Boks destroy Los Pumas to win Rugby Championship

In the lowveld's theatre of screams there was an almighty roar of approval at final whistle as the Springboks' status as Rugby Championship winners was confirmed on Saturday.

The Boks' 48-7 win came on the back of a performance that was as high in impact as it was in intensity. They wore down an initially feisty but gradually ill-disciplined Argentina in front of an often-delirious crowd of more than 43,000.

The win sealed their capture of the elusive title for the first time since 2019 and added it to their Rugby World Cup triumph of last year, as well as their Mandela Plate and Freedom Cup wins from earlier this year.

The Boks, whose march on the trophy was stalled in Argentina last week, started the decider with zeal and though they lost momentum after the break their pack with tireless Pieter-Steph du Toit firmly in the vanguard kept purring.

Much of their success in their ascent to the title was on the back of a marauding scrum and they were unrelenting in that department. Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe laid the groundwork before Malcolm Marx, Vincent Koch and Gerhard Steenekamp continued the demolition job.

Like Du Toit, Eben Etzebeth who was playing in his record 128th Test was also required to go the distance. He slugged it out with aplomb and the applause duly followed.

Jasper Wiese, whose international season was stuck in the starting gates, lengthened his stride in this clash.

At the back all eyes were on Manie Libbok and though he did not raise the flags he did the bar in every other sense. He was not required to kick at goal and scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse offered a mixed bag off the tee. He was otherwise impressive.

So too was Libbok with his neat distribution a hallmark of his play whether with foot or boot.

Fullback Aphelele Fassi delivered arguably his most productive performance in Bok colours before errors crept into his game due to the excessive amount of ball he got.

Cheslin Kolbe was a live wire. If they were still around, he would comfortably sidestep a sumo wrestler in a phone booth.

The Boks lost some of their energy and urgency in the third quarter but they stoutly held their defensive lines as the tourists made territorial inroads in the second half. Though they had less possession just after the break, the Boks kept the visitors at arm's length by absorbing pressure before forcing the visitors into error.

It was only after Argentina's recidivism caught up with them in the second half that the Springboks were able exploit space and time on the ball in the second half.

To be fair the visitors were knocked out of their stride much earlier. Los Pumas' potency with ball in hand was fleetingly on show as they fashioned their only try of the match in the 25th minute. Though they effortlessly cut open the Bok defence on that occasion the Boks' defence stood firm for the remainder of the match.

It of course did not help Argentina's cause that they lost their hugely influential centre Santiago Chocobares in the first half after Fassi fell into him at high speed.

They dealt another blow when four minutes later left-wing Mateo Carreras upended Fassi under the high ball.

In the second half a yellow card to replacement flank and former captain Pablo Matera further undermined the visitors and when that was later upgraded to red the near angelic status Los Pumas enjoyed before the tournament's final match all but evaporated.

When Santiago Carreras was shown yellow in the 68th minute the visitors had a jaundiced look.

After much mixing and matching with his selection Rassie Erasmus and his team delivered a performance of authority.

It underlined their status as World Champions and left few in doubt about their residency at the sport's cutting edge.

They flexed their muscle when needed and dispatched a team, though game, that ultimately proved no match.

SCORERS

SOUTH AFRICA (27) 48 Tries: Aphelele Fassi 2, Pieter-Steph du Toit 2, Cheslin Kolbe, Malcolm Marx, Jesse Kriel. Conversions: Jaden Hendrikse 2, Handré Pollard 3. Penalty: Hendrikse.

ARGENTINA (7) 7 Try: Tomas Albornoz. Conversion: Albornoz.