Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said at the post-match media conference that sharing such a special day with Eben Etzebeth was a privilege. He was pleased with how the team performed to complete a memorable season.
A crowd of 43 578 celebrated as the Springboks scored seven tries to claim the southern hemisphere crown for the first time since 2019, scoring more tries in a match in the competition since scoring nine in beating the same opponents at the FNB Stadium in 73-13 in 2013.
“The pressure has been on the players to gel quickly, and I must give credit to the coaching staff and all the backroom team and the guys for keeping on believing despite all the changes,” he said.
“We’ve used 49 players this year and 35 in the Rugby Championship. But when you get to these crunch games it’s the older heads and the calmer heads that sometimes pull it through and they help pull through a guy like Manie [who missed a potential match-winning penalty seven days previously].
“They understand the bigger picture and then things like this happen where all of us are privileged to sit with Eben today.
“It was a gutsy performance and there was enough effort, and I do think there were brilliant plays at stages. So, it was a much better performance, it wasn’t perfect but there was some really good stuff that we can build on.
“We showed good intent; Argentina is a very physical side, a nippy, great attacking side, Jerry [Flannery, defence coach] was very nervous during the week so to keep them to one score was great.
“It was a much better performance than in Argentina, but it was a good performance and something to build on.
“Overall, I’m very happy, happy for Manie, happy for South Africa. But the end-of-year tour is now our target and going through that undefeated.”