South Africa’s thrilling 29-27 Rugby Championship victory over Argentina at Twickenham headlined a dramatic week for Putney-area sport.
Local football sides experienced contrasting fortunes as Chelsea snatched a last-gasp Premier League win over Liverpool while Fulham suffered a late collapse at Bournemouth.
AFC Wimbledon extended their impressive League One form with victory at Blackpool, and Richmond marked their return to Championship rugby with a hard-fought home win over Chinnor.
Springboks Snatch Championship in Twickenham Thriller
South Africa – Rugby Championship
South Africa 29-27 Argentina (Twickenham Stadium) – Saturday, 4 October
South Africa secured their first-ever back-to-back Rugby Championship title with a nerve-shredding 29-27 victory over Argentina at a packed Twickenham Stadium.
The Pumas struck first with tries from Bautista Delguy and built an early lead through the boot of Santiago Carreras, but the Springboks roared back with doubles from hooker Malcolm Marx and scrum-half Cobus Reinach.
Despite Delguy’s second try in the 66th minute and Rodrigo Isgró crossing in the final play, South Africa held on to claim the title. The Springboks overcame an early yellow card and a halftime deficit, with Marx’s maul power proving decisive in the second half. The 70,300-strong crowd at Twickenham witnessed the championship decider, with Argentina sharing in the gate receipts despite the neutral venue officially being their home fixture.
Rugby Union
Richmond Return to Championship with Hard-Fought Win
Richmond FC – Championship Rugby
Richmond 18-13 Chinnor (Richmond Athletic Ground) – Saturday, 4 October
Richmond clung doggedly to a narrow lead throughout the match to start their season back in the Championship with a well-earned home victory over Chinnor. The hosts opened with a second-minute penalty and maintained their advantage through tries from Kitson in the 26th minute and Jones in the 76th minute, with Grieve adding a conversion and two penalties. Chinnor responded with a try from Goss in the 45th minute converted by Chamberlain, who also added penalties in the 31st and 80th minutes, but couldn’t overcome Richmond’s determined defense. Head coach Rob Powell was delighted with the squad’s effort, noting they built on last year’s promotion-winning momentum.
Football
Estêvão Saves Chelsea in Stamford Bridge Classic
Chelsea – Premier League
Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (Stamford Bridge) – Saturday, 4 October
Eighteen-year-old Brazilian sensation Estêvão scored his first Chelsea goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time to stun Liverpool 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. The Blues took the lead through Moisés Caicedo’s sublime 25-yard strike in the 14th minute before Cody Gakpo equalized after the hour mark following Alexander Isak’s controlled flick-on. With both teams reduced to changes at centre-back and Chelsea battling eight absences through injury and suspension, Enzo Maresca’s side held firm before Marc Cucurella’s low cross found Estêvão sliding in at the back post to spark wild celebrations.
Wimbledon Maintain Playoff Push with Blackpool Triumph
AFC Wimbledon – League One
Blackpool 0-2 AFC Wimbledon (Bloomfield Road) – Saturday, 4 October
Two goals from Danilo Orsi gave AFC Wimbledon a commanding 2-0 away victory at struggling Blackpool to maintain their playoff challenge in League One. Orsi opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 38th minute after Alistair Smith was brought down just inside the area by Jordan Brown, with Blackpool players insisting contact had been made outside the box. The Italian striker doubled the Dons’ advantage in the 63rd minute to seal three points, with Blackpool managing just one shot in the first half. The victory keeps the Dons in sixth place in their first League One campaign since 2021-22.
Fulham Collapse at Bournemouth in Friday Night Heartbreak
Fulham FC – Premier League
Bournemouth 3-1 Fulham (Vitality Stadium) – Friday, 3 October
Fulham’s promising position dissolved in a rain-soaked collapse as Bournemouth stormed back from 1-0 down with three late goals at the Vitality Stadium. Ryan Sessegnon put the Cottagers ahead in the 70th minute before Antoine Semenyo produced a moment of magic to level in the 78th, breezing past Timothy Castagne before finishing through Bernd Leno’s legs from a tight angle. Substitute Justin Kluivert then lashed in a thunderous 35-yard strike into the top corner six minutes later, with Semenyo sealing his brace deep into added time on the counter-attack.
Chelsea Women’s Perfect Record Ends in Manchester
Chelsea Women – Women’s Super League
Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (Progress With Unity Stadium) – Friday, 3 October
Chelsea Women’s 100% WSL record came to an end as they were held to an entertaining 1-1 draw by Manchester United in challenging weather conditions at the newly renamed Progress With Unity Stadium. Wieke Kaptein gave the Blues an early lead with a wonderful finish following Catarina Macario’s sumptuous backheel, before Anna Sandberg unleashed a stunning strike from distance to level for United 10 minutes later. Despite the dropped points, Chelsea remain two points clear at the top of the WSL table, with both sides still unbeaten this season.
Coming Up Next Week
Monday 6 October – Sunday 12 October:
- Premier League: Chelsea and Fulham aren’t playing until next Saturday 18 October.
- League One: AFC Wimbledon vs Port Vale (Saturday 11 October)
- Championship Rugby: Richmond at Caldy (Saturday 11 October)
- National League 1: Rosslyn Park return to action (Saturday 11 October)
Story of the Week
In front of 70,300 fans at Twickenham, South Africa survived a late Argentine surge to win back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for the first time in history, with tries from Malcolm Marx and Cobus Reinach providing the foundation for a championship-winning performance that will be remembered on the banks of the Thames.
