Springbok veterans Malcolm Marx and Pieter-Steph du Toit starred for Rassie Erasmus’ side in the second match of the Rugby Championship’s final round – a 29-27 victory over Argentina at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
In the round six opener, New Zealand defeated Australia 28-14 at Optus Stadium in Perth, with Quinn Tupaea a standout in his first start of the tournament, scoring a brace of tries. Youngster Leroy Carter also continued his impactful run in the team on the right wing.
The 2025 Rugby Championship marks the first time the Springboks have secured back-to-back titles in the tournament’s history.
‘Far from perfect’ but thankful and pleased
Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus was composed and measured in his assessment of both the narrow victory and the overall tournament win.
While expressing gratitude for the continued support of Springbok fans, he acknowledged there’s still plenty to work on ahead of the upcoming November fixtures.
“I’m satisfied with the result and winning the Castle Lager Rugby Championship back-to-back,” Erasmus told SA Rugby. “This was a massive game for us, and although it was a far from perfect performance, I would prefer to see us learn while we are winning than losing.
“We are still in a good position for the Rugby World Cup draw, but there is no doubt we have five tough matches ahead, and there is a lot of work ahead for us.
“The reality is that Argentina defeated Australia, New Zealand, and the British & Irish Lions, so we’ll celebrate and take that positive from this match.”
Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi had anticipated a tough encounter with Los Pumas earlier in the week, with the Bok coach stating: “We knew it would be tough and at half-time you could see the guys were tired, but at the same time Argentina played well.”
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‘We know how to dig deep’
Kolisi was asked what made the current Springbok side a special one, and said: “We know how to fight as a team and to dig deep, and that’s all thanks to coach Rassie in the way he made us change the way we think.
“This team have done a lot for the country, and I’m proud of the group and the coaches. They always come up with new ideas, and as players, we adapt and accept that.
“This Castle Lager Rugby Championship was tough, and anyone could have won it, so to be able to lift the trophy for the second time in a row is amazing for us and the country, and we are very grateful for all the support from all the fans at the stadium and from our people at home.”
Creation of depth key for Robertson
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson emphasised that his side’s growth potential already lies within the players currently on the field.
He added that for him and his coaching staff, building depth is key to handling any challenging scenarios that may arise.
“The game and information are already on the field; they’ve got the answers, that’s one part of it,” Robertson said, quoted on the All Blacks official website.
“The other part is to create depth, and we want to go four deep in each position, so we create a lot of competition, and we feel like we’re getting there.”
Robertson highlighted his side’s resilience as a key factor in their win over the Wallabies, despite their discipline being tested.
“We got ahead on the scoreboard and that was important going into the second half.
“In past games, we probably would have let teams back in, but in its entirety, and the bench came on and made a big difference, we managed to finish it.
“We knew the importance of this match for them. They wanted to turn that [their losing streak], especially here in a state that you don’t get too much footy.
“We came prepared for that and are happy with the result from a tough performance.”
Despite finishing second in the tournament and losing the trophy to South Africa on points difference, Robertson reflected on moments in games where his side lost their way.
“It showed how quickly this can turn on you. We saw that with Australia in South Africa, and us as well, and we’ve got to make sure we learn in games and stay in the fight, and we did that,” he said.
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Physical and mental ‘regeneration’ the focus
Despite showing fight in many performances this season, the Wallabies were swept 2-0 in the Bledisloe Cup by the All Blacks.
They will now look to recharge ahead of a tough Autumn Internationals schedule against Japan, England, Italy, Ireland, and France.
“It’s all about regeneration now,” Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said, quoted on Rugbypass.
“They just need to get a bit of time and space. I can’t imagine how it could be a lot tougher than having three massive Lions Tests, then going straight up and playing at Ellis Park, and then since that Ellis Park win, we’ve just collected injuries at each point.
“If we can get that regeneration period right, we’ll get a few players back.
“And we’ve got to go after some results in the northern tour.
“I think the most important thing is the next 10 days that players need to regenerate, keep ticking over and freshen up and spend time with family.”
‘We fought till the end’
Los Pumas head coach Felipe Contepomi expressed pride after his side stayed in contention against the Springboks until the final minute.
“We fought till the end,” Contepomi said in the post-match presser. “I think we played some good rugby.
“We have to get better at certain things like set-piece or certain things that we need to improve, but I think the game was a close game.
“On another day, maybe with other non-controllables, it could have been a different game.”
The Southern Hemisphere contingent now heads to the Northern Hemisphere for a jam-packed Autumn Internationals, kicking off on Saturday, November 1, and concluding on Saturday, November 29.
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