Imhoff hat-trick helps Pumas to first Springboks win

South Africa’s Handre Pollard is tackled by Argentina’s Tomas Cubelli (left) and Leonardo Senatore during their Championship Test match in Durban, yesterday.

AFP/DurbanWinger Juan Imhoff scored a hat-trick of tries as Argentina recorded a historic first win over South Africa by 37-25 yesterday in the final match of the 2015 Rugby Championship in Durban. After 18 losses and a draw since the countries first met 22 years ago in Buenos Aires, it was the Pumas’ first victory over the Springboks in 20 attempts, and also their first away success in the competition. Imhoff crossed the line twice in the opening half to help underdogs Argentina to a 27-13 half-time lead and South Africa never recovered from his third try early in the second half. The result—only Argentina’s second win in 21 tournament matches—spoilt the Test comeback of Springboks skipper and centre Jean de Villiers, leading the green and gold for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury in Wales last November. Australia won the Rugby Championship earlier Saturday with a 27-19 triumph over world champions New Zealand, Argentina finished third and winless South Africa last. It took the Pumas just 100 seconds to go ahead as an inside pass caught the Springboks napping and Imhoff sent centre Marcelo Bosch over for a try that fly-half Juan Martin Hernandez converted. After fly-half Handre Pollard trimmed the deficit to four points via a penalty, the South Americans struck again as Imhoff gathered an aimless kick ahead and triggered a move he later finished by dotting down. Hernandez, a veteran of the 2007 and 2011 World Cup tournaments and recalled in place of off-form Nicolas Sanchez, converted again. Another Pollard penalty was followed by another Imhoff try with the Pumas winning a scrum and breaking on the blindside for the winger to go over. Inexperienced Springbok tighthead prop Vincent Koch was having a torrid time at the scrums and being repeatedly penalised by French referee Romain Poite. South Africa narrowed the gap to 21-13 when lock Lood de Jager used his bulk to barge over and Pollard converted. But two Pumas penalties, from Hernandez and Bosch, left the visitors 14 points ahead halfway through the match. Koch was replaced by Marcel van der Merwe at half-time as coach Heyneke Meyer reacted to a nightmare first half at scrum time for the Springboks. South Africa controversially fell seven points further behind three minutes into the second half when Imhoff completed his hat-trick.