Manie Libbok missed a late penalty as the Springboks missed out on clinching the Rugby Championship title with a game to spare after going down 29-28 to Argentina on Saturday night.
On a hot and humid night in front of a boisterous home crowd at the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, the world champions wasted a number of attacking opportunities to miss out on a victory that would have secured the Championship as lock Eben Etzebeth equalled Victor Matfield’s Bok caps record of 127 Tests.
Despite their error-strewn performance – after a superb start where they scored 14 points in the opening eight minutes – the South Africans had a chance to close out the game and the title when replacement flyhalf Libbok lined up a relatively easy 79th-minute penalty from about 30 metres out and to the right of the posts.
But the Stormers pivot pulled his kick wide to the left, and Los Pumas were able to withstand one final attack from the visitors to record a memorable victory that kept their title hopes alive going into next Saturday’s final round at Mbombela Stadium.
Coach Rassie Erasmus, though, will be frustrated by the fact that his team were unable to capitalise on their scrum dominance, as the Boks earned a series of penalties throughout the match.
It should never have come down to a late Libbok penalty to seal the deal, especially after they got off to a flying start by racking up 17 points in 13 minutes.
The first try was beautiful in its simplicity as the Boks moved the ball wide from a lineout in the Argentinian 22, with Lukhanyo Am finding flyhalf Handré Pollard, who delivered a stunning long pass to fullback Aphelele Fassi, who sliced through to dot down.
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
Then four minutes later, it was outside centre Jesse Kriel who cut through to finish a multi-phase passage of play, where Ben-Jason Dixon’s offload to Ruan Nortjé opened up the defence.
And when Pollard – who went past Morné Steyn (742) as the second-highest Bok points-scorer – slotted a penalty five minutes later, it looked like it was game over at 17-0.
But perhaps that was the wrong call by the Boks to go for the three-pointer, as they could have twisted the knife further by going for touch and setting up a lineout inside the Los Pumas 22.
Argentina were never going to lie down and die, and they roared back a few minutes later as wing Mateo Carreras finished a slick move sparked by energetic centre Santiago Chocobares, who beat Bok flank Marco van Staden’s tackle.
Soon after that came another major turning point as SA wing Kurt-Lee Arendse was yellow-carded by English referee Christophe Ridley for supposedly making head-on-head contact in a tackle.TV replays showed that it was a bit harsh as Arendse appeared to make contact below the head.
Argentina flyhalf Tomas Albornoz missed the subsequent penalty, but it didn’t take long for barnstorming flank Pablo Matera to barge his way over after quick hands put Carreras into space.
Spurred on by a passionate crowd, Argentina pounced once more as giant tighthead Joel Sclavi powered over following a lineout drive that saw No 8 Joaquin Oviedo throw the ball inside just before going into touch, and suddenly the hosts were 19-17 ahead after 28 minutes.
The Boks had to scramble in defence to keep the marauding Argentinian attack at bay, but the green wall was eventually breached as Albornoz rounded off from a five-metre tap penalty.
The South Africans, though, were let down by an inconsistent lineout, with hooker Malcolm Marx overthrowing inside the Argentina 22 a few minutes before halftime.
But two minutes later, scrumhalf Cobus Reinach used his pace to good effect from a tap penalty to dive over in the left-hand corner.
At 26-22, the Boks were back in the game, and Pollard slotted a penalty early in the second half to make it a one-point deficit.
Erasmus introduced the Bomb Squad in the 48th minute, and among the replacements was Etzebeth as he went level with Matfield.
But while the likes of Kwagga Smith, Libbok and Jaden Hendrikse produced some impressive touches in the second half, the Boks were unable to put Los Pumas away through a combination of missed lineouts, poor ball control and a few lapses in defence.
Libbok also made an unnecessary error in the 64th minute when his penalty kick to touch went touch in-goal as he tried to get as close to the tryline as possible.
Lively Argentinian flyhalf Albornoz kept the Bok defence busy with his fancy footwork and incisive left-footed kicks, and the pressure told on the visitors as he slotted a 69th-minute penalty to put his team 29-28 up.
Etzebeth tried to make a difference with a brilliant lineout steal 10m from the Bok line with five minutes left, and they were able to make their way into the Argentina half to set up Libbok’s shot at goal – but it was just not to be for the world champions.
A historic win for Argentina over the Springboks, who continue to show the world what they're made of 🇦🇷👏 pic.twitter.com/JBaDKI9Rcd
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 21, 2024
Points-Scorers
Springboks 28 – Tries: Aphelele Fassi, Jesse Kriel, Cobus Reinach. Conversions: Handré Pollard (2). Penalties: Pollard (2), Manie Libbok (1).
Argentina 29 – Tries: Mateo Carreras, Pablo Matera, Joel Sclavi, Tomas Albornoz. Conversions: Albornoz (3). Penalties: Albornoz (1).