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:
TRY! New Zealand 37-7 Australia
64 mins - Solid lineout, Australia stop the first maul but New Zealand get it moving again and Samisoni Taukei’aho drops over the line for the simple try. He came on for Codie Taylor and matches the starting hooker for style of try.
Mo’unga’s conversion attempt drifts just wide.
New Zealand 32-7 Australia
63 mins - New Zealand pour forward again and although they concede a scrum on the Australia five-metre line, the Wallabies make a mess of it.
The ball squirts out, it’s knocked on and Australia give away a pennlty for good measure. Kicked to the corner.
TRY! New Zealand 32-7 Australia
59 mins - Out of nowhere, the Wallabies have a try! They charge down an attempted clearance kick, it’s collected by Samu just outside the 22 who produces a brilliant offload inside as he’s being driven into tough which replacement hooker Folau Fainga’a - only just on the field - catches and rumbles over.
Good battling by the Aussies and the conversion from Foley is good.
New Zealand 32-0 Australia
57 mins - Good lineout although the maul is well defended by the All Blacks. Great work by Brodie Retallick to slow things down and he wins the turnover! Just brute strength. Another chance slips away for Australia.
New Zealand 32-0 Australia
56 mins - A decent attacking platform for Australia as they win a penalty in All Blacks territory and kick into the 22. They won’t want to end with a goose egg on the scoreboard.
TRY! New Zealand 32-0 Australia
53 mins - Lineout good this time. Inexorable driving maul towards the line and they’re over! Codie Taylor, who has had a great game, directing traffic from the back and he dots down. Simple stuff.
Mo’unga’s conversion from relatively wide is no good but this is still in danger of turning into a rout.
New Zealand 27-0 Australia
52 mins - Or not... Not straight at the lineout and it’s a Wallabies free-kick in their own 22. They opt for the scrum. Ah, but they’re outscrummaged again and get pinged.
Another NZ penalty, another kick to the corner
New Zealand 27-0 Australia
50 mins - The game has got a bit scrappy with the ball bouncing around in the loose. Eventually the All Blacks get over the ball at a breakdown to win the penalty and kick to the corner. Lineout drive incoming you’d think...
PENALTY! New Zealand 27-0 Australia
46 mins - New Zealand go for the posts and Richie Mo’unga makes no mistake from the tee. The All Black focus now will be ensuring they seal the bonus point (for scoring three more tries than Australia) and racking up the points difference to make South Africa’s job against Argentina later all the tougher.
New Zealand 24-0 Australia
45 mins - That might just break the back of the Australia resistance. All Blacks eating up ground now, Caleb Clarke with a powerful run, taking defenders with him, before a neat Smith offload frees Ioane.
Into the 22 - Lomax crashes up into a defender and then we come back for an All Blacks penalty.
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