San Francisco Frontiers - World champions South Africa click in second half to overpower Argentina

It was the eighth consecutive win for the reigning world champions over the Pumas, and the match took a decisive turn soon after half-time.

Despite being a man short after the late first-half yellow-carding of flanker Franco Mostert, wingers Makazole Mapimpi and Canan Moodie scored tries within four minutes.

The tries transformed a 10-3 half-time deficit into a five-point lead, and as ill-discipline spread among the Pumas, fly-half Manie Libbok slotted three penalties to ensure success.

It was a satisfactory outing for South Africa as they demonstrated strength in depth with just two of the starting side likely to start their World Cup opener against Scotland next month.

Defeat spoilt the record 100th Argentine Test appearance for hooker Agustin Creevy off the bench. He debuted for the South American nation in 2005.

There were concussion injuries to Springbok Grant Williams and Puma Lucas Paulos last weekend in a Rugby Championship match, which South Africa were fortunate to shade 22-21 in Johannesburg.

Just 81 seconds into the rematch at Estadio Jose Amalfitani, the same fate befell Argentine centre Santiago Chocobares, who was forced to retire with Matias Moroni coming off the bench.

Libbok squandered the first scoring chance on five minutes as his 22-metre penalty attempt drifted to the right of the far post on a partly cloudy afternoon.

The playmaker succeeded with his second penalty attempt 11 minutes later, from much the same position, as early Springbok pressure was finally rewarded.

But a momentum swing midway through the opening half led to Argentina scoring the only try of the half through the quick thinking of scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou on 22 minutes.

He took a quick tap penalty and outmuscled flanker Deon Fourie to touch down with winger Emiliano Boffelli adding the extra two points for a 7-3 advantage.

Libbok fluffed a chance to reduce the deficit to a single point when his third penalty kick veered right and finished well off target.

The visitors suffered a further blow when the Georgian referee, tired of awarding penalties against them, sin-binned Mostert for tackling a Puma off the ball.

Boffelli, recalled after being rested for the Johannesburg Test, converted the resultant penalty and the home team took a seven-point lead into the break.

After Mapimpi and Moodie scored in opposite corner, with Libbok converting the first, Boffelli narrowed the gap to just two points with his second penalty.

But the rest of the match belonged to the three-time world champions and Libbok, after missing two shots at goal, slotted three penalties for an ultimately comfortable triumph.

L.Ramos--SFF