Narrow win for South Africa over Argentina in gritty clash

In a closely contested test match at Velez Sarsfield, South Africa triumphed over Argentina with a narrow 17-10 scoreline, setting the stage for their upcoming series against New Zealand. The Springboks secured their victory through tries from Edwill van der Merwe and Cameron Hanekom, while flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu contributed with a penalty, conversion, and an additional conversion from substitute Handre Pollard.

Argentina's lone try came from Benjamin Grondona. The match served as an opportunity for South Africa to assess the fitness of key players before their encounter with the All Blacks in August. However, flyhalf Siya Kolisi, who returned from injury, suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted after 25 minutes, potentially sidelining him from the New Zealand clash.

Coach Rassie Erasmus acknowledged the team's lack of cohesion due to the return of multiple players from injury, but emphasized the importance of the match for preparation purposes. Despite a scrappy affair with numerous mistakes and inaccurate kicking, South Africa managed to level the score at halftime through a well-executed play.

The Pumas dominated the second half, but South Africa's resilience paid off when they scored a try under the posts in the final minutes, securing their narrow win in what was expected to be a tough battle against the passionate hosts.