"3/10" - Three players who flopped for the Springboks against Argentina despite win

With New Zealand’s earlier win over Australia, the Springboks knew that any kind of victory in London would be enough to lift the trophy, thanks to their superior points difference.

Argentina began strongly, racing to an early lead through Bautista Delguy’s opening try, and maintained a 13–10 advantage at halftime. However, the world champions reasserted control after the break, with Cobus Reinach and Malcolm Marx both crossing the line twice to secure a comfortable win. Delguy added a late interception try for the Pumas, but the result was beyond doubt.

The 70,000-strong crowd witnessed South Africa’s physical dominance, yet several of the Springboks’ star names failed to hit their usual high standards — prompting questions about their form and future in the side.

Rugby 365 5.5/10: "The big man would not be happy that he got bullied on several occasions out there. He just couldn’t impose himself physically as he had in previous matches."

RUCK 5.5/10: "Penalised by the referee a few times but remained his ever-menacing self at the breakdown and tackled with trademark power."

Summary:
Etzebeth, usually a commanding force, struggled to assert his physical dominance and looked unusually subdued. Despite moments of aggression, he failed to set the tone for the pack — a rare off day for the veteran lock.

RUCK 3/10: "Kept quiet throughout and saw little of the ball due to Argentina’s aggressive line speed. His sloppy pass also led to Argentina’s second try."

Planet Rugby 4/10: "Another gaffe gifted Argentina a try as the winger overplayed his hand. He contested in the air well, but otherwise, it was a rather underwhelming outing for the Springboks star, who racked up over five missed tackles. A rare subpar game."

Rugby 365 5/10: "He is just missing way too many tackles lately, and if the Pumas were more ruthless on attack, the Boks could have been punished. The speedster also threw a crazy pass that handed Argentina’s Bautista Delguy a try in the 65th minute."

Summary:
Kolbe endured one of his toughest outings in a Springbok jersey. Starved of possession and guilty of costly errors, including a poor pass that handed Delguy a try, the winger looked far from his dynamic best.

Rugby Pass 4/10: "An inauspicious start being yellow carded in the opening minutes for a high tackle, and his defence was a slight issue in the match as timing coming out the line was sometimes off. Could have been penalised for a deliberate knock-on on another day, which would have resulted in a red. Replaced with 30 minutes remaining."

RUCK 4/10: "An early sin bin — lucky it wasn’t a red — put his team under pressure. His discipline cost the Springboks early on."

Planet Rugby 4/10: "An early yellow card was far from an ideal start for the young Springbok back and he was rather fortunate that his game wasn’t ended permanently after knocking down a Pumas‘ pass. He competed well in the air and threatened at times, but frankly, it just wasn’t his day. One of the starters to make way early in the second half. Moodie has delivered on his massive potential in recent matches, particularly in his preferred role in the midfield, but today just wasn’t his day"

Rugby 365 5.5/10: "He was more in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. He received a yellow card in the second minute for a high tackle. It could’ve been very ugly in the 30th minute after the referee deemed his intercept attempt was not a deliberate knock-on. He had a couple of runs, and he produced some strong tackles as well."

Summary:
Moodie’s afternoon began disastrously with a yellow card inside two minutes. Though he showed flashes of energy and strength, his defensive lapses and discipline issues kept him on the back foot. A learning experience for the young back after recent standout performances.