Argentina beat South Africa 34-24 on Sunday, the Pumitas’ second win 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, resulting in uneven progression to the Semi-Finals.

Argentina’s victory means Los Pumitas will face either Australia or Wales in the Final 5. Argentina’s journey includes group wins against South Africa and Fiji and a group defeat against England.

The lead was built in the first half. Argentina were leading 24-10 at the halfway point of the match. Early goals saw Santiago di Lucca and Tyloor Sefoor exchange penalties. South Africa had good territory early on and tested the Argentine defence.

Los Pumitas stood firm in defence with Santos Fernández de Oliveira making a great play by causing mayhem in the South African lineout. Santos Fernández de Oliveira earned four linnet steals during the match.

The opening try went to Pumitas hook Juan Greising Revol, who was on a line to maul the score, but it was foiled when Fernández de Oliveira stole the Junior Springbok throw-in. Fly half Santino di Lucca converted.

Captain Efraín Elías continued his remarkable tournament with another try. Elías, who travelled to Toulouse, gave Argentina a 17-3 lead. South Africa rallied to score the opening try; Jurenzo Julius scored in the 27th minute.

Surely the best try of the tournament arrived. Running from deep inside their own half, Los Pumitas used width and offloads to score in the left corner. The attack featured thirteen passes, with Gregorio Pérez Pardo scoring.

South Africa started the second half well. Sibabalwe Mahashe scored his team’s second try. He followed up with a try that failed to score twenty minutes earlier. Substitute Timoteo Silva ended the drought with a try in the 63rd minute. Silva made a great pass to full-back Michail Damon.

Benjamín Elizalde converted the try and added a penalty. South Africa finished with a consolation try when Julius scored his second of the afternoon. Elizalde was impressive as a defender. Whether his future lies at outside centre as a defender remains to be seen. Whatever the case, Elizalde looks like a Puma in waiting.

SOUTH AFRICA (24)
(3) try – J Julius 2 (26′, 76′); S Mahashe (43′)
Opposite (3) – T Sefoor (27′, 44′); PA van Niekerk (77′)
Pen (1) – T Sefoor (17′)

ARGENTINA (34)
Try (4) – J Greising Revol (18′); E Elias (23′); G Pérez Pardo (37′); T Silva (63′)
(4) – South of Lucca (19′, 24′, 38′); B Elizalde (64′)
Pen (2) – S di Lucca (6′); B Elizalde (72′)

SOUTH AFRICA
1 Ruan Swart, 2 Ethan Bester, 3 Zachary Porthen (captain), 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 Efrain Elias (captain), 5 Alvaro Garcia 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 Benjamin Elizalde