The 2024 Rugby Championship will be decided in the final match of the season after Argentina beat the Springboks 29-28 in a thrilling Test match in Santiago del Estero on Saturday.
Replacement flyhalf Manie Libbok had a chance to get the Boks back in the lead with just over a minute to go, but he pulled his penalty kick from the right. It was the South Africans’ first defeat in the tournament this year.
The Springboks go into next week’s match at the Mbombela Stadium with a five-point lead at the top of the standings. They basically need a point to win their first Rugby Championship title since 2019.
But the Springboks will feel they let this one slip. It was wasn’t just Libbok’s missed kick that let them down, as they also let Argentina run riot midway through the first half.
But the South Africans will have a lot of their big players coming back for next week’s match on the Lowveld.
A historic win for Argentina over the Springboks, who continue to show the world what they're made of 🇦![CDATA[]]>🇷![CDATA[]]>👏 pic.twitter.com/JBaDKI9Rcd
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 21, 2024
The Springboks made the perfect start to the match, after Ox Nche absolutely dominated Argentina tighthead Joel Slavi in the very first scrum of the match.
Handre Pollard then kicked a wonderful penalty, allowing the Springboks to set up a lineout close to Los Pumas’ line. After a maul, the ball then went wide with fast hands, with fullback Aphelele Fassi going over to score after running a super line.
Outside centre Jesse Kriel wouldn’t be outdone, as he too ran wonderful line to score to give the Springboks a 14-0 lead, which Pollard would extend with another three points off the kicking tee soon after.
It looked like a walk in the park for the back-to-back world champions, but Argentina suddenly woke in the 14th minute when they showed how dangerous they can be with ball in hand.
Wing Mateo Carreras rounded off a top team try after scrumhalf Tomas Albornoz made a wonderful break. But the game really turned on its head when Bok wing Kurt-Lee Arendse was sent to the sin-bin for a high shot.
Argentina then scored three unanswered tries in a 13-minute blitz, which got the crowd into the match.
Veteran Argentina flank Pablo Matera went over the line after a great break from Carreras, while Sclavi bforced his way from close range after a maul.
Flyhalf Tomas Albornoz also went over from close range after another attack on the Springboks’ line. It was the period where Argentina started to believe that they could win this game.
Fassi straight through the gap 💨
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 21, 2024
The Springboks start brilliantly to go 14-0 up in the opening 10 minutes.
📺 Stream #TRC2024 live: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/KaPta3oWph
The Springboks hit back shortly before halftime, when scrumhalf Cobus Reinach went over in the right corner after after taking a quick tap close to Los Pumas’ line after they conceded a penalty.
The second half was a battle of attrition, as the heat started to take its toll on the both sets of players. But it was the South Africans who got back in the game, as their bench started to make an impact.
Eben Etzebeth took the field in his 127th Test, equalling Victor Matfield's record as the most capped Springbok. He again had a massive impact, especially at lineout time.
Handre Pollard and Manie Libbok slotted a penalty each to put the Springboks’ back in the lead at 28-26.
However, they just coulnd’t put Los Pumas away. Libbok, who was excellent in general play, kicked a penalty over the dead ball line with the Boks dominating the set pieces.
That, along with the missed penalty at the end, proved crucial after Albornoz gave Argentina the lead with 11 minutes to go.
It’s now all to play for next Saturday at the Mbombela Stadium, when the two teams face each other again in what is essentially a Rugby Championship final.
Point-scorers
Argentina 29 (26) - Tries: Mateo Carreras, Pablo Matera, Joel Sclavi, Tomas Albornoz. Conversions: Albornoz (3). Penalty: Albornoz.
Springboks 28 (22) - Tries: Aphelele Fassi, Jesse Kriel, Cobus Reinach. Conversions: Handre Pollard (2). Penalties: Pollard (2), Manie Libbok.
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