After the Lions: the Wallabies seek consistency in the Rugby Championship

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The hardiness of green shoots cultivated by the Wallabies in their test series against the British and Irish Lions will be tested by the storm they're likely to face Saturday when they take on the World Cup champion Springboks in the Rugby Championship opener.

The Wallabies were more competitive than expected against the Lions, coming within seconds of winning the second test and then winning the third in a 2-1 series loss. Their challenge now is consistency: to keep up that standard in the Rugby Championship. They've finished last in each of the last two years.

The task is a difficult one, beginning at altitude in Johannesburg and at the Springboks’ most formidable home ground, Ellis Park. The venue is 1,753 meters (5,750) feet) above sea level where the air is thinner and breathing is difficult during physical exertion. It's one of the toughest test venues in the world for visiting teams.

The Wallabies haven’t beaten South Africa in their last four tests, their last eight tests in South Africa and in seven tests at Ellis Park dating back to 1963. South Africa has won six of its last seven tests at the stadium against allcomers.

The Australians went into last year’s Rugby Championship after a test series win over Wales and but only won one match in the tournament, finishing last and nine points behind third-place Argentina.

“I definitely think we’re at a better place now than we were 12 months ago,” Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa said. “Off the back of a really good win against the Lions, we just want to continue to build that momentum going in against South Africa, Argentina and then the All Blacks.

“First stop here at Ellis Park, so we’re looking at definitely continuing that momentum.”

South Africa has named a typically formidable squad for Saturday’s match with 18 World Cup winners among the matchday 23, a sample of what New Zealand and Argentina will face later in the Championship.

Captain Siya Kolisi will wear the No. 8 jersey for the first time in a test, combining in the back row with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marco van Standen. Eben Etzebeth will play his 135th test at lock in combination with Lood de Jager and behind a front row of Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw.

Australia, in contrast, has several injuries as a legacy of the Lions series. Flyhalves Noah Lolesio and Tom Lynagh are out of action but Paenga-Amosa still believes the Wallabies can test the Springboks.

“It’s really easy to look at what South Africa has done in the past and obviously they’re a world-class team and for us it’s just taking them for face value,” he said. “We respect what they’ve done, we respect them as a team, winning World Cups. But we’re just going to take them at face value — what we see in front of our faces in Ellis Park is how we’re going to see them.”

New Zealand will start the competition with two tests in Argentina, at Cordoba on Saturday and Buenos Aires a week later. The All Blacks will then return to New Zealand to play South Africa in two tests before finishing with two tests against Australia.

Argentina is coming off a July test series loss to a weakened England team and New Zealand prepared with a 3-0 series win over depleted France.

But Argentina beat the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time in last year’s Championship and New Zealand will approach the coming tests cautiously.

“I think (New Zealand) is a team that’s really trying to find our identity this year,” All Blacks prop Fletcher Newell said. “I feel like we showed glimpses of it against France. But we want to build on those areas. We want to play fast and we want to be really strong in our set piece and pride ourselves in those areas.”

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Australia players celebrate after Tate McDermott scored his side's third try during the third and final rugby union test between the Lions and the Wallabies in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Australia's Max Jorgensen races in to score a try during the third and final rugby union test between the Lions and the Wallabies in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Coach Steve Kerr spoke with Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga during the morning shootaround Thursday about the player's situation being out of the rotation for more than a month now with expectations he will be traded before the deadline next month.

“We talked this morning and that’s all private,” Kerr said. “I will keep coaching him, he’ll be part of the team, he’ll be here. It is what it is.”

Kerr discounted any issues between them as being reason Kuminga has reportedly requested a trade from the team after not being used in the last 14 games since Dec. 18 and 17 of 18 — though he has been listed as injured for nine games this season.

“Our relationship is fine,” Kerr said before Golden State's 126-113 win over the New York Knicks. “There's not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff. It is what it is, difficult situation for everybody and part of this league, part of the job. We just keep moving forward.”

Kuminga has been training much of the time on his own, shooting on the Warriors’ practice floor out of the eyes of fans at Chase Center. He wears a black hood over his head on the end of the bench during games. Perhaps Kuminga and the Warriors weren't a great fit from Day 1 — not that it's his fault — and he might be eager to leave and start fresh elsewhere. If so, the Golden State brass might want to make sure he doesn't get hurt before trying to trade him.

Yet nobody has taken issue with his work ethic, at least not publicly. Kuminga, selected seventh overall in the 2021 draft, has been known to stay long after games shooting on the arena's main floor.

“It’s not a distraction at all. It’s a very unique situation but our job is just to keep playing, keep winning, it’ll resolve itself one way or the other,” Stephen Curry said.

The 23-year-old from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has appeared in just 18 games total with 13 starts, averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

On Sept. 30, he agreed to a two-year contract that could be worth up to $46.5 million if the team were to exercise its option for 2026-27. Kuminga had had a $7.9 million qualifying offer in hand since June 29 but was also weighing other options and he missed media day.

He has long had the support and confidence of teammates — like Jimmy Butler saying he has been having Kuminga over and continuing to encourage him.

“We love JK in this locker room, that's not going to change,” Butler said postgame. “If he happens to not be in here, we'll still rock with JK. I speak for everybody. We love the guy. I wish him the best here, I wish him the best wherever. It doesn't change. We don't listen to the noise, I hope he don't listen to the noise he keep coming here with a smile doing what he's supposed to do and being the ultimate pro.”

Kuminga missed much of last season with a right ankle injury. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes over 47 games with 10 starts. He also scored 15.3 points per game over eight playoff games while shooting 48.4% from the floor and making 40% of his 3-point attempts. That included a career-best 30-point performance in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kerr said the uncertainty around Kuminga's future “won't be a distraction.”

“Jonathan's a great young guy, his teammates like him,” Kerr said. "He's handling himself well.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, middle, sits near the team bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in San Francisco, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) and Utah Jazz center Oscar Tshiebwe (34) swap jerseys after the Warriors defeat the Jazz during an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)