DEVASTATING: Springboks let it slip in Santiago as Argentina stay alive in Rugby Championship

The Springboks made a great start to the match, driving the Argentinean pack back in the scrum before Handre Pollard nailed a superb touch-finder to set up the line-out deep in the Pumas’ 22. From there, a perfectly executed backline move created space for Aphelele Fassi to charge through a gap in the midfield and score.

Meanwhile, the Pumas did not start well, making too many unforced errors, which kept the Boks on the front foot. A second try seemed almost inevitable and it came after another period of Bok pressure ended with Jesse Kriel bursting through a gap and charging over.

The Boks soon added three more points via the penalty spot to open up a 17-0 lead, but just when the Pumas seemed down and out, they managed to find a response, a superb inside pass in the midfield splitting open the Springbok defence and allowing winger Mateo Carreras to go over for a try that would completely change the momentum of the match.

The home side were handed another boost when a TMO check saw Kurt-Lee Arendse sent to the bin for 10 minutes for a high tackle that looked pretty marginal.

The Pumas now had their tails up and picked up their second try after again finding space out wide following some superb interplay from their backs, though it was flanker Pablo Matera who went over for the score, beating what was starting to look like a very shaky Springbok defence.

The Pumas were soon back on the attack after finding space behind the Bok defence via a well-placed grubber kick that forced Fassi to play the ball on the ground and give away a penalty. From there, Argentina kicked for the corner, where Joel Sclavi was able to go over following a scrappy maul to score Argentina’s third try. Albornoz couldn’t convert from the corner but the Pumas were now leading 19-17, having completely erased a 17-point deficit in the blink of an eye.

The Boks suddenly seemed like they had no answer for the Pumas, and when Ben Jason-Dixon was penalised for not rolling away, it allowed the hosts to go back on the attack. Winning a penalty inside the Boks’ 22, their decision to go for the tap-and-go paid off handsomely, as a simple dummy from Albornoz allowed the flyhalf to canter over for try number four.

With time running out in the half, the Boks finally managed to find a response to all the carnage at the other end of the field when a quick tap from Cobus Reinach following a series of penalties saw the scrumhalf beat the defence single-handedly and go over in the corner. Pollard couldn’t add the extras as it finished 26-22 to Pumas following a crazy first half of rugby.

The Boks started the second half showing plenty of intent and managed to add six valuable points to their tally via successive penalties to retake the lead, the second kick coming from substitute Manie Libbok who had entered the fray along with a number of other Bomb Squad members, including a record-equalling Eben Etzebeth.

After the try fest that was the first half, points suddenly seemed much harder to come by for both teams, with the players tiring in the sapping South American heat.

But it was a little break from Albornoz that sparked the Pumas once again, eventually resulting in a penalty that the flyhalf duly converted to put the hosts back in front with a little over 10 minutes to play.

Moments later, the Boks butchered a fantastic try-scoring opportunity after Fassi knocked the ball on with the try-line beckoning.

With time running out, the Boks were given one final chance when the Pumas gave away the penalty for not rolling away, but Libbok could not convert the very makeable kick as his erratic boot once again reared its ugly head.

The Springboks were given one final chance following a Pumas kick-off, but the home side won the turnover to seal a famous victory in front of an adoring crowd in Santiago.