Mbombela – South Africa captain Siya Kolisi hailed lock Eben Etzebeth after a 48-7 victory over ill-disciplined Argentina clinched the Rugby Championship for the second time in 12 attempts.
Etzebeth, 32, played the entire 80 minutes in Mbombela as he overtook Victor Matfield and become the most capped Springbok with 128 caps.
The Springboks scored seven tries, five coming when the Pumas were numerically disadvantaged in the final-round match.
Flanker Pablo Matera was red-carded in the second half and the Carreras brothers, wing Mateo and full-back Santiago, were both sin-binned, one in each half.
Nevertheless, it was sweet revenge for South Africa after they missed a late penalty to lose a penultimate-round match 29-28 in Argentina last weekend.
“I’m so grateful to have been able to walk this journey with you and I’m so grateful for your support,” flanker Kolisi told Etzebeth.
“From the time Rassie made me captain (2018), you have had my back. You are so smart and I am so proud of you.
“I cannot wait to tell my grandchildren that I played with Eben Etzebeth. I love you, my brother.”
👏 Wow! What a tribute this is from Siya Kolisi to Eben Etzebeth.#RSAvARG #RugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/mYHlixJWD4
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 28, 2024
Etzebeth responded by saying “this team is a bunch of unbelievable guys and we have the best supporters in the world.
“That is why I play rugby, to play for this team, it is so special. We just want to do the country proud because rugby is like a religion in South Africa.
“To play for the Springboks is the best feeling and hopefully I can stay fit and the coaches keep selecting me,” said Etzebeth.
Kolisi admitted he was almost “lost for words” after a bonus-point victory that saw the Springboks finish eight points ahead of runners-up New Zealand.
“It has been a journey and a half. We were hurting after losing to the Pumas last week, but the way we stood up tonight says a lot about this team.
“What (coach) Felipe Contepomi is doing with Argentina is amazing. They are really a team you cannot dismiss anymore.
“They are a proud nation and you can see that in the way they keep working. There is no doubt they are going to get better and better.
“The Mbombela crowd were amazing. They are the fuel that drives us. They are the reason we get up when we are tired.
“Coach Rassie (Erasmus) always tells us that we cannot say thank you in words, so we must do it with our actions.”
Argentina captain and hooker Julian Montoya said: “We were not good enough. I am still proud of the team, but you are only as good as your last game.”
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Source: AFP
Picture: X/@Springboks
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
