Power Rankings: Nations Championship Round 3 - England dominate after defeating Argentina

We have now reached the half-way mark in the inaugural tournament that spans both the July and November international windows, with the action set to return towards the end of the year for the Northern Series and first ever Finals Weekend in Twickenham. France and South Africa lead their respective Northern and Southern Conferences at this stage, following the third round of fixtures across the globe.

The latest round began at Eden Park, where New Zealand once again protected their remarkable unbeaten home record. The All Blacks dismantled Ireland 40-21, before France produced an equally emphatic result, with a commanding 42-15 victory away to Eddie Jones’ Japan. Australia finally ended their wait for a Nations Championship win in Perth, dismantling Italy 57-10 in a crucial ‘race to the bottom’ clash. The result condemned Gonzalo Quesada’s side to a third consecutive defeat.

Scotland then recovered from a first-half scare against Fiji to complete a stirring 33-17 comeback at Murrayfield, lifting Gregor Townsend’s side into second place in the Northern Hemisphere standings. In Durban, the Springboks delivered the weekend’s most ruthless performance, crushing Wales 43-0 at Kings Park. The Southern Series concluded with England claiming a 31-24 victory over Argentina, despite being reduced to 12 men at one stage after four players were sent to the sin bin. Steve Borthwick’s side secured the sporting bragging rights after England’s footballers had suffered World Cup heartbreak.

Murrayfield was treated to a glimpse of Selestino Ravautamada at his most dangerous, with some excited breaks of play from the Flying Fijian. The winger glided through broken-field opportunities with a freedom Scotland simply could not consistently handle, finishing one superb solo move all by himself. Even more impressive was the astonishing first-half recovery to deny George Horne, underlining that his influence extended well beyond his attacking brilliance.

Marcus Smith continues to make himself impossible to overlook when opportunities arrive in the England back-field. Smith finished a try neatly in the corner against Los Pumas, and produced an important tackle on Mateo Carreras to deny a score at the other end. His subsequent move to scrum-half once again, rather than fly-half during Fin Smith’s HIA, offered another intriguing insight into his current place in England’s plans.

Carlo Tizzano was handed a rare chance to start at openside with the in-form Fraser McReight on the bench, and attacked the opportunity against Italy with considerable intent. The Perth-born flanker led Australia’s tackle count in the opening half upon his return home to Western Australia, and matched the game-high with 11 carries. After just one start during the 2025 international season, this was a performance that demanded attention from the new incoming head coach Les Kiss.

Pierre Schoeman needed barely any time to make his presence felt, as Murrayfield rang out chants of 'schooooee' just minutes after his run in from the bench. Thrown into the action to save an upset against Fiji, the Edinburgh prop immediately brought the aggression and momentum Scotland had been missing before powering over for a trademark close-range try. His arrival lifted both the crowd and the team, making him a key figure in the eventual comeback win.

Patrick Tuipulotu was at the heart of New Zealand’s early forward surge, repeatedly carrying off the base of the ruck before eventually crashing over for the opening try. It was a milestone moment for the lock, as Tuipulotu bagged a try upon his first All Blacks test start in well over a year. His 11 first-half carries were more than any other All Blacks forward, while his metres tally led the pack. Ireland also found little joy trying to disrupt Tuipulotu, who led New Zealand at lineout time.

There are few players quite as relentless as Josua Tuisova when he is fully engaged. The Fijian centre seemed determined to involve himself in every aspect of the contest, carrying with menace, tackling ferociously and even making his presence felt at the breakdown. Scotland had to deal with a constant stream of heavyweight contributions from one of rugby’s most complete powerhouses, with the midfielder leaving a physical impression upon a plethora of battered Scotland players.

Scott Cummings brought calm to Scotland’s pack at precisely the moment it was required. Following Jonny Gray’s permanent departure through injury, the lock helped steady the ship before becoming increasingly influential, as the comeback gathered momentum in front of the Murrayfield crowd. His late try provided the finishing touch for Scotland's win, sealing a victory in which his experience proved especially valuable during the defining stages.

There were understandable signs of early nerves from Vusi Moyo, but the Springbok debutant quickly settled into the occasion in the fabled green and gold 10 jersey. He looked increasingly comfortable operating from the backfield and produced an excellent cross-field kick that eventually created Jesse Kriel’s try. A tight, difficult contest limited his attacking opportunities, yet the 20-year-old showed enough composure and quality to leave plenty of encouragement. Plenty of excitement upon how he will now be used in the 'Greatest Rivalry' series against the All Blacks.

Northampton Saints play-maker Fin Smith is steadily making England’s No.10 shirt his own. His perfectly measured kick opened the door for his club-mate Tommy Freeman’s try, while he showed impressive resilience to bounce back from an unfortunate knock-on near the try line. Returning from a mouthguard-related HIA, Smith then calmly converted from the touchline under pressure. England’s attack increasingly appears to run through his decision-making, with the fly half maturing in front of our eyes ahead of a Rugby World Cup year.

