South Africa overcame a disjointed start to completely nullifiy Argentina and win their opening Rugby Championship 2013 game by 73 points to 13 in Johannesburg.
Nothing went right for Argentina. Some of that was their own doing, but the majority was due to South Africa’s clinical display. Just one example was at the breakdown. So powerful were the Boks, particularly through Francois Louw, meant that Argentina had to commit so many players to compete which left them short of options when the ball did come back, and conversely offered South Africa space when it was inevitably turned over.
Prior to the game, South Africa had promised they would look to play an attacking game, and although it took them a while to get going but they did at least get points on the board as soon as they gained a territorial foothold. Morne Steyn’s second penalty was a monster one and that sort of kick, from near halfway, sends a very clear message to the opposition – infringe and you will be punished.
Infringe Argentina did, and punished they were with Steyn landing all but one of his 13 kicks at goal – four of them penalties.
Argentina’s set pieces were not working at all. South Africa were stealing lineouts, outmauling them and winning the scrums. Take away set pieces, add injuries and absences to Argentina and you aren’t left with much and although they showed flashes of what they were capable of with some neat interchanges and smart running, it wasn’t enough.
The six points they did get in the first half came from South African indiscipline, first at the lineout and secondly at the breakdown. There could be no argument against the award of the penalty try and a yellow card for Eusebio Guiñazú, who illegally stopped a certain try, and that just put Argentina under more pressure.
South Africa were good enough to capitalise on with JJ Engelbrecht surging clear for another score after a chip into (wide open) space by Willie le Roux.
Remarkably, Argentina had more possession in the first half, which just goes to show that it doesn’t matter if you have all the possession in the world, it’s what you do with it – or are allowed to do with it – that counts.
If the wheels hadn’t already fallen off, they really did disappear in the second half. South Africa showed their intent early by kicking to the corner to go for further tries and they got one quickly when they again outmauled Argentina to set up Adriaan Strauss. He put in a dynamic performance, seemingly everywhere in defence and attack in a sort of hooker-cum-flanker-cum-centre role and a try was just reward for his efforts.
No arguments again when Argentina were down to 14 men following a dangerous tackle from Leonardo Senatore on Engelbrecht. While some would argue he should have received a red card, the way the referees are now viewing the incidents themselves on the big screen leaves little option for misinterpretation and South Africa weren’t complaining too much.
Nor were they when Willem Alberts and then Jean de Villiers charged over the line, the latter following a Fourie du Preez box kick which was poorly dealt with by Argentina. He’s still a class act and got himself on the scoresheet soon afterwards.
South Africa were perhaps then guilty of trying too hard to score ‘fancy’ tries and a few errors crept in, although not enough to let Argentina any leeway and eventually they managed to set Bryan Habana up for a simple score in the corner. Du Preez was integral again as Duane Vermeulen scored another to put South Africa past their previous record score against Argentina, who at least got a try of their own through Felipe Contepomi after Bismark du Plessis had also crossed for the home side.
It was a disappointing day for them, however. Following one score, they failed to even get the kick-off right and ceded a scrum on the halfway line. From the next scrum, they conceded a penalty. Nothing went right for them. Second season blues and a sign of thing to come or just one desperately bad day at the office? Time will tell.
South Africa 73 (Tries: penalty try, JJ Engelbrecht, Adriaan Strauss, Willem Alberts, Jean de Villiers, Fourie du Preez, Bryan Habana, Duane Vermeulen, Bismarck du Plessis. Conversions: Morne Steyn 8. Penalties: Steyn 4
Argentina 13 (Try: Felipe Contepomi. Conversion: Contempomi. Penalties: Contempomi 2)