The second match in the Rugby Championship is in Durban, South Africa where the Springboks host Argentina.
The Boks will be aiming for a third straight Test victory over the Pumas after winning back to back matches in their last two meetings in 2017.
- This will be the 27th meeting between the Springboks and the Pumas, South Africa have lost just two of their previous 26 meetings (W23, D1).
- South Africa defeated England 2-1 in their June Test Series, winning their first two clashes before losing the third; the Springboks haven’t lost consecutive matches on home soil since a run of three defeats from 2015 to 2016 (W10, D1, L3 since).
- The Pumas have lost their last six away games in The Rugby Championship, only on four occasions in the history of the tournament (incl. Tri-Nations) has a side endured a longer losing run on the road (Australia L14 –2002-2008, Argentina L10 –2012-2015, South Africa L7 –2001-2004 & 2005-2008).
- Argentina was one of just two tier one teams to record a 100% scrum success rate during the June Tests (also Australia), while the Springboks had the best rate at the lineout (96%).
- Pieter-Steph du Toit made the most carries of any tier one player during the June Tests (42), while the Pumas’ Nicolas Sanchez made the most of any back (39), closely followed by teammate Emiliano Boffelli (38).
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway in Durban.
3.00: South Africa turn down an early three points for a kick to the corner and the driving maul. It comes to nought when Emiliano Boffelli claims a mark from Aphiwe Dyantyi’s chip-kick.
6.00: Lots of kicking by South Africa in the early exchanges. They are retaining possession, but going nowhere with it.
8.00: TRY! Lukhanyo Am powers over from close range. The Springboks used some pick and goes, keeping the ball tight before Am worked his way over. 5-0
9.00: MISS! Handre Pollard’s kick fades away from the posts. 5-0
12.00: Springboks get the first scrum of the match. It is reset.
14.00: A rumble breaks out and continues after the ref blows his whistle. Tendai Mtawarira is the man penalised. Nicolás Sánchez kicks to the 22.
15.00: TRY! Sánchez scores under the posts. It came from Willie le Roux not taking the flyhalf’s high ball. Argentina recycled quickly, Sánchez saw the gap and is in for the equaliser. 5-all
16.00: CONVERSION! Nicolás Sánchez puts his team in the lead. 5-7
18.00: Springboks get a penalty on their 22, and they clear to halfway.
20.00: The game is scrappy. Am collects his grubber, the ball is sent wide and Malcolm Marx wins the penalty at the breakdown.
21.00: South Africa squander the lineout maul; two series’ later, Argentina get a penalty. Nicolás Sánchez kicks deep into the opposition’s half.
23.00: Guido Petti knocks on. South Africa counter-attack through Makazole Mapimpi. The play is switched and Le Roux’s kick behind the defensive line is taken into touch. The lineout is lost by the hosts and Los Pumas clear.
25.00: Eben Etzebeth is driving forward at every opportunity and the visitors are struggling to halt the juggernaut. Le Roux finds a gap but runs out of support. The ball is turned over and Los Pumas mount a counter-attack.
28.00: TRY! Pablo Matera is over after Siya Kolisi has the ball turned over. the ball spilt out of the back of the unguarded ruck was picked up and sent to the flanker who powered over. 5-12
29.00: CONVERSION! Sanchez adds the sideline conversion. 5-14
30.00: The ball is turned over at the ruck again by the hosts. They have been rubbish at the breakdown and Argentina is loving it.
32.00: TRY! Dyantyi gathers Willie le roux’s pin-point cross-kick and dives over in the corner. 10-14
33.00: MISS! Pollard cannot find his radar. 10-14
35.00: Am gets in on the act at the breakdown, winning the penalty. Pollard kicks to the corner… and the Boks lineout loses another one. Poor from SA. They turned down another three points and came away with zero.
37.00: Argentina’s defending has been awesome. It’s their rush defence that stops the outside attack and forces mistakes in the midfield after Le Roux drops Pollard’s low pass. Scrum to the visitors.
38.00: Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro loses his footing and is penalised for collapsing. This time Pollard points at the sticks.
