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2024 Argentina vs South Africa

Argentina Shocks Springboks With 29-28 Win, Denying Rugby Championship

Argentina Shocks Springboks With 29-28 Win, Denying Rugby Championship

Argentina hosted the Springboks in Santiago del Estero for a Round 5 match in The Rugby Championship. Here's a recap of the game.

Sep 22, 2024 by R. R. Ellis
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Los Pumas secured a slim victory over the Springboks, 29-28, in a historic match at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

The Springboks traveled to Argentina with the singular aim of clinching The Rugby Championship title with a win, but they will walk away empty-handed, as Los Pumas deny South Africa its first TRC trophy since 2019. At least for one more week. 

South Africa, which was undefeated in the tournament until this game, faced a determined Los Pumas with an uproarious crown. 

By winning, Argentina achieved the historic feat of defeating all three championship opponents at least once in a single tournament.

The match unfolded with intense back-and-forth action, missed penalties, critical tries and huge collisions that made their mark on a game that was high-humidity, high-heat and high-drama. 

Subscribe to watch the replay in United States, or recap the game below. 

What A Match, What A Tournament (So Far)


Argentina Has Defeated Every TRC Team

Argentina has defeated all three other teams at least once in The Rugby Championship during the 2024 tournament. 

Argentina Wins!

Argentina 29,  South Africa 28

Los Pumas have done it, and the Springboks Rugby Championship title will have to wait another week, at least. 

Incredible work from Argentinean side, which played to the level of the Boks. 

The fans are losing their minds!

Libbok Misses Penalty Goal!; 80'

South Africa 28, Argentina 29

Seconds left in the game, and Manie Libbok misses the penalty! 

Unbelievable luck for Los Pumas.

SA Scrum, Minutes Left; 78'

Scrum resets twice. It's set into Argentina territory, but just barely. 

Boks Win Ball On Pumas Lineout; 76'

South Africa 28, Argentina 29

Springboks take possession and will try to work their way up the field with only a few minutes left. 

Teams are leaving it all on the field. 

Teams Battling At Midfield; 72'

South Africa 28, Argentina 29

Lots of hits, lots of kicks, chips, collisions. It's an all-out war. 

The crowd is howling. Incredible atmosphere. 

Lots Of Wounds Out There


Albornoz Makes Penalty, Pumas Take Lead!;69'

South Africa 28, Argentina 29

Tomas Albornoz puts through the uprights after a great run of play from Los Pumas led to them being awarded a penalty.

Whose Blood Is It?; 68'


Less Than 20 Minutes; 62'

Some really beautiful kicks this game, with each team taking turns at changing territory. 

South Africa is winning, but it feels like this game could change at any moment.

If this score holds, though, South Africa will claim The Rugby Championship title for the first time since 2019.

Teams Look Tired; 59'

It's smash-mouth rugby out there, with high humidity and high heat at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades.

Teams have taken multiple water breaks, lots of stoppages from injuries as well. 

Lots of replacements coming on now. 

Los Pumas Miss Penalty; 52'

Tomas Albornoz unsuccessful in putting Los Pumas back on top. 

Libbok Puts It Through; 50'

South Africa 28, Argentina 26

South Africa take the lead back on a Manie Libbok penalty goal. 

Eben Etzebeth Comes On

Etzebeth ties the South African record for most-capped player.

He can beat that record next week. 

Springboks Awarded Penalty, Convert; 43'

South Africa 25, Argentina 26

South Africa takes the points and inches closer to Los Pumas.

Second Half Begins; 40'

South Africa 22, Argentina 26

Pollard kicks to the Pumas. 

Scores Recap 😳

  • 39' Handre Pollard (South Africa) - Missed Conversion
  • 38' Cobus Reinach (South Africa) - Try
  • 35' Tomas Albornoz (Argentina) - Conversion
  • 34' Tomas Albornoz (Argentina) - Try
  • 27' Tomas Albornoz (Argentina) - Missed Conversion
  • 26' Joel Sclavi (Argentina) - Try
  • 22' Tomas Albornoz (Argentina) - Conversion
  • 21' Pablo Matera (Argentina) - Try
  • 18' Tomas Albornoz (Argentina) - Missed Penalty
  • 17' Kurt-Lee Arendse (South Africa) - Yellow Card
  • 15' Tomas Albornoz (Argentina) - Conversion
  • 14' Mateo Carreras (Argentina) - Try
  • 13' Handre Pollard (South Africa) - Kick at Goal
  • 9' Handre Pollard (Souith Africa) - Conversion
  • 8' Jesse Kriel (South Africa) - Try
  • 4' Handre Pollard (South Africa) - Conversion
  • 3' Aphelele Fassi (South Africa) - Try

Halftime Stats

South Africa 22, Argentina 26

Penalty Goals

  • Argentina: 0
  • South Africa: 1

Tries

  • Argentina: 4
  • South Africa: 3

Conversions

  • Argentina: 3
  • South Africa: 2

Line Breaks

  • Argentina: 5
  • South Africa: 5

Turnovers Lost

  • Argentina: 8
  • South Africa: 6

Turnovers Won

  • Argentina: 0
  • South Africa: 4

Overall Possession

  • Argentina: 50%
  • South Africa: 50%

Halftime

South Africa 22, Argentina 26

The first 40 minutes happened at a blistering pace. 

