Pumas snatch only second success against Springboks with late penalty goal

A week after letting a winning chance slip through its fingers, Argentina beat South Africa 26-24 in the Rugby Championship on Saturday to claim only its secondever victory over the Springboks.

Replacement Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, the third goalkicker used by Argentina, kicked a penalty with three minutes remaining to clinch the win after South Africa snatched the lead with a Morne Steyn goal five minutes earlier.

For the second week in a row, Argentina saw a 10-point secondhalf lead evaporate. Last weekend in Nelspruit, South Africa, the Pumas led by 10 points with nine minutes remaining only to concede two late tries and lose 30-23.

This time at home in Salta Argentina held its nerve after Steyn seemed to snatch another Springboks victory, reclaiming the lead to match its first victory over South Africa in Durban last year. South Africa was left to rue goalkicking lapses: Starting flyhalf Elton Jantjies and Steyn jointly missed four kicks at goal while Nicolas Sanchez, Juan Martin Hernandez, and Iglesias maintained perfect records for Argentina, sharing six goals from six attempts.