Siya Kolisi says South Africa were fortunate to beat Argentina in Buenos Aires

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi admitted South Africa were fortunate to leave Buenos Aires with a 17-10 victory over Argentina on Saturday evening after Los Pumas pushed the world champions throughout a fiercely contested Test.

Argentina made an excellent start, taking a 10-3 lead inside the opening 10 minutes, and matched South Africa in a match that remained highly competitive across the full 80 minutes. Los Pumas defended with determination and repeatedly tested the Springboks, making the visitors work hard for their success.

South Africa eventually regained control of the contest and, crucially, kept Argentina scoreless for the rest of the match. The seven-point victory was enough to secure the result, but Kolisi said the Springboks had been made fully aware of the challenge they faced.

The captain said he had expected a difficult encounter and was not surprised that Argentina had proved such stubborn opponents.

“I think, going back to last week, everyone said Argentina’s earlier result (against England) didn’t count for much, but even a draw would have earned them a good return,” said Kolisi.

The South Africa captain said the Springboks had a great deal of respect for Los Pumas and acknowledged that the result could easily have gone the other way.

“We have a huge amount of respect for them, and we could easily have lost this game.

“Home or away, they’re one of the toughest teams we play all year.

“I thought it was going to be a real battle, and we were fortunate to come through it.”

The result followed Argentina’s earlier performance against England, which had prompted discussion about the significance of their result. Kolisi made clear that the Springboks had not underestimated Los Pumas and believed their quality was evident regardless of where they played.

South Africa’s ability to shut Argentina out after conceding 10 points early in the match proved decisive. Although Los Pumas continued to compete strongly and asked questions of the Springboks for the remainder of the contest, they were unable to add to their score.

For Kolisi, the outcome mattered most after a match in which Argentina defended resolutely and gave South Africa as much as they received. The victory also ensured the Springboks could move on to their next assignment with momentum, despite the captain’s admission that they had been fortunate to survive the challenge.

South Africa will now turn their attention to the Greatest Rivalry Test series against the All Blacks. The first Test of the series will take place in Johannesburg on 22 August.