Following a 29-27 victory for the Springboks over Los Pumas at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, here’s our five takeaways from Saturday’s Rugby Championship encounter.
The Top line: A Twickenham epic and a Championship retained
In front of a raucous 70,000-strong crowd at Twickenham, South Africa retained their Rugby Championship crown with a bruising 29-27 victory over a resurgent Argentina side that refused to buckle, even when controversial moments threatened to take the match away from them.
The Springboks, led by the irrepressible Malcolm Marx and the evergreen Player of the Match, Cobus Reinach, who both crossed for two tries apiece, leaned heavily on their traditional strengths, with the set-piece and the Bomb Squad once again proving decisive in the final quarter.
The match was a microcosm of the Boks’ season: moments of brilliance punctuated by periods of indiscipline and handling errors, yet underpinned by relentless physicality and a bench that continues to redefine the concept of impact. Argentina, meanwhile, emerged with immense credit, having grown significantly from their Durban drubbing just a week earlier. Their refusal to yield, their tactical kicking game, and their ability to punch holes in the Bok defence, particularly through the massive Marcos Kremer and Santiago Chocobares, made this a contest worthy of the occasion.
The win secures back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for South Africa, a first time feat that speaks to their consistency and adaptability across styles and conditions. It also confirms their status as the southern hemisphere’s most complete side, capable of winning ugly, winning big, and, as they showed here; winning when the margins are razor-thin.
Bok back-to-back wins: Power, precision, and a hint of chaos
South Africa’s triumph marks their second consecutive Rugby Championship title, a testament to the depth and resilience of a squad that has evolved.
The Boks had won three of their five matches, scoring a tournament-high 179 points and 23 tries, including two 40-plus point performances earlier in the campaign.
Yet this was no procession. Early on, the Boks were guilty of a lack of ball protection, coughing up possession with alarming regularity, 13 turnovers lost across the match, and struggling to find rhythm against an Argentine side that dominated territory and possession in the opening quarter. The scrum, however, remained a bedrock, with South Africa winning multiple scrums against the head and using four consecutive set-pieces on Los Pumas line to eventually force Reinach’s first try.
Ethan Hooker, despite being outsized by Argentina’s towering back three, competed admirably in the air, while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu continued his emergence as a genuine Test match playmaker, beating defenders with ease and kicking with precision. The Boks’ power game remains their default setting, 566 carries and 2382 metres gained across the tournament. but their ability to switch gears and play expansively is what makes them so dangerous.
Turning points: Cards, kicks, and controversy
The match was not without its flashpoints, and the early yellow card to Canan Moodie, just 1 minute and 45 seconds into the game, set the tone for a contest that teetered on the edge of chaos. Moodie was incredibly fortunate to avoid a second yellow for a deliberate knock-on later in the half, a decision that raised eyebrows given the precedent set in recent matches. The cynics amongst us might observe that the officials lacked the conviction to make the call, especially in front of a partisan crowd and with the stakes so high.
Springboks clinch second successive Rugby Championship title after hard-fought win over Argentina
South Africa’s early indiscipline played directly into Argentina’s hands, but the Boks’ ability to run with venom was evident, with Willemse and Feinberg-Mngomezulu beating defenders consistently and creating line breaks that stretched the Argentine scramble defence to breaking point.
The yellow card to Mayco Vivas in the second half proved pivotal, opening the door for Marx to exploit the weakened Argentine front-row and drive over for his second try. The Bomb Squad, featuring Wilco Louw, Kwagga Smith, and RG Snyman, added the kind of impact that has become synonymous with South African rugby, turning the tide in the final quarter and suffocating Argentina’s late surge.
This was a match that had everything: controversy, courage, and class. South Africa may have lifted the trophy and may very well have gotten out of jail with the Moodie incident, but Argentina left Twickenham with their heads held high and their trajectory pointing firmly upwards.
Argentina’s rise: From Durban despair to Twickenham defiance
If the Durban fixture was a lesson in humility, then Twickenham was a showcase of Argentina’s growth and grit. The Pumas dominated early possession and territory — 61% territory and 58% possession in the first half and struck first through a powerful surge led by Kremer and Chocobares, whose direct running narrowed the Bok defence and created space for Delguy to finish.
Kremer was immense throughout, operating as a midfield enforcer off a six-man lineout and delivering a defensive masterclass that included 18 tackles, six dominant hits, and three turnovers. His ability to carry into contact and win collisions was matched by Santiago Grondona, who shone at number eight, tidying up an annihilated scrum and offering a link between forwards and backs that kept Argentina in the fight.
Yet the set-piece remains Argentina’s Achilles heel. South Africa’s scrum dominance — winning three scrums against the head and forcing two penalties exposed a vulnerability that has become increasingly pronounced. The Pumas missed 27 primary tackles and relied heavily on scramble defence to stay afloat, though their dominant tackles 17 (47 across the tournament) show that when they hit, they hit hard.
Squad learnings: Depth, development, and the road ahead
For Argentina, the continued improvement of Joaquin Oviedo as a genuine international-class number eight is a major positive and again, he contributed well, if off the bench in this match. His ability to carry, clean up messy ball, and compete at the breakdown adds another layer to a back row already brimming with talent. Kremer and Gonzalez continue to be among the most physical operators in world rugby, whilst the Chocobares–Cinti centre partnership offers both punch and poise.
Yet the scrum remains a concern. Argentina are a front-row away from a top four ranked side is a sentiment that rings truer with each passing match. The debut of tighthead Thomas Rapetti may have come at the perfect time; he showed serious promise and even won a scrum penalty, suggesting that the future may not be as bleak as the present.
South Africa, meanwhile, continue to unearth backline talent at an impressive rate. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s impact over the last three matches has been transformative, and his two tries here, both showcasing his ability to read space and exploit mismatches, underline his growing influence. Yet questions remain about the back three, with Cheslin Kolbe’s second error in eight days gifting Argentina a try and raising concerns about his decision-making under pressure.
The Boks’ reliance on the scrum was evident, but their newly-found ability to shift styles, from the bludgeoning power game to the expansive, multi-phase attack that yielded 40-point hauls earlier in the tournament is a sign of a team evolving. Marx’s re-emergence as a world-class hooker, now combining his breakdown prowess with improved lineout accuracy, adds further steel to a pack that already boasts the bomb squad impact of Wilco Louw’s scrummaging, Kwagga Smith’s dynamism, and RG Snyman’s aerial presence.
For the Boks, the challenge now is to maintain this level of excellence while blooding the next generation of forwards, particularly at number eight, where the conveyor belt has slowed – leaving Jasper Weise as near indispensable for them. For Argentina, the mission is clear: fix the scrum, and the rest will follow.