Argentina have made five changes to the team that were hammered 13-73 in Soweto last weekend for this week’s Rugby Championship match in Mendoza.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick off. The anthems have been sung. We have a moment’s silence.
0.01: Morne Steyn kicks off and we are underway.
1.00: Argentina make a powerful start by pressuring the Springboks all the way back to their tryline.
2.00: They win the line out and Juan Manuel Leguizamon drives the Boks back and he scores the first TRY! A perfect start for the Pumas.
3.00: Felipe Contepomi takes the conversion kick and nails it from the touchline.
4.00: The Pumas have strong home support and they are driving the Pumas forward even though it’s not a full stadium. The Pumas are taking the game to the Springboks.
5.00: The Springboks knock on at the line out so the Pumas have the put in for the first scrum. It has to be re-set and the put in goes to the Boks.
7.00: Penalty to the Springboks for the Pumas front row losing their bind. Morne Steyn will kick for posts. He nails it and the Springboks are on the board.
10.00: Bjorn Basson is caught advancing ahead of the kicker so the Pumsa have a penalty. Contepomi takes the kick and nails it.
12.00: South Africa are getting more into the game. They try to attack down the wing but the Pumas stop Bryan Habana and then the second wave is also stopped.
13.00: The Pumas turn the ball over as the Boks attack but then the Boks turn the ball over and Bjorn Basson scores in the corner. TRY!
14.00: Morne Steyn takes the conversion kick and he curls it in. The scores are level.
16.00: The Springboks manage to get boot to ball and Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino gets back as Ruan Pienaar chases and tries to dot the ball down. No try.
17.00: From the restart the Springboks looks to have knocked on as they went high for the kick – Adriaan Strauss takes the ball and passes to Juandre Kruger who runs in what he and the Boks think is a try. The TMO confirms the knock on and the try is not awarded. We go back for the knock on.
20.00: Penalty to South Africa in their half. Steyn kicks for touch.
21.00: South Africa are starting to dominate the territory as they attack in the Pumas 22. They win another penalty and this time they kick for the corner.
24.00: South Africa have already conceded six turn overs in the match. The Pumas are really targeting the breakdown.
27.00: Argentina are pushing South Africa back into their own territory and the Springboks are trying to use the boot to pin the Pumas back. The Pumas are edging the territory in this phase. The Springboks knock on so we have a scrum inside the Boks half.
28.00: There is a scrum but it is stopped as it has to be re-set as Steve Walsh admits he got the call wrong. The Pumas then win the scrum and knock on.
30.00: Territory is now 54% to Argentina. Overall the match is fairly even.
32.00: Penalty to Argentina. F.Louw offside. Contepomi takes the kick and just misses.
34.00: The Pumas kick ahead but Ruan Pienaar connects with the ball and then it goes out so the Pumas have the put in at a line out. They win the line out and get the ball up to the South African 22.
35.00: The Pumas continue to go through the phases on attack. They get to about 10 m out and they go again and again. They have the advantage and then Marcello Bosch powers over for the TRY! The crowd erupts !
37.00: Contepomi adds the conversion. Argentina lead again.
39.00: The Springboks are playing with some urgency. They win a penalty just inside the Pumas half.
40.00: Steyn takes the kick and nails it.
It’s half time.
The half time score was Argentina 17 South Africa 13
The second half is underway.
41.00: South Africa are playing with a little more intensity this half already. They move the ball down the line but the Pumas turn it over.
42.00: The Springboks win the ball back and attack. However as they go wide and down the wing but they lose the ball forward.
44.00: Penalty to South Africa. Before the penalty is taken though there is a report of an eye gouge on Francois Louw so the TMO will have a look at Pablo Matera however there is no evidence. Steyn takes the kick for posts and slots it.
48.00: Argentina are playing plenty of rugby but they are playing above themselves as a few balls are going to players that are not expecting it.
49.00: The Pumas kick for the corner and find space behind Basson and it rolls out. Great kick. The Boks however win the line out and they win a penalty to contact in the air. Steyn kicks for touch. Contepomi has come off.
51.00: Another penalty to South Africa. That’s four this half and all to South Africa. Steyn kicks well downfield.
52.00: Handling errors 7 South Africa Argentina 5. Bismarck du Plessis has come on to win his 50th Test cap.
53.00: The Springboks are doing most of the playing now. Argentina continue to defend.
55.00: Argentina win their first penalty of the half through great pressure at the breakdown. It’s in their half so they kick for touch.
56.00: The Springboks concede another penalty as they have too many players in the line out. The Pumas run the ball but the Boks turn the ball over. The Beast knocks on.
57.00: The Pumas put the scrum under their hookers feet so they concede a silly penalty. The Springboks run the ball and then Willie le Roux kicks the ball straight into touch.
59.00: Argentina are growing in confidence. They work the ball into the South African 22. The Boks however turn the ball over and kick well downfield. The Beast has been replaced by Gurthro Steenkamp.
60.00: The Springboks tempers are starting to flair through frustration. The Pumas win a penalty almost on the half way line. Hang on, Eben Etzebeth says he has been bitten so the TMO is called on the radio but he can’t be found so they will have to look at it later. The penalty stands and Marcelo Bosch takes the penalty kick. He misses. Pat Lambie comes on for Bjorn Basson.
63.00: The Pumas continue to attack in the South African half. Walsh still has no communications with his assistants.
64.00: South Africa win a scrum and Steyn boots from his 22 all the way to the Pumas tryline. They kick it back.
65.00: Augustin Creevy comes on for Eusebio Guinazu as we have a scrum.
68.00: The Pumas win a penalty so they kick for touch and then the line out. They win the line out and start the attack. South Africa defend the maul and win the put in from a scrum.
69.00: Penalty to South Africa. Steyn kicks well downfield.
71.00: South Africa win the line out and build a maul. Ayerza drops the maul so South Africa have another penalty. Steyn takes the kick and he nails it. South Africa lead.
73.00: There is a break in play for an injury. The ball is inside the Pumas half and the Pumas have a scrum.
74.00: The scrum is a mess and goes down twice which eats up time.
76.00:The Pumas knock on as they chase a high ball so the Boks have a scrum inside their half. The Boks will have to watch that they don’t concede a penalty.
77.00: Penalty to South Africa. It’s in front of the posts so Steyn will kick for the corner. The kick is poor but does go out – strange he didn’t go for posts.
79.00: Another penalty for South Africa. This one is inside the 22 and this time the Boks will kick for posts. If this goes over the game will end.
80.00: Steyn takes the kick and slots it.
That’s it. South Africa win.
The full time score is Argentina 17 (17) South Africa 22 (13)
Scorers
Argentina
Tries – J. Manuel Leguizamon, M Bosch.
Pen – F.Contepomi
Con – F.Contepomi 2
Drop –
Cards –
South Africa
Tries – B.Basson
Pen – M.Steyn 5
Con – M.Steyn
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Steve Walsh
Assistant Ref 1:John Lacey
Assistant Ref 2:Pascal Gauzere
TMO : Vinny Munro
Teams
Argentina
Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, Gonzalo Camacho, Marcelo Bosch, Felipe Contepomi (captain), Horacio Agulla, Nicolas Sanchez, Martin Landajo, , Leonardo Senatore , Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Pablo Matera, Mariano Galarza, Julio Farias Cabello, Juan Figallo, Eusebio Guinazu; ,Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: Agustin Creevy, Nahuel Lobo, Tomas Lavaninni, Benjamin Macome, Tomas Cubelli, Santiago Fernandez, Juan Imhoff
South Africa
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Gurthro Steenkamp, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Jano Vermaak, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Jan Serfontein.
