FULL TIME: SOUTH AFRICA 22-21 ARGENTINA
CONVERSION, ARGENTINA, CARRERAS, 22-21:
Carreras converts to narrow the gap but the game is over.
TRY, ARGENTINA, BERTANOU, 22-19:
Bertranou has gone over for the consolation score.
Argentina will take another crack from a penalty but they can't win the match now.
De Klerk disrupts but he knocks on but he has done enough to secure victory as the hooter sounds before Argentina get it out of the next scrum.
The scrum has to be reset and that will suit South Africa as time ticks away.
Arendse gets back to make a crucial intervention but he has to dot dead under pressure and Argentina have a scrum five out.
Carreras has missed his conversion from out wide.
TRY, ARGENTINA, CARRERAS, 22-14:
Carreras scores in the corner to give the Pumas a lifeline.
YELLOW CARD, SOUTH AFRICA, DE ALLENDE:
De Allende goes into the bin for a deliberate knock down.
CONVERSION, SOUTH AFRICA, LIBBOK, 22-9:
Libbok converts his own try from the corner.
TRY, SOUTH AFRICA, LIBBOK, 20-9:
Out of nowhere, Libbok is away to score as a loose pass from the Pumas is snaffled up by De Klerk. and that's a seven point swing.
The Pumas now turn down the shot at goal and set up a lineout inside the South African 22 with a penalty kick.
A penalty is taken quickly by the Springboks but Argentina scramble back and manage to kick clear to halfway.
Le Roux calms things down with a kick to touch but it will still be inside the Springboks half where Argentina feed their lineout.
Carreras has missed a relatively straightforward kick and it will restart from a drop out.
Vermeulen carries strongly from the scrum and De Klerk finds touch close to halfway but the Springboks are then blown up at the lineout and Carreras is lining up another kick at goal.
Smith gets the key rip and Argentina lose the ball forward close to the South African line and the Springboks will feed a scrum.
There is a little scuffle after the whistle, but nothing too serious and Argentina have another penalty inside the South African 22.
Brace lectures Vermeulen as the Springboks question his decisions.
Libbok finds a good touch from the penalty kick but teh maul doesn't gain any momentum and De Klerk hoists.
Argentina are inches away from scoring but Kitshoff somehow latches onto the ball and wins a crucial penalty close to the line.
De Klerk sends up a hoist but it is marked by Carreras whose kick is then partially charged down so the Pumas will have a lineout ten from halfway.
Kitshoff slips going into a ruck and will be penalised with Carreras calling for his kicking tee. However, he misses the kick and the Springboks will drop out from their 22.
Argentina take a safety first approach eventually after trying to carry out from deep for three or four phases.
A handling error lets the Springboks down but they are putting intense pressure on Argentina.
The South African maul is disrupted, and Argentina have the scrum feed. However, the Springboks win the scrum penalty and De Klerk takes it quickly.
South Africa start the second half quickly and win back the restart before the Springboks win a penalty as Montoya tackles Orie without the ball.
HALF TIME: SOUTH AFRICA 15-9 ARGENTINA
Arendse goes close in the corner on the final attack of the half but is tackled into touch.
The Springbok scrum is dominant but the referee wants it reset.
The contest will restart with a scrum but it is taking some time to take the prone Pumas man off the park.
A Pumas player is out cold after getting clocked by Vermeulen's hip in trying to make a tackle and Paulos has to go off.
PENALTY, ARGENTINA, CARRERAS, 15-9:
Carreras kicks the 40 metre goal.
Argentina lose it at the lineout and the Springboks counter but they then lose the ball and give away a penalty.
Vermeulen rolls out of the ruck but into the Argentina scrumhalf and South Africa are penalised and the Pumas look to set up a lineout inside their opponents 22.
The Springboks break out their champagne rugby with some neat kicks but Vermeulen just can't keep the ball in play.
South Africa are under pressure close to their own line after a knock on by Le Roux but Kitshoff wins a crucial penalty close to the red zone.
CONVERSION, SOUTH AFRICA, LIBBOK, 15-6:
Libbok adds the two to give the Springboks a nine-point lead.
TRY, SOUTH AFRICA, DE ALLENDE, 13-6:
De Allende bursts over after strong work from the forwards.
The Springboks win a crucial defensive penalty thanks to great work at the breakdown from Marx.
Libbok gifts the Pumas attacking possession as he kicks straight into touch from on his own 22 having taken it back.
Libbok can't convert from out wide and the lead stays at two points for South Africa.
TRY, SOUTH AFRICA, ETZEBETH, 8-6:
Eztebeth is huge in an attacking play that cannot be stopped, the big lock powers over in the corner after great work at the lineout.
The scrum ends with a free kick to Argentina but they knock on after sending up a hoist and South Africa bring it back at them before winning a penaly.
A bad handling error costs the Springboks possession and saps the momentum they had begun to build. Argentina will feed the scrum just inside the South African half.
PENALTY, SOUTH AFRICA, LIBBOK, 3-6:
Libbok gets South Africa on the board after the attack breaks down.
The Springboks pour through off the kick off and Argentina are turned over on their own goal-line and the South Africans also have the advantage
PENALTY, ARGENTINA, CARRERAS, 0-6:
Carreras slots the penalty.
Argentina just about edge another kicking battle and they will have the lineout feed about ten inside the South African half.
Le Roux puts an end to a kicking battle by finding touch just inside the Pumas half of the field. The South Africans want to test Argentina in the air it seems.
Kriel charges down the attempted exit but just can't regather and Argentina drop out.
PENALTY, ARGENTINA, CARRERAS, 0-3:
Carreras slots the kick to give the Pumas the lead.
Argentina have a penalty advantage on attack but they start going backwards and Brace brings it back for the kick.
Grant Williams is stretchered off and there will be no sanction.
Grant Williams is taken out after he has kicked the ball and will have to go off. Argentina have won a penalty though as the referee rules that the felling of Williams was a rugby incident.
KICK-OFF: Argentina kick-off onto the Springboks
The crowd are now chanting ole, ole, ole to give them the old hurry up and we finally get the South African national anthem, four minutes past kick-off time.
There has been quite a lot of ceremonial faffing which has delayed the anthems and the kick-off.
Andrew Brace of Ireland has the whistle for this match assisted on the touchlines by Nika Amashukeli of Georgia and his Irish compatriot Chris Busby while Irish official Joy Neville is the TMO today.
Argentina: 15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Mateo Carreras, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Lautaro Bazán Vélez, 8 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7 Santiago Grondona, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Lucas Paulos, 3 Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2 Julian Montoya (captain), 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Pedro Rubiolo, 20 Facundo Isa, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Tomás Albornoz, 23 Matias Moroni.
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Kwagga Smith, 20 Rudolph Snyman, 21 Francois de Klerk, 22 Lukhanyo Am, 23 Damian Willemse.
Greetings and a warm welcome to our coverage of the final Rugby Championship match of 2023 contested between South Africa and Argentina at Ellis Park.
