South Africa v Argentina LIVE: Result and reaction as Springboks thrash Pumas to seal Rugby Championship title
South Africa 48-7 Argentina: The Springboks run riot with seven tries to beat the Pumas to the Rugby Championship crown
South Africa host Argentina for a decisive showdown today in the final match of the Rugby Championship.
The final match of the Championship is the reverse of last week’s fixture in South America, where Los Pumas pulled off an enthralling 29-28 win over the Springboks to take the tournament to the final day.
Argentina will be aware that repeating that result away from home is an incredibly difficult feat, and they enter the final match knowing that they require a bonus-point victory over their hosts if they are to win the competition for the very first time. Meanwhile, the Springboks know that all they need is a single bonus point in order to secure the title as lock Eben Etzebeth becomes the nation’s most capped player.
Relive all the action from the Rugby Championship clash in our live blog below:
FULL-TIME! South Africa 48-7 Argentina - the Springboks win the Rugby Championship
A bit of a scrap in the in-goal area to end the game - a shame really. But it’s all over now! A sublime performance by South Africa, as they obliterate Argentina to seal the Rugby Championship title in style.
It’s been a positive tournament for the Pumas as they beat South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in the same championship for he first time but this is the Springboks’s day. The celebrations will go long into the night.
TRY! SOUTH AFRICA 48-7 Argentina (Jesse Kriel)
78 mins
And it’s another try for the Boks. Penalty advantage coming, so Pollard chips through and Jesse Kriel grabs the bouncing ball before sprinting over the line. The centre has worked hard today and deserves that try.
Was under the posts, so simple conversion added and South Africa have 50 points in their sights
South Africa 41-7 Argentina
77 mins
Reinach spots a gap and darts through as Argentina are on the back foot again. Nice offload to Louw who makes further yards and the Boks are threatening again.
TRY! SOUTH AFRICA 41-7 Argentina (Pieter-Steph du Toit)
73 mins
No TMO check this time! Arendse weaves in and out of tacklers down the left. The ball is popped out of the breakdown, Pieter-Steph du Toit catches it and blasts his way through two defenders for the score. Power from the big man.
This is now officially a rout, as Pollard adds the tricky conversion.
NO TRY! South Africa 34-7 Argentina
72 mins
The Springboks playing champagne rugby now! They flood right, Am races down the flank after a stunning dummy, feed Kriel to make more metres. Ball recycled, Fassi launches a cross-kick over to the left wing and Kurt-Lee Arendse dives to dot down the loose ball.
TMO check for the grounding and it shows that Arendse dived over the top of the ball. No clear grounding before it squirts into touch, so the try is chalked off
TRY! SOUTH AFRICA 34-7 Argentina (Malcolm Marx)
69 mins
Five-metre lineout for South Africa and there’s only one result from there. The inexorable driving maul heads towards the line, with Marx and Reinach directing traffic from the back.
And Malcolm Marx is the man who dots down - too strong from the Boks pack. A fifth try and they’re cruising to the title. Pollard adds the conversion for good measure
SIN-BIN! South Africa 27-7 Argentina (Santiago Carreras)
68 mins
South Africa win the scrum in their own 22 and now counter-attack, making 30 metres off first-phase ball. Big carries from Nortje and Louw then take them towards the 22.
Pollard tries a grubber through, it’s charged down but the Boks recover and then Lukhanyo Am tries to offload to Du Toit but it’s knocked down by an Argentine hand. TMO check for a deliberate knock-on...
And Santiago Carreras only goes with one hand, meaning it’s a deliberate knock-on, a penalty and a yellow card. Argentina now down to 13 men for the next while.
RED CARD! South Africa 27-7 Argentina (Pablo Matera)
63 mins
Argentina within five metres and then just inches from the line. But they lose the ball forward at the breakdown! Deary me, they have not been clinical today.
Also, news on Pablo Matera, who was sin-binned for that dangerous clearout on Koch. The bunker review has upgraded it to a red card, although it’s worth remembering that in the Rugby Championship, there are 20-minute red cards. So it’ll just be an additional 10 minutes on his sin bin effectively before another Pumas player can come back on and restore the team to 15 men. But Matera’s day is over, obviously
South Africa 27-7 Argentina
62 mins
Cinti pokes a kick through for a couple of the Puma speedsters to chase but the ball juuuust bounces out of play before Mateo Carreras can get there. Defensive lineout for the Boks, which they claim, and Cobus Reinach, on for Hendrikse, box kicks clear.
Better from the Pumas as Carreras weaves between defenders before Ruiz offloads for Oviedo to make decent ground and they’ll have a penalty, which is kicked to the corner.
South Africa 27-7 Argentina
60 mins
Lovely bit of business by Fassi, that. The Springboks full back brilliantly stops an Argentina penalty from reaching touch as he leaps from off the pitch into the field of play to catch the ball in the air and get his feet down inside the line. Great athleticism from the man who has already scored two tries.
Another stoppage as a player receives treatment but it does allow Siya Kolisi to get a standing ovation as he exits his 89th Test match, to be replaced by Elrigh Louw
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