Springboks win first Championship title since 2019 in style

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 won its first Rugby Championship title since 2019 in style by blowing away contender Argentina 48-7 over the weekend.

In a strange quirk, while the Springboks have owned the last two Rugby World Cups, they haven’t been able to win the trophy for southern hemisphere supremacy.

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 outright the most capped Springbok in his 128th test.

South Africa was prevented from clinching the title last weekend in Santiago del Estero, where Argentina ended the Springboks’ unbeaten run 29-28. But the world champions 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.

“We’ve used 35 (players), but when you get to these crunch games it’s the older heads and the calmer heads that sometimes pull it through,” coach Rassie Erasmus said.

South Africa made its mood known in the second minute when it waived off a kickable penalty and forced a five-meter lineout. That didn’t work, so it forced three straight five-meter scrums. Finally, center Damian de Allende was first receiver, Manie Libbok ran back door and fullback Aphelele Fassi straightened and busted through two defenders to cross.

Libbok, who missed a late penalty last weekend for the win and title, was relieved of goalkicking duty but had a starring role. His distribution, vision and defense were top-notch.

Scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, combining with Libbok for the first time, nailed the conversion and the next two goalkicks.

Another penalty kicked to the corner finished with flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit leaping over the ruck NFL-style to score.

Trailing 14-0 after 14 minutes, Argentina reminded of its qualities when flyhalf Tomas Albornoz converted his own try.

But after winger Mateo Carreras was sin-binned for recklessly taking out an aerial Fassi, Fassi scored after a du Toit turnover and Jesse Kriel break.

Right on halftime, Libbok and Fassi set up wing Cheslin Kolbe to step one defender and crash through a second to score and make it 27-7.

In a first half which flew by, the Pumas struggled to hold back the Springboks and took hits. Backs Santiago Chocobares and Rodrigo Isgro — the sevens star — and flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez had already been forced off.

But the Pumas fought back in the new half with more possession. But the Boks defense was too good.

Matera reduced the Pumas to 14 again after his yellow card for a shoulder to the head of Vincent Koch. That turned into a red card. And when they dropped to 13 men when fullback Santiago Carreras was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on in the 68th, the Springboks showed no mercy.

Malcolm Marx scored from a lineout maul, du Toit crossed for his second try after a Kurt-Lee Arendse break, and Jesse Kriel scored from a Handre Pollard chip.

Pollard converted all three tries after replacing Libbok, who was cheered off for leading the Springboks to only their second Rugby Championship title in 15 years. MDT/AP