In a dominant display, the South African rugby team clinched the 2024 Rugby Championship title with a resounding 48-7 victory over Argentina at a lively Mbombela Stadium on Saturday. The hosts’ impressive performance was marked by two tries each from fullback Aphelele Fassi and flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, as well as scores from wing Cheslin Kolbe, hooker Malcolm Marx, and centre Jesse Kriel.
South Africa’s inventive backline play and scrum dominance proved too much for Argentina, who struggled to contain the hosts’ relentless pressure. The visitors’ only try came courtesy of fly-half Tomás Albornoz, but their discipline issues, including yellow cards for wing Mateo Carreras and fullback Santiago Carreras, and a 20-minute red card for flanker Pablo Matera, hindered their chances of mounting a comeback.
The victory was made all the more sweet for South Africa as lock Eben Etzebeth became the most-capped Springbok with his 128th appearance, surpassing Victor Matfield’s record. The world champions finished the tournament with 24 points, eight clear of New Zealand.
Captain Siya Kolisi praised his team’s resilience, saying, “I’m lost for words; it’s been a journey and a half, and to bounce back from last week says a lot about our team.” He also paid tribute to Etzebeth, saying, “I want to say to my best friend, Eben Etzebeth… You have always been by my side, you have led us as a team in so many ways. I am so proud of you.”
The Springboks’ decision to start Manie Libbok at fly-half, with scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse handling kicking duties, signaled their intention to adopt a more attacking approach. Libbok proved instrumental in igniting the backline, which ran in seven tries to secure the championship title.
Argentina captain Julián Montoya conceded, “Credit to South Africa, they were the better team today. We weren’t good enough, we had to be better.”
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