South Africa vs Argentina: Title Defenders Face First-Time Hopefuls in Round 5 Of Rugby Championship
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
South Africa Mounts Title In Round 5 Against Last-Placed Argentina
South Africa, who are now four points behind top-spot New Zealand, will be looking to top the table when they face Argentina in Round 5 of the Rugby Championship. And the Springboks might not have wished for a better opponent at this stage, given their one-sided dominance over The Pumas. See our South Africa vs Argentina prediction.
Now, over their last 26 meetings, South Africa has won 21 games and drawn 1 against Argentina. And in recent times, South Africa has won nine of their last ten meetings. Their latest matchup, which saw South Africa beat Argentina 48-7, was the Springboks' biggest victory over The Pumas in the last decade.
Interestingly, this meeting was in Round 6 of the last Rugby Championship, which was the final game that crowned South Africa the winners. But now, the title defenders sit in third place, four points behind New Zealand with a game in hand. We expect to see a fiery performance from South Africa in the hunt for back-to-back titles. However, it might not be a walk in the park as Argentina also hunts for its first TRC title.
Argentina Eyes First TRC Title Against Toughest Opponent Yet
The Pumas have a dream, and that is to win their first Rugby Championship. However, the dream looks all but impossible as Argentina must face South Africa in the final two games. Argentina has already put up a more-than-impressive performance, having won two of their four games, with an underdog victory over both New Zealand and Australia.
And with just five points separating The Pumas from 1st-place New Zealand, Argentina will feel they can pull off a comeback no matter how improbable. But to do so, Argentina has to beat South Africa back-to-back and claim all possible six points. However, their record against the Springboks tells an entirely different story.
Yet, it's not impossible, considering that Argentina defeated South Africa in their first game of the last TRC edition. And while their record hasn't been stellar, Argentina has managed 14 wins in its last 26 games. Not stellar, but combined with the desperation to win their first title, it just might be enough to pull off the unlikely.
