Rugby Championship: South Africa 29 Argentina 27
South Africa secured back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for the first time with a slick of luck, a show of character and, most significantly of all, a trademark flex of their unrivalled muscle. A fifth consecutive win at Twickenham in front of a sea of green was far from flawless but with the hooker, Malcolm Marx, in destructive form, the Springboks are worthy winners of a thrilling competition. Not every week, not too often here, but of the four teams, South Africa have been able to find a level higher than the rest.
They do not come to Twickenham in the autumn, but on England’s turf, here was a reminder of what the two-times defending world champions are capable of. It will not come as news that South Africa possess remarkable power at scrum time, but how the Springboks blew Argentina’s apart was devastating. It is the level to which the rest aspire.
This was a “home” fixture for Argentina, but there were only pockets of Pumas supporters dotted around the 70,000-strong crowd. It was South Africa’s third match against opponents other than England in three years here and such is the appetite of London’s sizeable expat community to see their beloved Boks, they came in their droves.
New Zealand’s bonus point win over the Wallabies in Perth earlier in the day ensured South Africa required victory to successfully defend their title for the first time. They got off to terrible start when Canan Moodie was sent to the sinbin for a high tackle on Juan Cruz Mallía in the first minute. Argentina had started by far the brighter and capitalised on their numerical advantage a couple of minutes later, Bautista Delguy wriggling over on the right after an impressively patient build-up by the Pumas.
RM Block
South Africa were rattled. Damien Willemse, enjoying a fine tournament, knocked the ball on while Argentina were robust in defence and finding joy in getting around the Springboks’ line speed. South Africa will always bring scrum power, however, and it was through the set piece they gained a foothold. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu put the Boks on the board and did his utmost to kick his side into gear. He has a cannon of a right foot and, though not always accurate, he gave South Africa some much-needed territory. A stunning linebreak demonstrated why there is such hype around him, only for his pass to Cheslin Kolbe on the right to float into touch.
Santiago Carreras added two penalties and while South Africa were back to within three by the break, Argentina had every right to feel aggrieved. Moodie really ought to have been shown another yellow card, and therefore a red, for a deliberate knock-on. The referee, Andrea Piardi, disagreed but to rub salt into Argentina’s wounds, the Italian official missed another knock-on by South Africa’s outside centre and penalised the Pumas for a breakdown infringement instead. From there, a series of scrum penalties yielded the Springboks’ first try, finished by the scrumhalf, Cobus Reinach.
When Argentina’s loosehead prop, Mayco Vivas, was sent to the sinbin three minutes into the second half you feared for the Pumas and the irrepressible Marx was over from a driving lineout from the ensuing penalty. Another scrum penalty – immediately after South Africa changed their props – yielded a second try for Reinach before Marx followed suit with another shove from close range.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu was enjoying himself by now, flinging offloads out the back door, but a slack long pass from Kolbe allowed Delguy to snaffle the intercept and give Argentina a degree of hope. Carreras struck the upright with a 77-minute penalty that would have set up a grandstand finish before Rodrigo Isgró’s late try with the game already up. – Guardian
