Springbok player ratings vs Argentina: South Africa win Rugby Championship

Springbok player ratings vs Argentina: South Africa win Rugby Championship after famous win at Allianz Stadium in front of bumper crowd. By Matt Priest.

Braces from Cobus Reinach and Malcom Marx saw The Springboks Retain the Rugby Championship title for the first time in their history. 

It was a sea of green jerseys in Twickenham but that did not stop the Argentine’s starting off the stronger side. Juan Cruz Mallia opened the game with a darting run catching Canan Moodie off balance and the South African made head contact in the tackle resulting in an early sin bin for the defending champions. 

This man advantage was quickly capitalised on when Bautista Delguy ran through Ethan Hooker’s arm challenge to open the scoring in the fourth minute. Santi Carreras converted with his first attempt from the tee giving Los Pumas an early 7-0 lead. 

It did not take long for the Springboks to get themselves on the board however after a high tackle penalty set up Sacha Feinburg-Mngomezulu with an easy penalty which he converted without trouble in the 11^th minute. 

Argentina extended their lead through two Carreras penalties either side of the 20 minute mark after some sloppy defence by South Africa led to multiple breakdown infringements. 

The Springboks didn’t sit back however, some strong scrum play constantly overpowered the Argentinian pack and after a successive string of scrums, Cobus Reinach broke off and converted catching the Argentine’s off guard. The conversion was converted meaning the teams went into the break just three points apart. 

HALFTIME: ARGENTINA 13 – 10 SOUTH AFRICA 

The second half started out in South Africa’s favour as the Springboks converted a driving maul into a try through Malcom Marx after Mayco Vivas was sent to the bin for Argentina. The conversion was missed, however. 

The Springboks took control of the man advantage by scoring another try in the 51^st minute. Reinach took advantage of a gap in the defence and sniped through expertly. The conversion was successful giving The Boks a nine point lead. 

The game was going all South Africa’s way when Marx barrelled over for his second of the match in the 58^th minute. A blistering line opened up Los Pumas defence and Marx’s forward momentum was too much too handle. 

Argentina got one back through Delguy after a sloppy pass was picked up by the winger who outran everyone else to get into the try zone. Carreras got the extras putting the deficit at nine. 

A third Argentina try came late on as a pint point kick from Carreras sailed over the heads of the Springbok defensive line and found Rodrigo Isgro in the corner of the try zone for a consolation score. 

Scroll down for the Springboks player ratings vs Argentina.

1. Ox Nché – 7/10
Strong in the scrum and dominant against his opposite man, Nché was a battering force. He was also disruptive at the breakdown and outmuscled almost every player on the pitch.

2. Malcolm Marx – 9/10
A force of nature in the scrum, Marx powered through an opponent of such high calibre in Montoya and scored twice. A superb game from the hooker.

3. Thomas du Toit – 7/10
The entire Springbok front row was excellent, dominating in the scrum. Du Toit, in particular, put the Argentines under sustained pressure.

4. Eben Etzebeth – 6/10
Penalised by the referee a few times but remained his ever-menacing self at the breakdown and tackled with trademark power.

5. Ruan Nortjé – 6/10
Strong around the maul and lineout but was overshadowed by Etzebeth in both attack and defence.

6. Siya Kolisi – 7/10
Commanded his team well and caused several turnovers at the breakdown. Now in his mid-30s, Kolisi is showing no signs of slowing down.

7. Pieter-Steph du Toit – 7/10
Provided numerous strong carries and ran over multiple defenders — a dominant physical presence. The former World Player of the Year once again proved why he earned that title.

8. Jasper Wiese – 6/10
Solid at the base of the scrum and contributed defensively with several tackles, though his flankers had a greater overall impact.

9. Cobus Reinach – 8/10
Scored twice through excellent scrum-half play, though a few of his passes went astray.

10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – 6/10
Not as impressive as his record-breaking performance last week but kicked well and distributed with poise and precision.

11. Ethan Hooker – 5/10
Could have been stronger in defence and offered little in attack.

12. Damian de Allende – 5/10
Made a few good breakaways but wasn’t a standout. With most of South Africa’s attack coming through the forwards, he was largely overlooked.

13. Canan Moodie – 4/10
An early sin bin — lucky it wasn’t a red — put his team under pressure. His discipline cost the Springboks early on.

14. Cheslin Kolbe – 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.

15. Damian Willemse – 5/10
Not at his best but dependable in defence and controlled the back line effectively.

Replacements – 6/10
The “Bomb Squad” made a major impact once again, helping the Springboks pull away in the second half and ultimately secure the victory.