Argentina threatens major upset against rugby heavyweights

1 year ago 102

Argentina came wrong a whisker of different large upset, forcing South Africa to cling connected for a 22-21 triumph to extremity the Rugby Championship.

Argentina trailed the satellite champions 15-9 astatine fractional clip but controlled the full 2nd fractional and threatened to travel up its triumph successful Australia 2 weeks ago with a archetypal triumph connected the Highveld successful South Africa.

The important infinitesimal came erstwhile South Africa flyhalf Manie Libbok scored a breakaway effort successful the 69th infinitesimal aft Argentina threw a escaped walk portion connected the onslaught heavy successful Springboks territory.

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Scrumhalf Faf de Klerk scooped up the shot and fed Libbok, who motored 80 metres to springiness South Africa capable of a cushion astatine 22-9 — but lone just.

South Africa's Eben Etzebeth scores against Argentina. (Siphiwe Sibeko via Reuters)

Argentina inactive scored the past 2 tries astatine Ellis Park, though they lone came successful the dying minutes contempt each the Pumas' dominance successful the 2nd 40.

“Against a squad similar this, if you don’t instrumentality opportunities, past they marque points,” said Argentina skipper Julian Montoya. “Credit to them.”

South Africa went down to 14 men for the past 8 minutes of the crippled astatine Ellis Park erstwhile centre Damian de Allende was fixed a yellowish paper for intentionally knocking a walk down.

The remainder of the crippled saw Argentina attacking relentlessly and the Springboks relying connected last-gasp defence to clasp out.

Not galore tin basal successful the mode of Eben Etzebeth

Argentina's archetypal effort came successful the 75th infinitesimal done close helping Mateo Carreras arsenic its unit yet created gaps retired wide. Replacement Matias Moroni astir made it to the enactment and popped a walk disconnected the level for Carreras to spell over. That narrowed it to 22-14.

Argentina yet broke done again, but the afloat clip hooter had gone by the clip replacement scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou darted circular a ruck to people adjacent the posts. The converted effort wasn't rather enough.

South Africa hardly celebrated the choky triumph successful its past crippled astatine location earlier its Rugby World Cup defence successful France starts successful September.

“It didn’t truly enactment for america but we locomotion distant with a triumph and we tin conscionable accidental convey you for that,” said South Africa skipper Duane Vermeulen.

Grant Williams takes a nasty sound disconnected the kick-off

The triumph saw South Africa decorativeness 2nd successful the Rugby Championship supra Argentina. New Zealand had already clinched its 3rd consecutive confederate hemisphere rubric by beating Australia 38-7 earlier Saturday.

South Africa and Argentina conscionable again successful a week's clip successful Argentina successful a World Cup warmup crippled that volition commencement the Springboks' last preparations. They volition besides look Wales and New Zealand earlier heading to France.

Saturday's crippled astatine Ellis Park was meant to beryllium a jubilant sendoff for the Springboks, with pre-match celebrations that included members of the 1995 and 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks teams being paraded connected the field.

South Africa's show didn't lucifer the hype, though manager Jacques Nienaber claimed immoderate positives successful that the Springboks' defence was severely tested and conscionable astir held up.

“We had a due defence league today,” said Nienaber.

Manie Libbok and Francois de Klerk of the Springboks during The Rugby Championship. (Dirk Kotze via Getty Images)

Argentina hassled South Africa from the precise start, erstwhile fullback Juan Cruz Mallia hurtled downfield from the kickoff and crashed into Springboks scrumhalf Grant Williams aft charging down Williams' attempted clearance kick. Williams was knocked retired acold 10 seconds into his archetypal trial commencement and near connected a stretcher with concussion.

Argentina besides had fastener Lucas Paulos stretchered disconnected with concussion astatine the extremity of the archetypal half.

Argentina led 6-0 done the footwear of flyhalf Santiago Carreras but should person had much from its promising start.

South Africa pulled itself unneurotic agelong capable for fastener Eben Etzebeth to trample implicit Santiago Carreras and people the archetypal effort of the crippled successful the 19th minute. De Allende added the Boks' 2nd from a lineout maul, wherever fractional of the South African backline joined the maul to assistance propel it toward the Argentina line, and de Allende broke disconnected astatine the extremity to dive over.

Santiago Carreras kicked 3 from 3 astatine extremity successful the archetypal fractional but missed 2 penalties successful the 2nd fractional that mightiness person made the difference.

South Africa got the win, but it wasn't astir the convincing show it hoped for to commencement its last run-in to the World Cup.

“There’s inactive immoderate enactment to beryllium done,” Vermeulen said.

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