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Springboks Edge Hard-Fought Argentina Contest to Secure Back-to-Back Rugby Championship Titles By BBC Rugby Correspondent London The South Africa Springboks clinched their second consecutive Rugby Championship title in a dramatic finale, overcoming a fierce challenge from Argentina's Pumas to win 29-27 at Twickenham on Saturday. The victory, secured on the final day of the 2025 tournament, cemented the world champions’ place atop the standings, pipping arch-rivals New Zealand to the trophy by virtue of a superior points difference. A vastly improved performance from Los Pumas saw them push the Springboks to the final whistle, a stark contrast to the lopsided result between the two teams just seven days prior. The Springboks, needing only a win of any margin after the All Blacks had defeated Australia earlier in the day, found themselves trailing 13-3 deep into the first half. Argentina, playing in London for a commercially arranged 'home' fixture, started with intensity and capitalised swiftly on an early yellow card shown to South Africa centre Canan Moodie. Propelled by winger Bautista Delguy’s fourth-minute try and the accurate boot of fly-half-turned-fullback Santiago Carreras, the Pumas looked determined to avenge their 67-30 defeat suffered in Durban last weekend. However, the powerful South African forward pack, a hallmark of their game plan, eventually proved the deciding factor. Scrum-half Cobus Reinach and hooker Malcolm Marx each scored two tries, with the latter’s brace confirming his status as one of the most prolific try-scorers among forwards in the competition's history.
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The Springboks’ relentless scrum dominance, particularly after Argentina’s loosehead prop Mayco Vivas was sin-binned early in the second half for a high tackle, led directly to key scores that turned the tide. Speaking after the title-clinching performance, South Africa captain Siya Kolisi praised the resilience of his team. "It was a tough day today, all credit to the Argentinian team," Kolisi told reporters. "It doesn't always go the way we want it to go, but we are always able to find that second gear. Not the most perfect game we've played, but it is the fight we show each and every week. " The match marked a significant moment for the Springboks, who had never previously won successive Rugby Championship titles since joining the tournament in 1996. Head coach Rassie Erasmus acknowledged the scale of the achievement while noting the fortunate circumstances of the venue. "It means a hell of a lot," Erasmus said of the back-to-back titles.
"It was another opportunity for them to achieve something New Zealand has done many times, but we've never done it, you know. We were fortunate that we didn't play them in Argentina. They were bloody tough here, but there’s no doubt that they’re tougher in Argentina. " The fixture, staged at the Allianz Stadium in London, drew a crowd of over 70,000, creating an atmosphere heavily dominated by the South African diaspora, negating the expected home advantage for the Pumas. For Argentina, the loss meant they finished the tournament with the wooden spoon, despite having secured a historic victory against New Zealand earlier in the campaign. Coach Felipe Contepomi, while clearly disappointed with the result, offered high praise for the victorious side. "South Africa is a team that does what it does very well, they are precise in their game plan," Contepomi commented. "It's a bit of trying to impose our conditions or what we want to do, because what we saw in Durban was that they imposed conditions.
But I believe they're the best team in the world right now — no doubt about it. " The tight scoreline was testament to Argentina's late persistence. Despite falling behind 29-13 in the final quarter, Los Pumas secured a late try through replacement Rodrigo Isgro after a spectacular cross-field kick by Carreras, making the final score a narrow two-point margin. However, a crucial missed penalty attempt by Carreras minutes earlier, which struck the post, proved to be the difference that assured the Springboks the title. The result provides the Springboks with strong momentum heading into their end-of-year European tour. The ability of Erasmus's squad to overcome adversity and secure a title while consistently rotating players throughout the competition has been noted by analysts as evidence of the team’s increasing squad depth. The Rugby Championship once again proved to be an exhilarating contest, ultimately decided not by a comprehensive victory on the final day, but by the accumulation of points built over a fiercely competitive six rounds.
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