Match action
THE Rugby Championship may be in more Covid disarray but Siya Kolisi claimed a second quick victory over Argentina tasted sweet.
Tries from wing Makazole Mapimpi and hooker Malcolm Marx ensured the Springboks made it two wins in a row at the start of a tournament which has been hit for six by New Zealand’s decision to cancel their home games with Australia and the world champions.
But captain Kolisi was only concerned about his side’s latest win which was fairly straightforward, and less than scintillating, over an Argentina outfit hell bent on shooting themselves in the foot.
Handre Pollard kicked 19 points, and flanker Kolisi insisted: “It was hard work but I am happy. We shall have to see what happens with the rest of the Championship games but I’m only concerned with what we can influence.
“This wasn’t our best performance but it keeps the momentum going.”
Having beat the Pumas 32-12 seven days earlier at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the Boks dished out more punishment against a team who had two players sent to the sin bin and who were constantly penalised for foul play.
South Africa brought back most of the players who won the series against Warren Gatland’s Lions and their pack laid the foundations again.
A stop-start, messy and penalty-ridden first half saw South Africa climb into a 15-3 lead with the order of the boot winning out again. Argentina were guilty of giving away 13 penalties in the opening 40 minutes.
South Africa showed some early intent to throw the ball around and turned down penalty chances and the Pumas were soon back on desperate defence.
They tested the patience of English referee Karl Dickson with four successive penalties just yards from their line.
Pollard eventually took the points to get the scoreboard ticking but the Springboks had to thank a forward pass to Santiago Carreras for not falling behind.
Wing Carreras was about to apply the accelerator but was halted in his tracks by Dickson’s whistle. South Africa loosehead Trevor Nyakane limped off after just 13 minutes and replaced by Steven Kitshoff.
Pollard punished the Pumas further with two more penalties as the world champions camped in the opposition half.
Fly-half Domingo Miotti responded with Argentina’s first points with the Springboks guilty at a ruck.
But the Boks were so dangerous the Pumas had to take to illegal methods to stop them crossing.
Pollard made it five from five with two more penalties to increase the lead and Dickson chose to take action against the Pumas’ by showing a yellow card to Rodrigo Bruni for deliberately going offside. Miotti’s long range penalty fell short of the target on the stroke of half-time .
The fly-half missed an easier chance at the start of the second half but the Springboks did not waste the chance of a first try when they moved the ball across the back line. Le Roux found Mapimpi in space on the left wing and he burst over untouched.
Hooker Malcolm Marx bull-dozed over for the second try from a lineout drive with Pollard adding the extras,
Pumas lost Thomas Lavanini to a yellow card for a late hit but still managed a try at the death when Pablo Montera crashed over from close range.