Lock forward Eben Etzebeth opened the scoring 19 minutes into the contest. Damien de Allende would follow suit adding his name to the score sheet dotting down with a five-pointer.
South African Rugby team played against Argentina on Saturday 29 July 2023. Picture: @Springboks/Twitter.
JOHANNESBURG – The Springboks got off to a slow start against Argentina in Joburg as the visitors led by a narrow 3 points in the first quarter of the game. It was an untidy start to the game but the world champions eventually got into their stride.
Lock forward Eben Etzebeth opened the scoring 19 minutes into the contest. Damien de Allende would follow suit adding his name to the score sheet dotting down with a five-pointer.
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One of the factors that put the Bokke under pressure was the high error rate which affected the side’s continuity. Argentina opted to play more running rugby to limit the physical confrontation at the breakdown which is undoubtedly the Springbok’s strong point.
Duane Vermeulen added: “It was up and down. There were times we felt we were dominant with the ball in hand and there were times we kind of lost it. A mess up at the breakdown and discipline things like forced penalties seemed to let us down, we walk away with a win and we say thank you to that.”
After the first 40 minutes, South Africa went into the halftime break with a 6-point lead. Tactically speaking, Los Pumas seemed to show aggression defensively with the chop tackle which was causing problems for the forwards in green and gold.
In the second half, South Africa failed to build scoreboard pressure allowing Michael Cheika’s men to keep believing and grow in confidence as the clash continued.
Despite it all, one cannot falter the defensive system of the Bokke which put Los Pumas on the back foot even further after Mannie Libbok scored South Africa’s third try putting the contest to bed with 10 minutes left on the clock.
“We pride ourselves on our defence. There is still some work to be done before we head to the World Cup,” said Vermeulen on the side’s defence.
A late try by Gonzalo Bertranou saw the visitors claw their way back but a little too late in the game. South Africa walked away with a narrow 22-21 win.
It was also the final home match for the side before they head to the World Cup and the captain spoke highly of the support from South Africa’s backing the team.
“There are millions of people who wear the green and gold and they support the Bokke it’s fantastic to see the support and we just want to say thank you from our side”
As for the veteran Bokke No.8, it was his last run in the jersey at home.
“It’s emotional for me it’s my last home game on South African soil and I want to thank the team, the players, the coaches and all the people who have been supporting me in my career.”
Match report: The Boks did enough to outlast the Pumas in a tough scrap in Joburg – more here: https://t.co/9PKxOo5PJ2 ⚡#StrongerTogether #RSAvARG #Springboks #TRC2023 pic.twitter.com/YdV56m44LN
‘ Springboks (@Springboks) July 29, 2023
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