Springboks massacre Los Pumas at Mbombela Stadium

The Springboks lifted the Castle Lager Rugby Championship trophy in front of a sold out Mbombela Stadium tonight with a 48-7 victory over the Los Pumas.

The Boks were in sublime form, dominating the match. Their attacking game plan was too slick for the Argentinians to combat. The South Africans were in control from the first to the 80th minute and the Boks’ faithful fans cheered on every beautiful moment.

It was an evening the supporters present will not forget.

The Boks gave their fans what they wanted – the 2024 Rugby Championship – and they did so in a spectacular fashion that is more identified with sevens rugby. High-risk running rugby can bite a team back if not executed well. The Springboks did it almost to perfection.

The South African forwards secured possession, and the backs did the rest. The Bok-scrum was devastatingly dominant, with numerous scrum penalties going against the Pumas.

The first Springbok try came in the seventh minute. They opted for a scrum when awarded a penalty. The ball went through a few phases before Aphelele Fassi scored under the uprights.

Jaden Hendrikse added the two-point conversion.

The Argentinians were soon back in their own half after the restart and when the Boks won a penalty they opted for touch. They won the five-metre line-out and mauled to the try line before Pieter-Steph du Toit barged over.

Hendrikse nailed the conversion again.

The Pumas hit back shortly after the restart. A gap was spotted in the South African’s backline and Tomás Albornoz scored under the uprights. He converted his own try.

The Boks made it 17-7 on 21 minutes from a penalty goal off the boot of Hendrikse. Los Pumas winger Santiago Carreras was yellow-carded in the 29th minutes for a dangerous tackle on Fassi.

The Boks were soon in their opponents 22-metre area. Cheslin Kolbe was tackled just short of the try line but was released in the tackle and flicked a pass to Fassi who scored the try. Hendrikse missed the conversion.

Four minutes later, the Boks were again attacking the Pumas’ try line. Fassi threw a long pass to Kolbe who bamboozled three defenders to score in the right corner. The try was not converted by Hendrikse.

The Springboks held a well-deserved 27-7 lead at half-time. The men in green and gold were ruthless on attack, with the Pumas’ only points coming from a defensive error.

The Pumas did secure more ball in the first 20 minutes of the second half, but the Boks’ rush defence held, resulting in the Pumas making unforced errors.
Pablo Matera was yellow-carded in the 55th minute for an illegal hit on Vincent Koch. This was upgraded to a red by the television match official. The last quarter belonged to the Boks.

They again forced the Los Pumas back into their own half. The relentless pressure forced Mateo Carreras to tap the ball on deliberately, and he received a yellow card. The penalty was booted into touch and Malcolm Marx scored the try from the resulting maul on 68 minutes. Replacement Handré Pollard slotted the conversion.

The Boks hit again within a minute with Kolbe breaking the Pumas’ defence and Du Toit scoring a try, which Pollard converted.
Next it was Jesse Kriel’s turn. A deft Pollard chip was chased for the centre to collect – together with five points. Pollard converted.
The final score, 48-7.

The Springboks demolished the Pumas – and then some more. The home team’s ability to play at a tempo and with the precision that forced the Argentinians into making errors and conceding turnovers was key.

The Mbombela massacre was a thing of beauty.