South Africa's Eben Etzebeth, right, is tackled by Argentina's Joel Sclavi during a rugby championship test match at Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Springboks win first Rugby Championship title since 2019 in style

28 Sep 2024, 19:53 · Japan Today

MBOMBELA, South Africa — South Africa won its first Rugby Championship title since 2019 in style by blowing away contender Argentina 48-7 on Saturday.

In a strange quirk, while the Springboks have won the last two Rugby World Cups, they haven't been able to claim the southern hemisphere crown.

Until now.

They capped a tournament they led from day one — Aug. 10 — with a handsome last-round victory by seven tries to one that exceeded expectations and celebrated lock Eben Etzebeth becoming their outright most capped international in his 128th test.

The Springboks were prevented from clinching the title last weekend in Santiago del Estero, where Argentina ended the Boks' unbeaten run 29-28. But the world champions still needed only a single bonus point to finish the job when they returned home.

A side of 10 changes and restocked with World Cup winners led by a commanding 27-7 at halftime, weathered an attempted Pumas comeback, and finished with three converted tries in the last 11 minutes.

Argentina buckled under pressure, conceding its first yellow cards in the tournament; three of them, one of them becoming a red card to replacement flanker Pablo Matera.