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Argentina were 34-24 winners over South Africa on Sunday. The win was the second Pumitas victory over the Junior Springboks at the 2024 World Rugby u20 Championship. The format of the tournament is far from ideal; with three pools of four there is an uneven progression of teams to the Semi Finals.
Argentina’s win means Los Pumitas will compete in the 5th Place Final facing either Australia or Wales. Argentina’s pathway has included pool wins over South Africa and Fiji and a pool defeat against England.
The win was set-up in the first-half. Argentina were 24-10 ahead at the midway point in the contest. Early scoring saw an exchange in penalties from Santiago di Lucca and Tyloor Sefoor. South Africa had good territory early on and tested the Argentine defense.
Los Pumitas held firm defensively with Santos Fernández de Oliveira putting in a marvelous game in causing the South African lineout havoc. Santos Fernández de Oliveira won four linnet steals during the match.
The opening try went to Pumitas hooker Juan Greising Revol. It was a lineout to maul score; however, it was with Fernández de Oliveira stealing the Junior Springboks throw in. Fly half Santino di Lucca converted.
Captain Efraín Elías continued his outstanding tournament with another try. The Toulouse-bound Elías crossed to give Argentina a 17-3 lead. South Africa recovered to score their opening try; Jurenzo Julius scored on 27 minutes.
What followed by surely the best try of the tournament. Running from deep within their own territory, Los Pumitas used width and offloads to score in the left corner. The attack featured thirteen passes with Gregorio Pérez Pardo scoring.
South Africa opened the second-half well. Sibabalwe Mahashe scored his team’s second try. A twenty minute prior without points being scored followed. Replacement Timoteo Silva ended the drought with a try on 63 minutes. Silva put on a huge hand-off on fullback Michail Damon.
Benjamín Elizalde converted the try and added a penalty. South Africa finished with a consolation try as Julius scored his second of the afternoon. Elizalde impressed at fullback. It remains to be seen whether his future is at fullback our outside center. Whatever the case, Elizalde looks like a Puma in waiting.
| SCORING |
SOUTH AFRICA (24)
Try (3) – J Julius 2 (26′, 76′); S Mahashe (43′)
Con (3) – T Sefoor (27′, 44′); PA van Niekerk (77′)
Pen (1) – T Sefoor (17′)
ARGENTINA (34)
Try (4) – J Greising Revol (18′); E Elías (23′); G Pérez Pardo (37′); T Silva (63′)
Con (4) – S di Lucca (19′, 24′, 38′); B Elizalde (64′)
Pen (2) – S di Lucca (6′); B Elizalde (72′)
| LINE-UPS |
SOUTH AFRICA
1 Ruan Swart, 2 Ethan Bester, 3 Zachary Porthen (capt.), 4 Thomas Dyer, 5 Jaco Grobbelaar, 6 Sibabalwe Mahashe, 7 JF van Heerden, 8 Tiaan Jacobs, 9 Asad Moos, 10 Tyloor Sefoor, 11 Litelihle Bester, 12 Phillip-Albert van Niekerk, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 14 Joel Leotlela, 15 Michail Damon
ARGENTINA
1 Diego Correa, 2 Juan Greising Revol, 3 Gael Galván, 4 Efraín Elías (capt.), 5 Álvaro García Iandolino, 6 Juan Penoucos, 7 Santos Fernández de Oliveira, 8 Juan Pedro Bernasconi, 9 Jerónimo Llorens, 10 Santino di Lucca, 11 Gregorio Pérez Pardo, 12 Felipe Ledesma, 13 Tomás Bocco, 14 Timoteo Silva, 15 Benjamín Elizalde
