Louis Koen's boot once again saved some blushes for the Springboks as they recorded a lucky 26-25 win over Argentina at the Eastern Province Rugby Football Union (EPRFU) Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Koen struck a penalty goal from just outside the Puma 22 only seconds before the final whistle was sounded by Welsh referee Nigel Williams to secure a win that could very easily have gone the other way after the visitors led by 25-16 going into the final five minutes.
A try from replacement back Brent Russell -- and Koen's conversion from in front of the uprights -- put the Boks within striking distance before Koen's final penalty burgled the win for South Africa after a Pedrie Wannenburg dash down the right-hand side touchline had won the favourable field position for the home side.
After South Africa's less-than-convincing two-Test triumph over Scotland earlier this month, more questions remain unanswered despite the Boks' unbeaten record this year.
Despite his 100 percent kicking record, is Koen the right man for the fly-half spot given his hesitancy on attack? Why were the Puma forwards so efficient at hitting rucks and mauls, with the Bok pack lumbering around the park?
And lastly, why was Russell given just seven minutes to weave his magic, when, clearly, he is the only back in South Africa with the pace and vision to test opposition defences?
The Pumas preyed on the Boks' poor hands and option-taking at crucial moments, with the visitors scoring three wonderfully-constructed tries from long-range, with the hapless home team managing one try off a Puma error in the first period and Russell's effort after finally taking the ball through enough phases to tire the Puma defence.
Before Russell's score, Argentina were well in control at 25-16, but they would be kicking themselves for trying to protect their lead at that stage instead of trying to build on it.
A sensational try from young fullback Juan Martín Hernández -- and Gonzalo Quesada's conversion -- had given them a nine-point lead, but they could well have enjoyed a bigger advantage at that stage had an earlier try not been disallowed.
Argentina inside centre Felipe Contepomi scored what looked to be a legitimate intercept try in the 64th minute, only for referee Williams to disallow it on the advice of one of his touch judges.
Lock Rimas Álvarez, who was yellow-carded in the first half, was the man fingered for punching, although the Pumas did not have to wait too long for their third try, with Hernández's effort coming less than five minutes later.
It all began when Puma right-wing José Maria Núñez Piossek got past his marker Pieter Rossouw, replacement lock Patricio Albacete took the ball further and Hernández's pace saw him over the tryline.
Rossouw seemed set to make up for his defensive lapse from the re-start when he chased and re-gathered his own kick-ahead, only to go for the tryline himself, despite having the necessary support on his outside.
The Pumas did well to snuff out any of SA's try-scoring chances in those final frantic minutes, but Russell's fresh legs and try-scoring appetite eventually foiled them.
Earlier, the visitors went into the dressing-room with a slender 15-13 half-time lead after South Africa had run into an early 10-nil lead.
A try from hooker Danie Coetzee, after scrum-half Craig Davidson charged down his opposite number's clearance kick, together with the conversion and a penalty goal from Koen seemingly put the home side in control.
But the visitors were merely waiting for their chance and when Bok lock Quinton Davids coughed up possession in the Puma 22, they counter-attacked, with Contepomi eventually emerging from a maul on the SA line with ball in hand.
Surprisingly, Quesada missed the conversion, but he was on song less than five minutes later when the Pumas worked an innocent looking line-out ball down the short-side through back rowers Lucas Ostiglia and Rolando Martin -- right-wing Núñez Piossek having enough pace to go all the way.
Koen also kicked a penalty at the end of the first half, with the Bok fly-half also having the final say at the end of the second period as the Boks rounded off preparations for the Tri-Nations.
It could be a long few months for Bok supporters ...
Man of the match: Not many contenders from the home side, although Pedrie Wannenburg should be commended for his non-stop display, despite some unforced errors at the back of the Springbok scrum. Brent Russell was a handful in his seven-minute cameo, while Jaco van der Westhuyzen was good under the high ball. For Argentina, captain and No.8 Gonzalo Longo, scrum-half Nicolás Fernández Miranda and inside centre Felipe Contepomi all impressed, with the latter eventually winning Planet Rugby's vote. His forwards laid the platform, but his decisive play from the No.12 position -- on attack and defence -- very nearly gave his side the edge at the end of the day.
Moment of the match: One moment stands out -- Contepomi's disallowed try in the 64th minute, which was cancelled out when second rower Rimas Álvarez was spotted landing a few punches on Boks Corné Krige and hooker Danie Coetzee. Fullback Hernández scored his team's third try shortly afterwards, but if the visitors had scored two tries in that short space of time the home team would have battled to fight back from that deficit.
Villain of the match: Most of the Springboks' discipline was poor, and their ball-retention in the tackle-situation was once again way below-par. But they won, and the man that could quite easily be blamed for Argentina's loss is Álvarez, who spent 10 minutes in the sin bin in the first half and had Contepomi's second-half try disallowed for punching.
The Teams:
South Africa: 1 Robbie Kempson, 2 Danie Coetzee, 3 Cobus Visagie, 4 Victor Matfield, 5 Quinton Davids, 6 A.J. Venter, 7 Corne Krige (c), 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, 9 Craig Davidson, 10 Louis Koen, 11 Pieter Rossouw, 12 Gcobani Bobo, 13 Marius Joubert, 14 Stefan Terblanche, 15 Jaco Van Der Westhuyzen
Reserves: Richard Bands, Selborne Boome, Brent Russell, Bobby Skinstad
Unused: Trevor Halstead, Lawrence Sephaka, Joost Van Der Westhuizen
Argentina: 1 Roberto Grau, 2 Mario Ledesma Arocena, 3 Mauricio Reggiardo, 4 Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, 5 Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, 6 Rolando Martin, 7 Lucas Ostiglia, 8 Gonzalo Longo Elia (c), 9 Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, 10 Gonzalo Quesada, 11 Diego Albanese, 12 Felipe Contepomi, 13 Jose Orengo, 14 Jose Nunez Piossek, 15 Juan Martin Hernandez
Reserves: Patricio Albacete, Santiago Gonzalez Bonorino, Federico Mendez, Santiago Phelan, Hernan Senillosa
Unused: Matias Albina, Bernardo Stortoni
Attendance: 34000
Referee: Williams n.
Points Scorers:
South Africa
Tries: Coetzee D. 1, Russell R.B. 1
Conv: Koen L.J. 2
Pen K.: Koen L.J. 4
Argentina
Tries: Hernandez J.M. 1, Nunez Piossek J.M. 1, Contepomi F. 1
Conv: Quesada G. 2
Pen K.: Quesada G. 2
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