South Africa vs. Argentina: Winners and Losers in 2015 Rugby Championship Game
Argentina recorded another piece of Rugby Championship history on Saturday following a memorable 37-25 win over South Africa in Durban.
A Juan Imhoff hat-trick sealed the Pumas' first away victory in the tournament's history and their second win overall following last year's home triumph against Australia.
The Springboks will have a difficult time forgetting the result, but Daniel Hourcade's side are sure to cherish a morale-boosting day ahead of this year's World Cup.
Read on for discussion of the biggest winners and losers to emerge from Saturday's Rugby Championship encounter.
Winner: Pumas' Pedigree
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It wasn't long ago audiences were debating as to whether Argentina deserved their place in the Rugby Championship, considered by some as being too far off the pace set by their southern-hemisphere peers.
But Saturday's win would serve as further validation Hourcade's men are moving in the right direction, with this year's win arguably all the more satisfying than their first in Mendoza last year.
Not only was this the team's first away victory, but it comes after Hourcade changed the squad to be more closely focused on native talent, choosing to instead disregard some of his European-based assets.
With an Argentinian Super Rugby franchise set to make its debut in 2016, the future only looks brighter for South America's strongest rugby power, taking bigger scalps with each passing tournament.
Loser: Springboks' Pride
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The shortened three-week format of this years competition makes for flawed results, but never before have the Springboks finished a Tri Nations/Rugby Championship without managing to claim a single win.
And who would have thought that after close defeats to champions Australia and New Zealand it would be Argentina that would prevent Heyneke Meyer's men from clinching even a losing bonus point?
Finishing just three points off the All Blacks and showing strides during the last November series, the signs were there that this South Africa team were ready to challenge for major honours once again.
However, the roles have changed dramatically, and Saturday's 17-point loss sees the Springboks take their place at the base of the southern-hemisphere standings, facing a battle of wills to bounce back in time for the World Cup.
Winner: All-Round Argentina
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Leading up the Rugby Championship, what stuck out as a weakness for Argentina—as it tends to when compared with the other Tier One nations—was a stark absence of genuinely world-class players.
That may still be the case today, but what rose to the fore on Saturday was evidence of a cohesive team all working toward a known goal, synchronised in their splendour despite not having as many household names.
To put that "disadvantage" into context, no one Argentina player truly stood out as far as the figures go; even hat-trick hero Imhoff only carried for a total of 61 metres, while South Africa's Willie le Roux managed 114.
Instead, fans witnessed a brilliantly bonded Hourcade setup thrive as they have done in the past on intensity and irrepressible spirit, something several South Africans were severely lacking.
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Loser: Sleeping South Africa
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A momentary lapse in concentration can mean the difference between victory and defeat in rugby. Several of those lapses can mean the difference between defeat and an utter embarrassment.
As far as Meyer should be concerned, too many of his players were guilty of falling asleep at crucial junctures during Saturday's clash, committing easily avoidable mistakes that shouldn't be seen at this level.
Not least of which was the complete lack of defence that allowed Imhoff to ghost in for an unopposed third try, as shown by Eat Sleep Rugby. Irrespective of whether captain Jean de Villiers had a case for there being medics still on the pitch, his players should be alert at all times.
For a nation like South Africa, the team's management simply has to be seeking more from their stars, who made just 68 tackles on Saturday compared to Argentina's 111.
Winner: Scotland
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Watching on from the other side of the equator, Scotland coach Vern Cotter will undoubtedly be one of those over the moon to see South Africa enduring such disappointing form at present.
The Scots have just under two months before they're scheduled to take on the Springboks at St James Park on October 3, a fixture that could by all means dictate which team wins the pool.
Samoa, Japan and the United States will cause their share of hassle, but it's undoubtedly the two Tier One favourites courting the most attention. Having said that, Scotland may consider their odds of advancing in first place to be better by the minute.
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