The Springboks won their first Rugby Championship title since 2019 in style, by blowing away contender Argentina 48-7 in Mbombela on Sunday (NZT).
In a strange quirk, while the Springboks have won the last two Rugby World Cups, they haven’t been able to claim the southern hemisphere crown.
They capped a tournament they led from day one — August 11 — with a handsome last-round victory by seven tries to one that exceeded expectations, and celebrated lock Eben Etzebeth becoming their outright most capped international in his 128th test.
The Springboks were prevented from clinching the title last weekend in Santiago del Estero, where Argentina ended the Boks’ unbeaten run with a 29-28 victory.
But the world champions still needed only a single bonus point to finish the job when they returned home.
A side of 10 changes and restocked with World Cup winners led by a commanding 27-7 at halftime, weathered an attempted Pumas comeback, and finished with three converted tries in the last 11 minutes.
Argentina buckled under pressure, conceding its first yellow cards in the tournament; three of them, one of them becoming a red card to replacement flanker Pablo Matera.
South Africa made its mood known in the second minute when it waived off a kickable penalty and forced a 5m lineout. That didn’t work, so it forced three straight five-metre scrums. Finally, Damian de Allende was first receiver, Manie Libbok ran out the back door and fullback Aphelele Fassi straightened and busted through two defenders to cross.
Libbok, who missed a late penalty last weekend for the win and title, was relieved of goalkicking duty but had a starring role. His distribution, vision and defence were top-notch.
Halfback Jaden Hendrikse, combining with Libbok for the first time, nailed the conversion.
Another penalty kicked to the corner finished with flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit leaping over the ruck to score.
Trailing 14-0 after 14 minutes, Argentina reminded of its qualities when flyhalf Tomas Albornoz converted his own try.
But after winger Mateo Carreras was sin-binned for recklessly taking out an aerial Fassi, Fassi scored after a du Toit turnover and Jesse Kriel break.
Right on halftime, Libbok and Fassi set up wing Cheslin Kolbe to step one defender and crash through a second to score and make it 27-7.
In a first half which flew by, the Pumas struggled to hold back the Springboks and took hits. Backs Santiago Chocobares and Rodrigo Isgro — the sevens star — and flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez had already been forced off.
But the Pumas fought back in the new half with more possession. But the Boks defense was too good.
Matera reduced the Pumas to 14 again after his yellow card for a shoulder to the head of Vincent Koch. That turned into a red card. And when they dropped to 13 men when fullback Santiago Carreras was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on in the 68th, the Springboks showed no mercy.
Malcolm Marx scored from a lineout maul, du Toit crossed after a Kurt-Lee Arendse run, and Jesse Kriel scored from a Handre Pollard chip.
Pollard converted all three tries after replacing Libbok, who was cheered off for leading the Springboks to only their second Rugby Championship title in 15 years.
