Springboks maintain their revival to cage Pumas hit by Lavanini’s red card
SOUTH Africa made it five from five in Salta as Argentina saw red in the second round of the Rugby Championship last night.
The Springboks went into the game high on confidence after four wins already this year including last week against those same Pumas 37-15 in Port Elizabeth
Given all four wins came on home soil, their first away trip of 2017 was always going to be a test but they rose to the Challenge to maintain their perfect record and surpass their awful 2016 record of four wins in 12 Tests matches. Argentina had an early opportunity to open their account and they did so with Emiliano Boffelli slotting a long range penalty.
South Africa failed to reply in kind on two occasions Elton Jantjies off target from the tee but they were handed an early boost when Tomas Lavanini was binned for a dangerous tackle on Coenie Oosthuizen.
With Argentina and Juan Martin Hernandez butchering a certain try it was South Africa who finally got it right first with Jantjies chipping over the top, Jesse Kriel gathering and feeding Siya Kolisi inside for a wonderful try.
Jantjies converted and then added a penalty but the Pumas hit straight
back with Ramiro Moyano racing away after the Boks let the ball bounce from the restart.
Hernandez converted to make it all square at 10-10 but Juan Manuel Leguizamon was yellow carded for repeated infringements which handed South Africa territory went over for a try he converted himself and make it 17-10 at the break.
Hernandez reduced the gap early in the second half with a penalty but another stunning longrange move was concluded by Kolisi which put the visitors 13 points clear after Jantjies conversion.
The turning point of the game came just before the hour when Lavanini picked up a second yellow card which saw him sent off and to make matters worse referee Pascal Gauzere awarded a penalty try to South Africa.
Matias Moroni got one back and it proved a tenpoint try as Sanchez converted and Boffelli kicked a penalty from halfway as Andries Coetzee was binned for dangerous play as Moroni scored.
They were only eight points adrift and they pushed hard but Jantjies, with his second penalty of the game eight minutes from time, and Jean-Luc du Preez, with a try, sealed the win.