The world champion Boks edged their hosts in a tight game in Buenos Aires ahead of four Tests against the All Blacks.
Bok player Andre Esterhuizen carries the ball against the Pumas in Buenos Aires on Saturday. Picture: Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images
The Springbok beat Argentina 17-10 in a one-off Test in Buenos Aires on Saturday, ahead of their Test series against the All Blacks starting in two weeks’ time.
In a tight game with few try-scoring chances, the Boks scored two tries to the one by the Pumas. The teams were level at 10-all at the break.
No one really got the upperhand on the other and Argentina will feel they let a golden chance to beat the Boks slip away. They gave as good as they got from a Bok team that saw the likes of Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Morne van den Berg all return from injury.
Kolisi though hobbled off the field early in the match and there will be concern about his troublesome hamstring ahead of the All Blacks Tests.
It was far from a full-strength Bok side, but it included several World Cup winners. No 8 Cameron Hanekom was the best of the Boks, followed closely by Edwill van der Merwe out wide on the wing, while De Jager and Etzebeth also performed well.
The Boks had to rely big-time on many of their bench-sitters to help get them across the line. The likes of Zach Porthen, Gerhard Steenekamp, Cobus Wiese and Ban-Jason Dixon brought energy and intensity to the game in the second half.
The first half by the Boks lacked cohesion, with many errors and little energy.
The Boks will now turn their full attention to the four All Blacks Tests.
Below is The Citizen’s live coverage of the match.
Pumas v Springboks – LIVE UPDATES
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TEAMS
ARGENTINA – 15 Gerónimo Prisciantelli, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, 11 Ignacio Mendy, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz, 8 Joaquín Moro, 7 Benjamin Grondona, 6 Pablo Matera (c), 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Francisco Moreno, 2 Ignacio Ruiz, 1 Boris Wenger.
Bench: 16 Leonel Oviedo, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Tomás Rapetti, 19 Ephraim Elijah, 20 Juan Penoucos, 21 Juan Martín Scelzo, 22 Agustín Moyano, 23 Matías Moroni.
SPRINGBOKS – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Venter.
Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Cobus Wiese, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Morné van den Berg, 23 Handre Pollard.
