South Africa vs Argentina LIVE: Rugby Championship result as Springboks win but miss out on title
South Africa 38-21 Argentina: The Springboks needed to beat the Pumas by 40 points to snatch the Rugby Championship away from the All Blacks
New Zealand were crowned Rugby Championship winners after South Africa fell short of an imposing target to snatch the title away from the All Blacks.
The All Blacks’ big 40-14 victory over Wallabies earlier on Saturday meant that the Springboks had to beat Argentina by 40 points to snatch the title away from New Zealand.
They fought valiantly in Durban but only managed a 38-21 victory as they missed a number of chances throughout the game and the Pumas hit back strongly in the second half.
It means the All Blacks retain the title they won last year, as the Springboks finish second in the table - level on points with New Zealand but crucially trailing in the points difference stakes.
Relive all the action with us below:
South Africa 7-0 Argentina
23 mins - Ball goes loose as a De Allende pass hits the deck and it’s hacked on by Bertranou. Consternation in the SA 22 as Willie le Roux slides to collect and appears to knock on but not spotted by the ref. Argentina then off their feet at the ruck, so the Boks can clear (Steyn does find touch this time)
South Africa 7-0 Argentina
22 mins - Sliced clearance by Steyn but no real damage done and South Africa win a scrum in midfield. They are dominating this facet and duly win a penalty.
Ah... For the third time this game, Steyn misses touch. There is swirling wind and Steyn hasn’t started a Test at fly-half since 2008 but South Africa simply can’t afford those sort of errors.
TRY! South Africa 7-0 Argentina
19 mins - Pre-engage first time round, so we get a reset. Twas ever thus at scrum-time.
Legs churning, South Africa scrum going forward and it’s a TRY! Pushed all the way over the line and Jasper Wiese touches down with one hand at the back. Simple stuff and the simple conversion is added.
South Africa on their way.
South Africa 0-0 Argentina
18 mins - They do go scrum. This is the set-piece they’ve dominated so far. Will the Pumas dam burst?
South Africa 0-0 Argentina
17 mins - Ok, can this man advantage help South Africa finally get the first points on the board? Lineout secured by Etzebeth, the drive is on.
Stalls so Boks go into the loose where De Allende churns his legs to make good yards. Up to the five-metre line... Good scramble defence by Argentina but we’re back for an offside penalty. Pumas are warned that the next one is another sin-binning. This penalty is fairly central, I’d consider a scrum if I were the South Africans.
YELLOW CARD! South Africa 0-0 Argentina
15 mins - The basics are being done so poorly here. From the 22 drop-out, the Pumas kick out on the full, so we’re back for a South Africa scrum on the 22. Deary me...
Nice scrum by South Africa. Ball secured and Marcos Kremer comes round prematurely to try to disrupt. 10 minutes in the sin bin and the Pumas down to 14. Back to the corner we go by the way.
South Africa 0-0 Argentina
14 mins - Territory and possession has been all Springboks so far but the execution in the red zone has been poor. They come again but scrappily spill the ball backwards a couple of times.
Penalty coming for offside though. Kick to the corner and South Africa need a better plan of how to convert this time. Oh dear! We won’t find out if they do as Steyn misses touch - it’s too straight and flies dead. 22 drop out Argentina. Ooof.
South Africa 0-0 Argentina
13 mins - Good maul defence from the Pumas, so the Boks take it in the loose. But that’s a brilliant turnover from Montoya! He gets his hands cleanly on the ball at the breakdown and pinches it back.
Argentina clear. Superb from the hooker.
South Africa 0-0 Argentina
12 mins - Argentina clear their lines but the ball is coming straight back as the Boks run a couple of phases, win a penalty and kick to the corner. Here we go again!
NO TRY! South Africa 0-0 Argentina
10 mins - Another at the breakdown, so back to the corner South Africa go. They have to go for tries over kicked points today.
The maul is stopped but Eben Etzebeth rolls and sneaks over in the corner and it looks like South Africa have their first try! Checking with the TMO but on-field decision is try.
It’s overturned though. Etzebeth is in front of Siya Kolisi when he rips the ball from his skipper and the ref deems there is separation between the two, rather than them being part of the same maul, thus he’s offside. Tight call but a correct one.
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