South Africa vs Argentina LIVE: Rugby Championship result and reaction as Springboks hold off Pumas
South Africa 22-21 Argentina: The Springboks withstood waves of pressure from the visitors to sign off the Rugby Championship with a home win
Flyhalf Manie Libbok scored a breakaway try against the run of play to secure South Africa a bruising 22-21 victory over Argentina and earn a second-place finish in the Rugby Championship at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Springboks had to withstand heavy Argentine pressure, some of their own making through poor execution, but managed to grind out the win as they also scored tries through lock Eben Etzebeth and centre Damian de Allende.
Argentina were in the contest all the way but battled to break down the resolute home defence and got tries late on through wing Mateo Carreras and replacement Gonzalo Bertranou as the visitors pushed for what would have been a first ever win in Johannesburg.
New Zealand claimed the Rugby Championship trophy earlier on Saturday with a comprehensive 38-7 victory over Australia in Melbourne but the Boks’ victory sees them end second, with Argentina in third.
Follow live updates from South Africa vs Argentina in the final round of the Rugby Championship below
South Africa 15-9 Argentina, 40 minutes
Argentina’s lock depth has been eroded in recent weeks, Guido Petti still absent and Matias Alemanno not involved today, while Marcos Kremer, who would usually offering cover from the back row, is still suspended. Pedro Rubiolo will be Paulos’s replacement, but is more usually sighted on the flank, trotting out as his teammate is carefully lifted on to the cart.
Two serious head injuries in the first 40 minutes. It’s not been an easy watch in Johannesburg. Best wishes to Paulos and Grant Williams.
South Africa 15-9 Argentina, 40 minutes
Oh no! Another player lies prone apparently out cold, Lucas Paulos’s head in the wrong place as he tries to halt Duane Vermeulen. Fair play to Faf de Klerk for immediately signalling to Andrew Brace that he should stop just as another South Africa began a charge towards the stricken lock - we’ll have a pause while Paulos is attended to.
PENALTY! South Africa 15-9 ARGENTINA (Santiago Carreras penalty, 39 minutes)
Santiago Carreras is back with us having been cleared of a concussion in an HIA earlier, his foot also having healed sufficiently to allow the fly-half to knock over his third penalty.
South Africa 15-6 Argentina, 37 minutes
Ruiz hits his lineout jumper but Argentina lose control soon after, the ball ending up, somehow, in Duane Vermeulen’s hands. South Africa try to run out of danger, Faf de Klerk nearly streaking clear but hauled back by the shorts elastic.
A midfield muddle sees the ball hit the floor again, an Argentina hand deemed to have knocked it backwards. South Africa are then penalised, but protest it had gone forward - they are probably right, but Andrew Brace is not for turning.
South Africa 15-6 Argentina, 35 minutes
Vermeulen gets himself in a tangle with Cheslin Kolbe as the two men wait for another firework to fall, their intertwined arms combining to knock it on. South Africa are then pinged at the breakdown.
Julian Montoya’s wound from the first five minutes has never quite healed - the claret is now positively gushing out of the Argentina captain’s eyebrow, meaning replacement Ignacio Ruiz will have to step in to the breach while some stitches are sourced.
South Africa 15-6 Argentina, 33 minutes
Argentina need something before half-time, you feel, with South Africa starting to surge. Jesse Kriel is found in space by a delicate Manie Libbok dab, Kriel finding Kurt-Lee Arendse with an infield fling.
Libbok again drops ball to toe, Duane Vermeulen stomping up the right touchline to take, but brushing his boot on the chalk just as he tries to combine with a teammate.
South Africa 15-6 Argentina, 31 minutes
A handful of crunching close-in hits and Steven Kitshoff jackals superbly! Heavens, this South African defence packs a punch, Tomas Lavanini and Lucas Paulos ended by back-to-back tackles, two large locks levelled in quick succession. Kitshoff simply pecks at the carrion - another turnover penalty the home side’s way.
South Africa 15-6 Argentina, 29 minutes
It’ll be exit drills first things Monday morning for both sides at this rate - South Africa this time fail to appropriately clear their lines, Willie le Roux taking his eye off the ball and shelling a slightly low pass. Argentina will feed a scrum six metres or so out from the South Africa line.
TRY! SOUTH AFRICA 15-6 Argentina (Damian de Allende try, 27 minutes)
And Damian de Allende is the unlikely beneficiary of the lineout drive!
Argentine bodies are tossed aside as the South Africa locomotive chugs out of the next station, the backs piling in to add their weight. De Allende is the end man, riding the green wave and then surfing away to bash through Lautaro Bazan Velez.
Manie Libbok succeeds from the tee - two more to South Africa’s tally as the crowd roar.
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