Argentina Stuns South Africa with 29-28 Victory

Argentina secured a thrilling 29-28 victory over South Africa preventing the Springboks from clinching the Rugby Championship title with a game to spare in Santiago. The match started with South Africa establishing an early lead through tries from Aphelele Fassi and Jesse Kriel. However, the Pumas responded strongly with Mateo Carreras, Pablo Matera, Joel Sclavi and Tomas Albornoz all crossing the line, putting Argentina ahead 26-17 in the sweltering heat.

Just before halftime, Cobus Reinach scored for the Springboks, narrowing Argentina’s lead to 26-22. In the second half, penalties from Handre Pollard and Manie Libbok allowed South Africa to take the lead once again. Yet, Albornoz’s penalty restored Argentina’s advantage at 29-28. As the game approached its end, Libbok had a chance to regain the lead for South Africa with a late penalty but missed.

This miss enabled Argentina to clinch a significant victory. Meanwhile, the defeat marked South Africa’s first loss in five matches of this year’s Rugby Championship which also features New Zealand and Australia but they still hold the top spot on the table with 19 points. Looking ahead, the Springboks aim to secure their first title since 2019 and will face Argentina again next Saturday, September 28, in a crucial match that could determine the championship.

Earlier that day, New Zealand edged Australia with a close 31-28 win in Sydney, further intensifying the competition in this year’s tournament.