South Africa

South Africa survived a huge scare before making it back-to-back wins over Argentina at the start of their new Rugby Championship campaign.

The game of rugby seldom feels like a fairytale. Rugby is an intense and high impact game that would be difficult to draw parallels to bedtime stories; some might say it is more like a nightmare.

The first round of the Rugby Championship was played in difficult conditions across the southern hemisphere with two enthralling encounters sparking the competition into life.

As we hurtle past the opening weekend of the Rugby Championship and immerse ourselves, once again, in southern hemisphere rugby, one of Talking Rugby Union's men in the sub-continent, Benedict Chanakira, takes our attention to the Currie Cup as he speaks to South African born prop Sabelo Nhlapo, who is currently playing for the Pumas.

Beale not Foley was on most people's minds leading into the first weekend of the southern hemisphere's premier competition. There was also a suspicion that Argentina were being discounted too easily.

South Africa got their Rugby Championship campaign up and running with victory over Argentina, although it was far from easy for the Springboks in testing conditions at a rain-drenched Loftus Versfeld.

The stage is set for the Rugby Championship 2014, featuring four of the best teams in the world of rugby playing each other home and away.

Saracens prop, Matt Stevens has been a regular face in an England shirt and the Aviva Premiership over a number of seasons, with tenures at both Bath and Sarries before, this season, making the decision to return to his country of birth – South Africa.

As the curtain draws on the 2014 Super Rugby competition, the second southern hemisphere tournament of the season - the Rugby Championship - is ready to spark into life.

New Zealand's incredible 30-game unbeaten streak at the Commonwealth Games was brought to a crashing halt as South Africa claimed a surprise gold medal success.

Coach Vern Cotter is adamant that Scotland's summer tour has been a valuable exercise - despite the 55-6 thumping his team got in the final match against South Africa.

Scotland are going to be facing a much-changed South African side in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

A late penalty try denied Wales an historic first victory over the Springboks in South Africa

The June Internationals and Pacific Nations Cup are almost over for another year. The Southern Hemisphere teams still seem to hold the dominance with exception of an understrength Argentina team.

Assistant coach Rob Howley has praised the leadership of Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones after the second row delivered a rousing speech to his squad ahead of the second Test against South Africa.

Warren Gatland has made just two changes to his starting XV for Wales' second Test match against South Africa on Saturday.

Dan Biggar insists Wales' ongoing woes against the southern hemisphere's big three are not down to a lack of mental strength.

Talking Rugby Union’s southern hemisphere correspondent Scotty Donaldson reviews all of the weekend’s international action from the sub-continent…

Scottish fly-half Tom Heathcote who has burst onto professional rugby’s stage has announced he will leave his contract at Bath early and return to Scotland on a one year deal with Edinburgh.

George North has overcome a virus to be named in Wales' starting line-up for their first Test against South Africa on Saturday.