Argentina melts down, South Africa reclaims throne
South Africa Rugby Championship 2024 champion
In just under two hours, South Africa put behind it the surprising defeat seven days ago in Santiago del Estero and, demolishing Argentina with a clear 48-7 in Mbombela, won the Rugby Championship for the fifth time in its history, returning to success in the Southern Hemisphere's premier tournament for the first time since 2019 and reaffirming its global superiority in rugby following its success in the 2023 World Cup.
The match è without history from the start: Aphelele Fassi goes in goal after 8', Pieter-Steph du Toit crosses the line at 14' (Jaden Hendrikse transforms in both cases) for 14-0. Argentina deludes itself into thinking it can come back by going in goal with Tomas Albornoz on 19' (the same Benetton Rugby opener transforms), but unlike at home to the Pumas, South Africa does not flinch and scores virtually every time it crosses the halfway line.
Hendrikse makes it 17-7 with a free kick on 22', then come two more goals before halftime, with Fassi on 33' and Cheslin Kolbe on 38', who take advantage of the ten minutes in which Mateo Carreras è was forced to the bench because of a yellow card to allow South Africa to close the first half on 27-7.
That of Mateo Carreras è the first card in the entire tournament for Argentina but it won't be the only one, becauseé Pablo Matera gets himself sent off with yellow turned red after the review at the 'bunker' in minute 55 and Santiago Carreras gets another yellow in 68' exactly one minute before Malcolm Marx's goal for 34-7 (after Handré Pollard's transformation).
Even final è all in favor of the Springboks: du Toit scores again at 73' Jesse Kriel marks in turn at 77'. Pollard converted on both occasions and put his signature from the penalty spot on the 48-7 final.South Africa closes the tournament with 24 points, finishing ahead of New Zealand (16 points after a 31-13 success over Australia in the Italian morning), Argentina itself (14 points) and the Australian Wallabies, last with just 5 points collected in the six matches played.
