15 November 2026
Round 5 of the 2026 Nations Championship kicked off Friday night with a dramatic 21–19 win for France over South Africa in Paris, followed by a chaotic Saturday slate that saw Argentina edge out Italy 19–14 in Genoa, Wales stun New Zealand 35–28 in Cardiff, England dismantle Japan 78–15 at Allianz Stadium, and Ireland overpower Fiji 43–15 in Dublin.
France's victory extends their lead at the top of the Northern Hemisphere standings ahead of the final pool round, though bonus-point triumphs for both England and Ireland leave the two chasing sides level on 20 points, just a single point behind Les Bleus. Meanwhile, Wales' historic upset, their first over the All Blacks since 1953, throws the Southern Hemisphere race for Twickenham wide open. Despite losing their unbeaten record, New Zealand take the top spot in the south via two losing bonus points, leaving both the All Blacks and South Africa locked in a fierce battle for a Finals Weekend berth next week.
Elsewhere, Argentina’s narrow win keeps them in the hunt for third place in the Southern Hemisphere pool while dropping Japan to fifth, and Italy remain at the foot of the northern table despite claiming a hard-earned losing bonus point.
Ireland 43-15 Fiji
Ireland shook off a sluggish first half to overwhelm Fiji 43–15 at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday night, running in seven tries to keep their Nations Championship final hopes firmly alive. Although wing Tommy O’Brien finished a slick backline move inside the opening eight minutes, Andy Farrell’s side struggled for fluency and saw three potential first-half tries chalked off. Fiji capitalised on Irish handling errors and discipline issues to stun the Dublin crowd with quickfire tries from Josua Tuisova and captain Peceli Yato. Wing Rob Baloucoune crossed twice before the break to restore Ireland’s lead. Still, a Ben Volavola penalty on the stroke of halftime, following a yellow card to Irish captain Tadhg Beirne, left the hosts clinging to a slender 17–15 advantage.
Ireland emerged after the interval with far greater control and physicality, leaning on their set-piece and forward pack to dictate the tempo. Hooker Rónan Kelleher powered over to secure the four-try bonus point before prop Andrew Porter added a fifth score as Fiji began to tire under sustained pressure. Unlike the chaotic opening 40 minutes, Ireland’s defence shut down Fiji’s counter-attacking threats completely, holding the Pacific Islanders scoreless throughout the second half.
With the contest safely in hand, Ireland cut loose in the final quarter to add further gloss to the scoreboard. O’Brien grabbed his second try of the evening before replacement back-rower Nick Timoney crashed through weak tackles late on to cap a 26-point unanswered second-half surge. The bonus-point triumph moves Ireland level on 20 points with England, just a single point behind Northern Hemisphere leaders France, setting up a mouthwatering Round 6 showdown against South Africa in Dublin next weekend
Scorers:
Ireland: Tries: Tommy O’Brien (2), Rob Baloucoune (2), Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Nick Timoney. Conversions: Sam Prendergast (3), Ciaran Frawley.
Fiji: Tries: Josua Tuisova, Peceli Yato. Conversion: Ben Volavola. Penalty: Ben Volavola.
England 78-15 Japan
England dismantled Eddie Jones’ Japan 78–15 at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, running in 13 tries in a ruthless attacking exhibition. Wing Will Joseph marked his first Test start in over four years by scoring a record-equalling five tries, touching down inside the opening minute before completing a stunning four-try haul within just 25 minutes. Japan’s afternoon unravelled almost immediately after lock Harry Hockings was shown a 20-minute red card for a high shoulder-to-head collision on Ellis Genge, leaving the Brave Blossoms helpless against England’s aerial dominance and slick midfield distribution from centre Max Ojomoh. Further first-half scores from Freddie Steward, Genge, Cadan Murley, and Ben Earl pushed the hosts to a commanding 49–10 lead at the interval, with only a close-range tap-and-go try from Japanese co-captain Warner Dearns offering brief respite.
Japan briefly showed signs of life early in the second half when replacement prop Opeti Helu powered over following a try from England lock George Martin. However, Steve Borthwick’s side swiftly reasserted complete control, refusing to let up even after hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie was sent to the sin-bin just before the hour mark. Joseph intercepted a loose pass to race clear for his fifth try—joining Douglas Lambert, Rory Underwood, Josh Lewsey, and Henry Arundell as the only players to score five tries in a single match for England.
England’s bench maintained the relentless tempo in the final quarter as Ben Curry, Marcus Smith, and Greg Fisilau all crossed to complete the 13-try rout. Despite a few missed conversions from George Ford preventing the scoreline from climbing even higher, the bonus-point victory keeps England firmly on the heels of France at the top of the Northern Hemisphere standings ahead of next weekend’s blockbuster clash against New Zealand. Meanwhile, Japan drop to fifth in the Southern Hemisphere pool after suffering a bruising defeat on their head coach's return to Twickenham.
Scorers:
England: Tries: Will Joseph (5), Freddie Steward, Ellis Genge, Cadan Murley, Ben Earl, George Martin, Ben Curry, Marcus Smith, Greg Fisilau. Conversions: George Ford (3), Henry Slade (2). Penalty: George Ford.
Japan: Tries: Warner Dearns, Opeti Helu. Conversion: Naoto Salto. Penalty: Naoto Salto.