The impact of Sione Tuipulotu’s arrival was almost immediate, in the comeback win over Fiji in Edinburgh. Scotland suddenly possessed greater menace in midfield, with their captain carrying aggressively and bringing a sense of control to the crucial moments of the resurgence. His arrival off the bench changed the energy of the contest and demonstrated once again how central Tuipulotu is to Scotland’s attacking identity, with Townsend's men reaping the rewards with the hard-fought win.

Ben Earl’s afternoon began with an error, but that proved to be little more than a temporary interruption. The Saracens back-rower responded with two powerful tries and gradually became one of England’s most influential carriers in the exhaustive fight against the fiery Argentinians. Earls 11 carries led the team before his replacement after 55 minutes, in what was a reminder of the extraordinary intensity he brings to the English pack. With Tom Willis off to Bordeaux, all eyes will once again be on Earl for the England and Saracens eight shirt.

Australia have tried an extraordinary number of fly-halves over the past year, but Declan Meredith is beginning to look like a player worth investing in. Retained in the starting line-up after his debut against France a week ago, he showed a willingness to take responsibility and make things happen. There were rough edges, but this was another encouraging step in what could become a significant Wallabies career, even with the likes of Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh and Jock Campbell all chomping at his heels.

Jaco Williams could hardly have made a more memorable start to life in the Springbok jersey. The 20-year-old Sharks wing helped manufacture Jesse Kriel’s first-half try with a brilliant tap-back, scored his own maiden Test try almost immediately after the interval and later released Herschel Jantjies for a runaway score against the Welsh. His aerial battle was not perfect against the more experienced Wales international outside backs, but his attacking influence was impossible to ignore in the Durban drubbing.

Jordie Barrett remains one of the most complete players in international rugby, with the classy Hurricanes man delivering yet again for the men in black. He was excellent under the high ball against Ireland, delivered several important clearances and once again used his rush defence to disrupt the Emerald Islanders attacking plans. Yhis was another authoritative display from a player who seems capable of influencing almost every area of the game, and will be a integral part of Dave Rennie class of 2027.

Maxime Lucu is doing everything possible to ensure France do not feel the full weight of Antoine Dupont’s absence. The scrum-half landed all five of his conversions in the one-sided win over Japan, but his greater contribution came through his game management whenever Eddie Jones' side threatened to build pressure. His cleverly taken try and fluent combinations with dual-playmakers Romain Ntamack and Matthiey Jalibert added further weight to his growing case, in what serts an interesting selection dilemma for Fabien Galthie come the November tests.

Ireland’s bigger carriers gave Will Jordan plenty to think about early on, but the in-form All Blacks flyer held his own and soon found his way into the game. The All Blacks leading try scorer was perfectly positioned to gather the scraps for New Zealand’s third try - his 52nd career Test score - and he then produced one of his better high-ball interventions of the year to win possession back after half-time. Classic Jordan: alert, efficient and devastating when opportunity arrives, he is staking a claim for the World Rugby Player of the Year award should this form maintain across the South African tour and into the Northern Series.

Stafford McDowall had the difficult task of leading Scotland with Sione Tuipulotu rotated to the bench, in what was a test of the mttle of one of Scotland's new leaders. McDowall initially found Fiji’s defence stubbornly difficult to break through, yet the centre grew stronger as the contest progressed, becoming a driving force behind Scotland’s second-half revival. His all-round performance was ultimately so influential that the Player of the Match award felt inevitable for the Glasgow Warriors man.

Ellis Genge gave England a formidable platform at scrum-time out in Argentina, as he repeatedly gained the upper hand against Tomás Rapetti and helped set up the five-metre scrum from which Ben Earl scored. Genge also produced one trademark burst through a cluster of defenders in open play. His aggression did occasionally spill over into indiscipline, but the “Baby Rhino” was undeniably in destructive form against the frustrated Pumas.

Ardie Savea’s rugby intelligence was on full display in the win over Ireland, particularly in the way he challenged Ireland around the ruck and at scrum-time. When New Zealand earned a scrum near the line, his power and acceleration did the rest, as he burst through to score a stunning first half move. Three turnovers — the most of anyone on the field — rounded off another exceptional display from the All Blacks captain who is finding his groove in the heralded position.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was simply electric for England, in the tough fought victory in Santiago del Estero. The Exeter winger repeatedly threatened to tear open Argentina’s defence with his acceleration and power, including one magnificent break that created a try for Ben Earl. His defensive contribution was just as impressive, with a crucial tackle out wide, before he finally got his own reward by bursting over for a deserved score.