South Africa clinched the Rugby Championship in emphatic style with a bonus-point win over Argentina at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday.
The Springboks outscored Los Pumas by seven tries to one for a 48-7 win.
Even more significant was that it put a seal on veteran lock Eben Etzebeth’s 128th Test, making him the most capped Bok of all time – beating the record previously held by Victor Matfield.
An emotional Etzebeth, capped by Matfield, said he was lost for words, but proud to be part of such a great Bok team.
“It is difficult to describe, but that is why I play this game – to be part of this team,” he said.
South Africa, in a frenzied first half, employed their new expansive approach without hesitation.
However, they were not always as clinical as they would have liked to be – but clearly moving in the right direction.
Manie Libbok seemed at home with the expansive approach of the Boks, while the forwards laid the kind of platform that allowed the talented back to put on display their full array of skills.
Early in the second half, the Boks seemed to lack the same intensity and spark that made them so dominant before the break.
Their error rate also increased significantly, as fatigue set in.
However, a three-try blitz in the final 12 minutes completed a great rout and ensured all four Southern Hemisphere trophies are now at HQ in Plattekloof, Cape Town – Rugby Championship, Mandela Plate and Freedom Cup.
The Boks got off to a blistering start, a series of phases and forward raids earning them a penalty deep inside Los Pumas’ 22.
They set up a line-out five metres from the opposition line, which became another penalty for playing a jumper in the air. They went for a scrum this time, which became a reset.
That became a penalty, an advantage and another penalty. This time, from the scrum, quick hands saw Manie Libbok put Aphelele Fassi into space and over for the first try. Hendrikse slotted the conversion – 7-0 after eight minutes.
The Boks continued to pound Los Pumas with brute force, and won two more scrum penalties – which resulted in a warning to Argentina.
Rugby Championship
P
W
L
D
Total
1
South Africa
6
5
1
0
24
2
New Zealand
6
3
3
0
16
3
Argentina
6
3
3
0
14
4
Australia
6
1
5
0
5
From a line-out and a few more brutal forward phases, the Boks went close, before Pieter-Steph du Toit dove over a ruck to score the second try. Hendrikse slotted the conversion – 14-0.
Los Pumas were not deterred. A penalty and a defensive error by Siya Kolisi allowed Tomas Albornoz to sprint over for the visitors’ first try. Albornoz added the conversion – 7-14, after 20 minutes.
From the restart Los Pumas players were penalised for advancing ahead of the kicker, allowing Hendrikse to stretch the lead to 10 points – 17-7.
Just short of the half-hour mark Argentina was reduced to 14 men when wing Mateo Carreras was yellow-carded for a reckless collision with Aphelele Fassi.
Minutes later it was Fassi who scored the Boks’ third try and his second – the scoring pass and try assist coming from a hot-stepping Cheslin Kolbe. This time Hendrikse’s conversion attempt hit the upright – 22-7.
Fassi became the provider for the next try – a sweetly timed pass to Cheslin Kolbe, who stepped a defender and left him floundering on the pitch. The conversion attempt was again off-target – the Boks taking a 20-point (27-7) lead into the half-time break.
Early in the second half Siya Kolisi won a breakdown penalty, but Hendrikse was wide of the mark with a sitter.
