Argentina vs South Africa LIVE: Rugby World Cup warm-up result and reaction
Argentina 13-24 South Africa: The Springboks beat the Pumas for the second week in a row
Tries by wings Makazole Mapimpi and Canan Moodie helped a much-changed South Africa to a 24-13 victory over Argentina in their Rugby World Cup warm-up clash in Buenos Aires, ruining a major milestone for home hooker Agustin Creevy.
The Springboks made 13 changes for the game with several players given a chance to impress before coach Jacques Nienaber names his 33-player World Cup squad on Tuesday, but they trailed 10-3 after an ill-disciplined first half.
After Mapimpi and Moodie crossed for scores in quick succession at the start of the second period however, they turned the screw, and the boot of fly-half Manie Libbok took them clear as he kicked 14 points.
The home side’s only try was scored by scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou and they had few answers to the South African power game, but when Creevy came on as a replacement he became the first Argentine player to reach 100 Test caps.
Relive the clash below:
Argentina 0-0 South Africa, 8 mins
A first chance to stretch their attacking legs from Argentina but a short Santiago Carreras pass is intercepted inside the South Africa half - miscommunication with his runner there. A knock-on ends the counter-attack though
MISSED PENALTY! Argentina 0-0 South Africa (Manie Libbok, 5 mins)
The Springboks get over the line but held up by desperate Argentina defence! Back for a penalty on five metres.
They go for the posts, Manie Libbok takes it back to the 22 but puts it wide! Wow, didn’t see that coming, a relatively straightforward kick drifts wide of the right upright. A let-off for Argentina.
Argentina 0-0 South Africa, 3 mins
Great start from South Africa, they make good yards down the right through Canan Moodie and then quickly recycle the ball repeatedly in the 22. Keeping it tight with the forwards, steadily making ground and up to five metres.
Argentina 0-0 South Africa, 2 mins
These are two absolutely gorgeous kits by the way. South Africa is turquoise and white, which complement each other beautifully and Argentina wearing dark blue with a diagonal white sash across the front. A+ kits.
Early concern for the Pumas, centre Santiago Chocobares gets his head positioning all wrong in the tackle and suffers a nasty blow. He’s immediately off for a HIA with Matias Moroni on in his place.
KICK-OFF! Argentina 0-0 South Africa, 1 min
And we’re underway in Buenos Aires!
Argentina vs South Africa
We’re only a few minutes away from kick-off now in Buenos Aires and the players are out on to the pitch.
This should be a fascinating contest - the Pumas ran the Boks so close last week and no they’re on home soil, against a weakened South Africa team.
South Africa players with chance to shine for World Cup
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber wants to give as many players as possible an opportunity to break into the Springboks’ World Cup squad and this clash with the Pumas is the ideal proving ground.
“We’ve been emphasising the importance of giving as many players as possible a fair chance to show what they can do with an eye on finalising our Rugby World Cup squad,” Nienaber said.
“This is going to be a massive physical battle and there will be a lot of pressure on the players mentally and physically, which is exactly the type of situation we would like to see them in as we enter our World Cup warm-up games.
“There is not a player in our enlarged squad who is fully confident that he will be in the World Cup squad, so the competition for places is intense.”
Argentina train ahead of South Africa rematch
The Pumas have been training back in Argentina ahead of today’s rematch against the Springboks
Argentina’s Mallia gets two-week ban for challenge on Williams
Argentina full-back Juan Cruz Mallia has been handed a relatively light two-week ban for his challenge on South Africa’s Grant Williams in the first minute of last week’s Rugby Championship Test in Johannesburg.
Mallia clattered into the head of the Springboks scrumhalf after only 11 seconds of the match in an attempt to charge down a kick. Williams played no further part in the game, which South Africa won 22-21.
The 26-year-old outside back went unpunished on the pitch but was later cited and the SANZAAR judicial committee found him guilty of “reckless or dangerous” play, banning Mallia from playing until Aug. 19.
“The judicial committee considered the act of foul play was reckless, with a high degree of danger and had a considerable impact on the victim player,” read its judgement.
The judgement, though, said the committee had heard evidence from the referee and Argentina coach Michael Cheika about “how successful charge downs of kicks are viewed by match officials and as to how coaching of players is conducted as a consequence”.
“The committee decided that a mid-range sanction would be wholly disproportionate to the player’s fault and that the foul play merited a low-range entry point of 2 weeks,” the judgement continued.
Mallia will miss this today’s World Cup warm-up between Argentina and South Africa in Buenos Aires but will now be available for the Pumas’ crunch opening game of the tournament against Pool D rivals England in Marseille on Sept. 9.
Reuters
Argentina vs South Africa odds and prediction
Argentina vs South Africa odds
Argentina win 9/5
Draw 28/1
South Africa win 8/13
Prediction
Argentina squeeze past South Africa in a reversal of last week’s scoreline. Argentina 22-21 South Africa
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