The Springboks’ unbeaten streak in the Rugby Championship has come to an end following a close 28-29 loss to Argentina in their fifth-round match held in Santiago del Estero.
This victory marks Argentina’s first win against South Africa since 2018, breaking an eight-match losing streak and keeping their slim hopes for the championship alive.
The match began with a strong performance from South Africa, who surged to a 17-0 lead within the first 12 minutes, thanks to tries from Aphelele Fassi and Jesse Kriel, both converted by Handre Pollard.
Fassi scored from a lineout play, going over untouched, and shortly after, Kriel broke through the defense on a challenging angle. After Pollard extended the lead with a penalty, Argentina responded quickly with a lineout play that saw Mateo Carreras scoring a try following a clever switch by flyhalf Tomas Albornoz and a powerful run by inside centre Santiago Chocobares.
A pivotal moment in the first half was the yellow card issued to winger Kurt Lee Arendse for a high tackle on Carreras, allowing Los Pumas to capitalize. They scored two tries while Arendse was in the sin bin, first from Pablo Matera, who scored on the left side, and then from prop Joel Sclavi, who powered through to give Argentina an unexpected lead.
Soon after, Tomas Albornoz added a fourth try for Argentina, slipping through the defense with a well-timed dummy. The Springboks did manage to respond just before half-time with a try from Cobus Reinach, trailing 26-22 at the break.
The second half turned into a fierce contest dominated by kicking and set pieces. Pollard and Libbok each added penalties, putting South Africa ahead 28-26. With ten minutes remaining, however, Argentina regained the lead thanks to Albornoz, who successfully slotted a penalty.
Argentina nearly secured the game with a chance to extend their lead from a lineout in the corner, but Eben Etzebeth made a crucial steal, enabling the Springboks to advance downfield. With only a minute left, South Africa had a penalty opportunity from about 30 meters out, but Manie Libbok’s attempt went wide, sealing the Springboks’ fate.
The tournament will be decided next weekend in Nelspruit, where the two teams will meet again. The Springboks maintain a five-point lead in the standings going into that match, thanks to a losing bonus point.