Still 40 more to go, though. 

Cobus Reinach Takes It Over The Line!; 38'

South Africa 22, Argentina 26

So many tries in the first half.

Pollard misses the conversion.

Los Pumas Score!; 35'

South Africa 17, Argentina 26

Trickery from the No. 10 Tomas Albornoz, who fakes a pass and takes it in himself through a line of South Africa skyscrapers.

He then converts the kick. 

Four tries already for Argentina. 

SA-Argentina Battling Like Gladiators; 34'

Two teams are clobbering each other near the SA try line. 

Argentina Man Advantage Over; 31'

South Africa is at full strength again.

Closer Look At Jesse Kriel Try ⚡

Los Pumas Take The Lead!; 27'

South Africa 17, Argentina 19

Argentina looks magical these last few minutes.

Big No. 3 Joel Sclavi gets the try. 

TMO checked to see if Argentina went into touch before the pass, but the try was confirmed. 

Conversion missed. Albornoz will want that one back. 

Argentina Score Again!; 22'

South Africa 17, Argentina 14

Los Pumas take advantage of the extra man, and Pablo Matera runs it in after some fantastic passing.

Albornoz converts. 

Albornoz Misses Penalty; 19'

Albornoz sends it high.

Argentina will surely want to take better advantage of scoring opportunities.

No red card on Arendse.

South Africa Yellow Card; 17'

Kurt-Lee Arendse gets sent to the sin bin after a TMO check. 

Under review for red card. 

Closer Look At Fassi Try

Argentina Had Great Run Of Play; 17'

Los Pumas had a wonderful set of line breaks before a turnover. 

They look much better these last few minutes. 

Argentina Strike!; 14'

South Africa 17, Argentina 7

Los Pumas get their first points of the game with some beautiful interplay. 

Mateo Carreras takes it across the line. 

Tomas Albornoz converts. 

Pollard Penalty Goal; 12'

South Africa 17, Argentina 0

Springboks have been relentless. 

SA Battering Kicks For More Lineouts; 12'

South Africa is kicking into touch with pinpoint accuracy to keep the ball in the Argentine end. 

Kriel Comes Through Lightning Fast For Another Try; 8'

South Africa 14, Argentina 0

Kriel makes an incredible move and catches an offload to run in basically untouched. 

Pollard converts. 

Another SA Lineout In Pumas Territory

Springboks is pushing early an often. 

Pollard To Fassi For Try!; 4'

South Africa 7, Argentina 0

Springboks get on the board early with the first try of the game coming in under four minutes. 

Aphelele Fassi takes it across the line. 

Pollard makes conversion. 

Handre Pollard Kicks To 5m

What a kick, and already South Africa has a lineout close to the try line. 

First Scrum For SA; 1'

Argentina knock on. 

Stoppage in play as Thomas Gallo is looked at for injury.

We Have Liftoff ✈️; 0'

South Africa 0, Argentina 0

Argentina kicks off to South Africa and we are under way.

Both Teams Have Taken The Field

We will have anthems, and then we will have rugby action.


Springboks Could Win Second TRC Title

In spite of how dominant the Springboks have been the last few years, it's easy to forget they haven't won a Rugby Championship title since 2019.

In fact, they've only won a single Rugby Championship trophy since the format was changed to four teams.

Even if you include the old Tri-Nations, South Africa has only won four total Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship titles.

It's less about South Africa's shortcomings than it is a reminder of just how dominant New Zealand has been over the last 30 years.

Los Pumas Gameday Faces

Boks Are Warming Up

Springboks Vs. Los Pumas Prediction

Here's a prediction from FloRugby expert, Philip Bendon. 

"Momentum will be vital, with both teams having key players capable of shifting the tide. However, South Africa, chasing a record sixth Rugby Championship victory and on a nine-match winning streak in all competitions, holds the upper hand. 

The Springboks have won their last eight encounters with Argentina, with an average winning margin of 15.4 points. While Argentina has been unpredictable throughout the tournament, the Springboks' experience and form may prove too much, even if they perform at their best.

The Springboks know how to win big occasions, with Erasmus fielding a squad stacked to the gills with World Cup winners. Certainly, Los Pumas will not simply roll over, but this Bok team are just too powerful upfront and will grind down their hosts. Springboks by 8."

