South Africa’s 29-27 win over Argentina at Twickenham wasn’t just a match,it was a thriller that exposed both the brilliance and the flaws of the southern hemisphere’s elite. The Springboks secured back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for the first time, but they did it by the skin of their teeth.
Cobus Reinach and Malcolm Marx starred with two tries apiece, and the Bomb Squad made their usual late-quarter impact. Yet, let’s be honest: this was far from a flawless performance. Early yellow cards, handling errors, and a sin-binned Canan Moodie could easily have handed Argentina the match. South Africa may have lifted the trophy, but they scraped past a team that refuses to bow under pressure.
Argentina, emerging from last week’s Durban humiliation, showed remarkable growth. Marcos Kremer and Santiago Chocobares bulldozed the Springbok defence, and Santiago Grondona ran the game at number eight with poise and authority. The Pumas dominated territory and possession in the first half, exposing South Africa’s moments of indiscipline. Yet their set-piece weaknesses—particularly in the scrum—proved costly, underscoring that talent alone is not enough.
The bigger picture? South Africa remains ruthlessly efficient, capable of winning ugly, winning big, or edging razor-thin matches. Argentina, however, is no longer just fodder for the southern giants. With players like Kremer, Oviedo, and Rapetti showing real international class, the Pumas are fast becoming a team that can take these contests right to the wire—and sometimes, push the favourites to the brink.
Twickenham was thrilling, controversial, and raw. And if nothing else, it reminded us that in rugby, the margins between victory and heartbreak are finer than ever—and the next few years are shaping up to be absolutely fascinating.
English