The Springboks’ unbeaten streak in the Rugby Championship has come to an end, suffering a narrow 28-29 defeat to Argentina in their fifth-round match held in Santiago del Estero.
This victory marks Argentina’s first win over South Africa since 2018, halting a streak of eight consecutive losses and keeping their slim title hopes alive.
South Africa started the match strongly, taking an early 17-0 lead within the first 12 minutes as Aphelele Fassi and Jesse Kriel each crossed the try line, with Handre Pollard converting both attempts. Fassi scored from a set-piece lineout, followed shortly by Kriel, who broke through the defense near the ruck.
Pollard added a penalty to extend the lead to 17, but Argentina quickly responded from a lineout play. A switch by flyhalf Tomas Albornoz moved the play to the short side, setting up a powerful run by inside center Santiago Chocobares that led to a try by Mateo Carreras.
A pivotal moment in the first half came when South African winger Kurt Lee Arendse received a yellow card for a high tackle on Carreras. Argentina capitalized on this, scoring twice while Arendse was in the sin bin. Pablo Matera crossed the line following a wide play, and prop Joel Sclavi scored from a maul, giving Argentina an unexpected lead.
Tomas Albornoz added Argentina’s fourth try with a clever dummy maneuver, but the Springboks responded just before halftime through Cobus Reinach, closing the half at 26-22 in favor of Argentina.
The second half turned into a tactical battle dominated by kicks and set pieces. Pollard and Libbok contributed with penalties, allowing South Africa to momentarily take a 28-26 lead. However, Albornoz made a break from a set-piece, regaining the lead for Argentina with a successful penalty in the final 10 minutes.
Argentina had an opportunity to secure the win from a lineout, but South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth made a critical steal, enabling the Springboks to advance downfield. As the match approached its conclusion, South Africa was awarded a penalty from 30 meters out. However, Manie Libbok’s attempt went off-target, sealing the win for Argentina.
The championship will be decided in Nelspruit next week, where the teams will face each other again. Despite the loss, the Springboks hold a five-point lead in the standings after earning a losing bonus point.