Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu delivered a record-breaking performance as South Africa ran in nine tries to power past Argentina 67-30 in Durban on Saturday, moving the Springboks to the top of the Rugby Championship standings ahead of next week’s final round.
The flyhalf was unstoppable, scoring a hat trick of tries and kicking eight conversions plus two penalties, racking up a personal tally of 37 points — surpassing Percy Montgomery’s long-standing South African record of 35 points in a single Test, set against Namibia in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
South Africa trailed by just 25-23 at halftime, but Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s second-half brilliance propelled the Boks to a dominant victory. Malcolm Marx, Cheslin Kolbe, Morne van den Berg, Pieter-Steph du Toit — who scored twice — and Manie Libbok all crossed the line, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu keeping the scoreboard ticking over with flawless kicking.
Argentina had fought hard early, registering a penalty try and a try from Santiago Chocobares in the first half, and Tomas Albornoz added another after the break, converted by Santiago Carreras. However, the Pumas were held scoreless for the remainder of the match, finishing with 15 points from Carreras’ boot.
With the win, South Africa climbs one point ahead of New Zealand and four clear of third-placed Australia, while Argentina remains at the bottom of the table with nine points.
The two sides will meet again next Saturday at Twickenham in the final round of the Rugby Championship, with South Africa aiming to cement their top-spot finish and Feinberg-Mngomezulu looking to add to his record-breaking exploits.
English