The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the 2024 Rugby Championship as Argentina eye an historic upset against the Springboks at a sold-out Mbombela Stadium to claim their first southern hemisphere title.
Argentina, buoyed by their historic win over South Africa in Santiago del Estero, will be confident heading into this final clash.
Their 28-27 victory last weekend ended an eight-game losing streak to the Springboks and marked the first time that Los Pumas had scalped all three of their southern hemisphere rivals in the same campaign.
Now, Filipe Contepomi’s men have their sights set on an even bigger prize — winning their first-ever Rugby Championship title for the first time. To achieve that, Argentina need to secure a bonus-point win and prevent the Springboks from gaining any log points.
For the bloodied Springboks, the equation is far simpler: a single log point from the match will be enough for them to claim their first Rugby Championship title since 2019.
Mbombela Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for the Springboks, who have yet to taste defeat at the Nelspruit-based arena. The world champions’ most recent game at Mbombela saw them soar to a 26-10 victory over the All Blacks, their fourth-straight win at the stadium.
With the Rugby Championship title at stake and a passionate home crowd behind them, the Springboks will be determined to defend their turf and clinch the trophy.
However, Argentina’s belief is growing, and they’ll relish the underdog tag heading into this decider.
Photo: Rodrigo Valle/Getty Images