South Africa Vs. Argentina Results Since 2015

  • Date, Winner Score, Loser Score - Stadium
  • Aug. 8, 2015 - Argentina 37, South Africa 25 - Kings Park
  • Aug. 15, 2015 - South Africa 26, Argentina 12 - José Amalfitani
  • Oct. 30, 2015 - South Africa 24, Argentina 13 - Olympic Stadium
  • Aug. 20, 2016 - South Africa 30, Argentina 23 - Mbombela Stadium
  • Aug. 27, 2016 - Argentina 26, South Africa 24 - Padre Martearena
  • Aug. 19, 2017 - South Africa 37, Argentina 15 - Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
  • Aug. 26, 2017 - South Africa 41, Argentina 23 - Padre Martearena,
  • Aug. 18, 2018 - South Africa 34, Argentina 21 - Kings Park Stadium
  • Aug. 25, 2018 - Argentina 32, South Africa 19 - Malvinas Argentinas
  • Aug. 10, 2019 - South Africa 46, Argentina 13 - Padre Martearena
  • Aug. 17, 2019 - South Africa 24, Argentina 18 - Loftus Versfeld
  • Aug. 14, 2021 - South Africa 32, Argentina 12 - Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
  • Aug. 21, 2021 - South Africa 29, Argentina 10 - Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
  • Sept. 17, 2022 - South Africa 36, Argentina 20 - Estadio Libertadores de América
  • Sept. 24, 2022 - South Africa 38, Argentina 21 - Kings Park
  • Jul. 29, 2023 - South Africa 22, Argentina 21 - Ellis Park
  • Aug. 5, 2023 - South Africa 24, Argentina 13 - José Amalfitani

50 Minutes Until Kickoff

How To Watch South Africa Vs. Argentina Rugby

The Rugby Championship will be streaming in the United States on FloRugby and the FloSports app.

That includes games from Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Match replays, highlights and more will be on both platforms.

Los Pumas Hype Video. Will They Play Spoiler?

Springboks Are In The Building 🦌

South Africa Springboks Lineup

  1. Ox Nche
  2. Malcolm Marx
  3. Thomas du Toit
  4. Salmaan Moerat
  5. Ruan Nortje
  6. Marco van Staden
  7. Ben-Jason Dixon
  8. Jasper Wiese
  9. Cobus Reinach
  10. Handre Pollard
  11. Makazole Mapimpi
  12. Lukhanyo Am
  13. Jesse Kriel
  14. Kurt-Lee Arendse
  15. Aphelele Fassi

Substitutes: 16. Jan-Hendrik Wessels 17. Gerhard Steenekamp 18. Vincent Koch 19. Eben Etzebeth 20. Elrigh Louw 21. Kwagga Smith 22. Jaden Hendrikse 23. Manie Libbok

Argentina Rugby Lineup

  1. Thomas Gallo
  2. Julian Montoya
  3. Joel Sclavi
  4. Franco Molina
  5. Pedro Rubiolo
  6. Pablo Matera
  7. Marcos Kremer
  8. Joaquin Oviedo
  9. Gonzalo Bertranou
  10. Tomas Albornoz
  11. Mateo Carreras
  12. Santiago Chocobares
  13. Lucio Cinti
  14. Bautista Delguy
  15. Juan Cruz Mallia

Substitutes: 16. Ignacio Ruiz 17. Ignacio Calles 18. Pedro Delgado 19. Guido Petti 20. Juan Martin Gonzalez 21. Gonzalo Garcia 22. Santiago Carreras 23. Matias Moroni

South Africa Vs. Argentina Rugby Kickoff Time

The match kicks off at 4:55 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero.

South Africa World Rugby Ranking

 The Springboks are ranked No. 1 in the world with 93.58 points.

Argentina World Rugby Ranking

Argentina is ranked No. 7 in the world with 82.49 points.

South Africa Rugby Schedule 2024

Argentina Rugby Schedule 2024

World Rugby Rankings 2024

  1. South Africa, 93.58
  2. Ireland, 92.12
  3. New Zealand, 88.25
  4. France, 86.96
  5. England, 85.40
  6. Scotland, 82.82
  7. Argentina, 81.49
  8. Italy, 78.98
  9. Australia, 79.78
  10. Fiji, 78.43
  11. Wales, 76.04
  12. Georgia, 74.10
  13. Japan, 73.53
  14. Samoa, 72.30
  15. Portugal, 70.61
  16. Tonga, 68.12
  17. Uruguay, 67.39
  18. Spain, 66.29
  19. USA, 66.08
  20. Romania, 62.62

The Rugby Championship 2024 Fixtures

August 10

August 17

August 31

September 7

September 21

September 28

Where To Watch Rugby Internationals 2024?

In the USA, FloRugby will broadcast some of the best international rugby fixtures of 2024.

South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and England will play matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app.

How To Watch The Rugby Championship 2024?

The Rugby Championship will be streaming in the United States on FloRugby and the FloSports app.

Match replays, highlights and more will be on both platforms. 

How To Watch Rugby Matches In the United States On FloRugby

FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to: 

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. 

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