Secondhalf burst seals Bok victory
DURBAN: South Africa scored four tries in the second half to come from behind and beat Argentina 3421 in their Rugby Championship opener yesterday, avoiding a second straight surprise defeat to the Pumas in Durban.
The Springboks scored first but trailed 145 and 1410 at halftime after Argentina hit back with tries by first fiveeighth Nicolas Sanchez and flanker Pablo Matera at Kings Park. It was there the Argentines claimed their first test win over South Africa in a big shock in 2015.
This time, South Africa avoided the upset with three tries and 17 unanswered points in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Wingers Aphiwe Dyantyi and Makazole Mapimpi each completed a double.
South Africa dominated territory throughout but wasted opportunities in attack and was sloppy again with 13 minutes left to gift Argentina centre Matias Moroni an intercept try. The Pumas were just a converted try behind and in striking range at 2721.
Halfback Faf de Klerk’s snipe from close range, the sixth try for the Boks, put the game beyond doubt and gave coach Rassie Erasmus a winning start in the Rugby Championship.
‘‘I think for the first 25 minutes of the second half we were OK,’’ Erasmus said.
‘‘But out of the 80 [minutes], that was the only 25 that was really good. Apart from that, we were scrappy.’’
The Springboks also had lock Eben Etzebeth back in action after an eightmonth injury absence and No 8 Warren Whiteley returned for his first test in more than a year.
Erasmus has three wins from five tests since taking over the Springboks this season. He beat England 21 in a home series in June but his progress will be judged when South Africa faces Australia and, ultimately, the topranked All Blacks later in the Rugby Championship.
Argentina’s coach was also in charge of his first game in the championship.
Argentina pounced on two opportunities to go ahead in the first half but struggled with its setpiece and did not see much ball as a result.
‘‘We lost the game over that,’’ Argentina captain Agustin Creevy said. — AP