016, while the other 769 have come at club level.

  The 39-year-old has scored 68 times for current club Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he has spent the past 20 months.

  While Ronaldo continues to score freely in the Middle East, long-time rival Messi is now plying his trade in the United States with Inter Miami.

  Andrade, best remembered for his time at Deportivo during his playing career, believes both deserve credit for taking on challenges elsewhere.

  "The most important thing for them is that they share the experiences they have even in adverse environments," he said. 

  "For example, Messi now plays in MLS. It's a difficult league; it's a league that doesn't have much visibility. 

  "He managed to be there and increase visibility. Cristiano Ronaldo went to Saudi Arabia and it's a complicated environment. 

  "He increased the visibility of that championship, making it attractive for other players to play who had just the five major leagues as the main goal to play.

  "In other words, these two players have changed the world of football."

• Wallabies will get things right before Lions tour, promises Rugby Australia chief

  Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh is confident the Wallabies will be ready to compete with the British and Irish Lions next year, despite suffering the heaviest defeat in their Test history last time out.

  Australia were crushed 67-27 by Argentina in the Rugby Championship last time out, their third defeat in four games in this year's tournament.

  They were also dumped out of last year's Rugby World Cup in the pool stage following losses to Fiji and Wales, and they are down to ninth in the World Rugby Rankings.

  The British and Irish Lions will face Australia in three Tests when they tour down under between June and August next year, with many fearing Joe Schmidt's team will be blown away.

  Waugh, however, says there is plenty of time for the Wallabies to get things right before then, telling the Sydney Morning Herald: "You can see the progress is there.

  "It is not nearly where we need it to be, but if we keep progressing at the speed with which we have moved things in the last six months, then there is plenty of time.

   

  "It is a team that is, and I hate using the word 're-building', but it is a team that is re-setting, and it takes experience in big moments to get better. 

  "Obviously, the enormity of the scoreline in that second half was disappointing.

  "But there is context that is important... we are not the most experienced team in world rugby, and we are building that experience."

  Australia conclude their Rugby Championship campaign with two fixtures against New Zealand before the end of September, then face England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in their Autumn International Tests in November.