Wales 35-28 All Blacks
Wales pulled off a seismic 35–28 upset over New Zealand at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, ending a 73-year, 34-match losing streak against the All Blacks with their first victory in the fixture since 1953. The hosts stunned the visitors with a blistering opening spell, crossing twice inside the first six minutes through scrum-half Tomos Williams and hooker Dewi Lake before tighthead prop Archie Griffin added a third try to establish a 21–7 lead. However, a heavily rotated New Zealand side, captained by Beauden Barrett, clawed their way back before the interval, capitalising on late Welsh errors to level the match at 21–21 through tries from Cortez Ratima, Wallace Sititi, and Fehi Fineanganofo.
Any fears that conceding on the stroke of halftime would derail Welsh momentum were swiftly dispelled after the restart. Wales tore back into a 14-point advantage within eight minutes of the second half as centre Eddie James and wing Louis Rees-Zammit both finished clinical attacking moves, with fly-half Sam Costelow maintaining a flawless 100% kicking record off the tee. All Blacks back-rower Peter Lakai powered over in the 53rd minute to reduce the deficit to seven points, setting up a breathless final quarter played almost exclusively inside the Welsh 22.
Under relentless pressure from wave after wave of New Zealand attacks, Wales produced a heroic defensive stand to see out the historic triumph. The home side held the All Blacks up over the try line three times in the closing stages before Rees-Zammit bundled Richie Mo'unga into touch in the 78th minute to seal the result. While New Zealand still take the top spot in the Southern Hemisphere pool courtesy of two losing bonus points, the defeat leaves the door wide open for South Africa ahead of next week's final pool round
Scorers:
Wales: Tries: Tomos Williams, Dewi Lake, Archie Griffin, Eddie James, Louis Rees-Zammit. Conversions: Sam Costelow (5).
All Blacks: Tries: Cortez Ratima, Wallace Sititi, Fehi Fineanganofo, Peter Lakai. Conversions: Richie Mo'unga (4).
Italy 14-19 Argentina
Argentina edged Italy 19–14 in a tightly contested Nations Championship clash in Genoa, holding off a determined second-half push from the hosts. Both teams traded early blows in a physical opening half at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, with Italy’s defensive intensity at the breakdown disrupting Argentina’s attacking rhythm and keeping the scores locked at 7–7 heading toward the break.
Los Pumas gradually found their clinical edge in the second half, capitalising on key territorial opportunities and set-piece pressure to nudge ahead on the scoreboard. Despite missing several regular starters, the Argentine combinations, led by stand-in captain Pablo Matera, managed the game effectively, converting their limited chances into crucial points while forcing the Azzurri to play from behind. Tries by Rodrigo Isgro and Mateo Carreras edge Argentina into a 19-07 lead with 20 minutes to play in the second half.
Italy crept closer following a penalty try and mounted a fierce late rally in the final quarter, throwing everything at the Argentine line in search of a match-winning try. However, a late Italian mistake at the death allowed Argentina’s scramble defence to hold firm and close out the five-point victory. The result keeps Argentina third in the Southern Hemisphere standings, while Italy settle for a hard-earned losing bonus point at the foot of the Northern Hemisphere table.
Scorers:
Italy: Tries: Monty Ioane, Penalty try. Conversion: Tommaso Allan.
Argentina: Tries: Bautista Bernasconi, Rodrigo Isgro, 'Mateo Carreras. Conversions: Tomas Albornoz (2)
France 21-19 Springboks
France held off a ferocious second-half fightback to defeat South Africa 21–19 at the Stade de France on Friday night, claiming their first home victory over the Springboks since 2005. Despite entering the Round 5 clash with an injury-depleted squad that forced captain Antoine Dupont and Maxime Lucu into a makeshift halfback pairing, Les Bleus dazzled in the opening 40 minutes. Capitalising on an early yellow card to Springbok lock Lood de Jager, France ran in three converted first-half tries through back-three stars Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Théo Attissogbe, and Louis Bielle-Biarrey. South Africa’s lone response before the break came via a Jan-Hendrik Wessels rolling maul try, leaving the reigning world champions facing a daunting 21–7 halftime deficit.
The second half turned into a chaotic, discipline-testing arm-wrestle as South Africa unleashed their forward dominance. Even after Springbok number eight Jasper Wiese was issued a 20-minute red card for a dangerous ruck clearout, the visitors' scrum systematically dismantled the French pack, winning nine scrum penalties over the course of the match. Replacement scrum-half Cobus Reinach crashed over in the 51st minute to narrow the gap, while France lost Lucu, Grandidier-Nkanang, and prop Régis Montagne to yellow cards under mounting pressure. Despite failing to score a single point after the interval, France’s scramble defence held firm, memorably holding Pieter-Steph du Toit up over the try-line, before hooker Malcolm Marx finally powered over from a maul in the 72nd minute to bring the score to 21–19.
Ultimately, the heavyweight contest was decided by the finest of margins. Replacement fly-half Manie Libbok pushed the crucial conversion wide from Marx’s late try, denying the Springboks the equaliser, before a thunderous last-gasp tackle by Bielle-Biarrey allowed Dupont to secure the ball and boot it into touch.
Scorers:
France: Tries: Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Théo Attissogbe, Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Conversions: Maxime Lucu (3).
Springboks: Tries: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Reinach. Malcolm Marx. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2).