Last Saturday witnessed a tense game between Argentina’s Los Pumas and South Africa’s Springboks in the fight for the Rugby Championship.
It seemed the tone of the game was set after the Springboks scored two easy tries in quick succession. That was, however, until Los Pumas blitzed through their defensive line to score four tries in the first half. Moments before half-time, the Boks were brought back into the game with an impressive try from Cobus Reinach, but Argentina retained the lead 26-22. Hopes for a second half comeback were dashed by a late penalty from Argentinian fly-half Tomás Albornoz, with the final score standing at 29-28 in a historic 4th victory against South Africa.
Argentina’s unexpected success in the Championship has come as a surprise to many. Though they have not always been the most consistent team, they must be given credit, with impressive victories against the All Blacks and now the Boks. Breakaway tries from Santiago Carreras and Pablo Matera reminded viewers that Los Pumas are a force to be reckoned with, but, could it be argued that Argentina’s victory was merely a result of an underwhelming Bok performance? Whilst their younger players have put on an admirable performance this tournament, the Springboks left behind many more seasoned players. Argentina were able to exploit this lack of experience and were further assisted by a yellow card. The Boks were also awarded a crucial last minute penalty kick which would have turned the tables in their favour, but fly-half Manie Libbok sent it wide. Libbok’s poor kicking game has haunted his performance since the narrow margins of the World Cup. Despite his high calibre and the team defending him in the media, there are only so many mistakes he can be allowed to make. Even so, Los Pumas deserve praise for their win and dominant first half performance.
This is the first match South Africa have lost in this year’s Championship, shooting Ireland to the top of the World Rugby Men’s Rankings. This has raised some eyebrows, given that Ireland have not played since July. On a more celebratory note, Handré Pollard has become the second highest point scorer in Springbok history, and Eben Etzebeth the joint most capped Springbok of all time, set to break this record on Saturday with 129 caps.
Argentina still have a shot at winning their first Championship if they win Saturday’s match with an attacking bonus (achieved if they score at least three more tries than South Africa). However, they will be facing a very different team in Mbombela – one with more experience and a home crowd behind them. Although Argentina have proved they can put up a good fight, the Championship will, most likely, be South Africa’s for a second time.
Photo credits: “Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades (Este)” by Gergas is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.