Argentina’s Missed Chances Prove Costly in Title Decider

Argentina will look back on their Rugby Championship final defeat with a sense of deep frustration, knowing that a series of missed chances ultimately cost them a shot at a historic title. Against a team as clinical as South Africa, you have to take your opportunities, and the Pumas left too many points on the field.
The most glaring of these was Santiago Carreras’s 77th-minute penalty, which would have set up a grandstand finish. However, there were other moments throughout the match where the Pumas failed to capitalize on promising positions, either through handling errors or poor decision-making.
In the first half, when they had the Springboks under pressure, they could have perhaps built a more substantial lead. Settling for penalties when they had field position near the Bok line might be seen in hindsight as a missed opportunity to go for the jugular.
These small moments accumulate over the course of a game, and against the world champions, they make all the difference. The Springboks, by contrast, were ruthless in their execution, particularly in the second half when they converted their forward dominance into tries with clinical efficiency.
The Pumas proved they can create chances against the best teams in the world. The next step in their evolution is to become more ruthless in converting those chances into points. It is a harsh lesson, but one that will serve them well in their quest for major honors.