Springboks seal back-to-back Rugby Championship titles with narrow Argentina win

South Africa had to dig deep in a fiercely contested encounter at Twickenham to edge Argentina 29–27 in a nervy clash and clinch a historic back-to-back Rugby Championship title.

The Springboks were forced to graft early on, absorbing sustained pressure from a fired-up Pumas side that dominated territory and possession. But resolute defence kept the scoreboard tight, allowing the world champions to flip the momentum in the second half and seal the campaign.

With their forwards taking control through scrum dominance and rolling mauls, and the backs finding space, the Boks surged ahead to put themselves out of reach — though they were pushed until the 82nd minute to secure their first-ever consecutive Rugby Championship crown.

Two crucial tries by scrumhalf Cobus Reinach before half-time and hooker Malcolm Marx shortly after the restart set the Boks on their way as their set piece further asserted control. Marx also crossed for his second soon after, stretching the lead to 29–13.

However, when they had that advantage, the champions put themselves under unnecessary pressure in the final 20 minutes through ill-discipline, sloppy play, and their inability to handle Argentina’s aerial assault. That strong cushion should have allowed them to close out the game more comfortably in front of just over 70,000 spectators, and while they eventually did, it was under immense strain.

A try after the hooter by Argentina narrowed the margin and made the final scoreline look tighter than it should have been.

Despite domination at scrum time, the first half was hardly comfortable viewing for Bok supporters. They trailed 13–10 at the break, with Argentina playing most of the rugby in the opening forty minutes.

Canan Moodie’s yellow card for head contact barely two minutes into the match meant South Africa were down to 14 men and on the back foot for much of the early exchanges.

It allowed the Pumas to control possession and play in the right areas of the field. They stretched the Bok defence from touchline to touchline, while their ball-carrying in close quarters was equally impressive.

Moodie was fortunate not to see a second yellow after a failed interception attempt was judged by the referee to be a genuine catch effort. However, it looked borderline, and the Pumas will feel aggrieved given that they had numbers out wide.

The defending champions’ decision-making and execution on attack were also below par, and they should have settled into the game far earlier than the 25th minute, when they finally began asserting themselves.

A counter-attack from Damian Willemse in the 22nd minute, full of nifty running and footwork, should have produced a reward. But a deep high kick from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu soon turned over possession. Moments later, the fly-half broke the defensive line brilliantly but overcooked his final pass to Cheslin Kolbe, who was sprinting down the touchline.

Ultimately, those dominant scrums and mauls were the saving grace in the first half, and their second-half authority laid the foundation for victory.

South Africa will celebrate back-to-back titles but will know there is still plenty of work to be done to become the complete product.

Yet the way they defended their Rugby Championship crown — especially after losing the opener and effectively being in knockout mode since their defeat in New Zealand — shows there is immense fight and resilience in this ever-evolving team.

Points scorers

Springboks 29 (10) - Tries: Cobus Reinach (2), Malcolm Marx (2). Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2). Penalty: Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Argentina 27 (13) - Tries: Rodrigo Isgro, Bautista Delguy (2). Conversions: Santiago Carreras (3). Penalty: Carreras (2).