The Springboks edged Argentina 17–10 in Buenos Aires in a laboured performance that will be remembered less for the result than for Siya Kolisi limping off with a hamstring injury in the 24th minute — an exit that puts his availability for the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Series against the All Blacks in serious doubt.
Eben Etzebeth took over the captaincy and went the full 80 minutes on his return from a lengthy absence, as did fellow returning lock Lood de Jager who started alongside him.
The Boks trailed 10–3 heading into the final minutes of the first half before a flowing move rescued them. André Esterhuizen combined power and an accurate offload for Canan Moodie, who in turn found Aphelele Fassi, and Edwill van der Merwe finished in the corner. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's conversion levelled it at 10–10 at the break.
The second half was marginally more composed for the Boks, with the introduction of the bench forwards lifting the forward effort. The decisive moment came in the 63rd minute when Cameron Hanekom — the standout in the pack across the full 80 — crossed off the back of a dominant Springbok scrum. Handré Pollard, on at flyhalf, added the conversion for a seven-point buffer that Argentina could not breach.
The first half was a hard watch: no scrum penalties, lineout inaccuracies, clumsy handling, and an Argentina back three that dealt comfortably with whatever the Bok kicking game offered. Feinberg-Mngomezulu was active throughout his 60 minutes at flyhalf before moving to fullback for the final quarter, with Ethan Hooker also completing the full match.
Rassie Erasmus had flagged ahead of the Test that he expected a slog, with several players returning from long-term injuries and carrying limited match minutes. The win — however ugly — delivered exactly the hit-out he was looking for. The Kolisi injury is the footnote that will dominate the week ahead.