39.00: MISS! Pollard’s kick is pushed wide. He is not striking the ball well from the tee and is none from three.
40.00: Dyantyi, stuck on the touchline, tries to muscle his way forward, but instead, loses the ball into touch.
The halftime score was South Africa 10 Argentina 14
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway at Kings Park, Durban.
43.00: TRY! Dyantyi latches onto Faf de Klerk’s box-kick, is tackled, but his momentum carries him close to the line. He reaches out and scores. 15-14
44.00: CONVERSION! Finally, from the touchline, Pollard finds his radar. 17-14
45.00: South Africa on the attack again, but knock on inside the Pumas 22.
47.00: The home team are on the front foot, however, their handling has been poor, halting many good attacking opportunities.
48.00: Beast Mtawarira wins the Boks a scrum-penalty. Pollard kicks deep into the Argentina 22.
49.00: TRY! Makazole Mapimpi takes De Klerk’s long skip-pass and waltzed untouched into the corner for the Boks’ fourth score of the game. Prior to that, Marx and Beast both were stopped on the line. 22-10
50.00: MISS! Pollard is wide – again. 22-10
52.00: Marx wins his third penalty at the ruck; he is a machine. Pollard kicks to touch.
53.00: Matías Moroni is pinged for obstruction. De Klerk goes quickly, two phases later, Mapimpi is over for his second. Dyanti could have walked that in, but instead, he chose to give his fellow winger an easy score. 27-10
54.00: MISS! Pollard strikes well, but the ball sails wide yet again. He’s one from six, tonight. 27-10
56.00: The Springboks have really picked up the pace since halftime. Argentina has no answer at the moment.
58.00: Los Pumas go several phases inside South Africa’s half, but Agustín Creevy loses the ball forward, gifting the opposition easy possession.
60.00: The game enters the last quarter. Francois Louw chases back, makes the tackle and the steal, winning the penalty. Argentina is chasing the game.
62.00: South Africa has kept Javier Ortega Desio and Marcos Kremer quiet as well as Bautista Delguy and Boffelli, in the backs.
65.00: Etzebeth has been immense, but this time, he is caught offsides. The Pumas kick to the corner. Damian Willemse and Marco van Staden both on the field for their Springboks debuts.
67.00: TRY! Oh dear, Matías Moroni intercepts Willemse’s floated pass and runs away to score under the sticks. 27-19
67.00: CONVERSION! Sanchez drop-kicks the conversion. 27-21
69.00: The Boks are on the charge and inside the opposition’s 22.
70.00: TRY! Bongi Mbonambi cleans out the ruck, Steven Kitshoff carries to the line before De Klerk picks up at the base, looks left, sees nobody and snipes over for the try. 32-21
71.00: CONVERSION! Pollard could not miss from in front. 34-21
74.00: Argentina still going, looking for a bonus-point.
76.00: The visitors are going through the phases inside the Boks 22. The Bok defending is standing strong, not allowing any more soft tries, making the South Americans work for their rewards.
79.00: Los Pumas cannot find a way through the green wall.
80.00: Van Staden wins the penalty as the hooter sounds, and that is the game.
FULL TIME.
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The final score is South Africa 34 (10) Argentina 21 (14)
Scorers
South Africa
Tries – Am, Dyantyi (2), Mapimpi (2), De Klerk
Pen –
Con – Pollard (2)
Drop –
Cards –
Argentina
Tries – Sánchez, Matera, Moroni
Pen –
Con – Sánchez (3)
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZRU)
Assistant Ref 1: Angus Gardner (ARU)
Assistant Ref 2: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
TMO: Simon McDowell
Teams
South Africa
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Makazole Mapimpi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Siya Kolisi (captain), 6 Francois Louw, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Marvin Orie, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Lionel Mapoe, 23 Damian Willemse.
Argentina
15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matías Moroni, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matías Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Agustín Creevy (captain), 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Diego Fortuny, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Tomás Lavanini, 20 Tomás Lezana, 21 Martín Landajo, 22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Juan Cruz Mallia
