South Africa vs Argentina LIVE: Rugby Championship result and reaction as Springboks hold off Pumas

Argentina’s lock depth has been eroded in recent weeks, Guido Petti still absent and Matias Alemanno not involved today, while Marcos Kremer, who would usually offering cover from the back row, is still suspended. Pedro Rubiolo will be Paulos’s replacement, but is more usually sighted on the flank, trotting out as his teammate is carefully lifted on to the cart.

Two serious head injuries in the first 40 minutes. It’s not been an easy watch in Johannesburg. Best wishes to Paulos and Grant Williams.

Oh no! Another player lies prone apparently out cold, Lucas Paulos’s head in the wrong place as he tries to halt Duane Vermeulen. Fair play to Faf de Klerk for immediately signalling to Andrew Brace that he should stop just as another South Africa began a charge towards the stricken lock - we’ll have a pause while Paulos is attended to.

Santiago Carreras is back with us having been cleared of a concussion in an HIA earlier, his foot also having healed sufficiently to allow the fly-half to knock over his third penalty.

Ruiz hits his lineout jumper but Argentina lose control soon after, the ball ending up, somehow, in Duane Vermeulen’s hands. South Africa try to run out of danger, Faf de Klerk nearly streaking clear but hauled back by the shorts elastic.

A midfield muddle sees the ball hit the floor again, an Argentina hand deemed to have knocked it backwards. South Africa are then penalised, but protest it had gone forward - they are probably right, but Andrew Brace is not for turning.

Vermeulen gets himself in a tangle with Cheslin Kolbe as the two men wait for another firework to fall, their intertwined arms combining to knock it on. South Africa are then pinged at the breakdown.

Julian Montoya’s wound from the first five minutes has never quite healed - the claret is now positively gushing out of the Argentina captain’s eyebrow, meaning replacement Ignacio Ruiz will have to step in to the breach while some stitches are sourced.

Argentina need something before half-time, you feel, with South Africa starting to surge. Jesse Kriel is found in space by a delicate Manie Libbok dab, Kriel finding Kurt-Lee Arendse with an infield fling.

Libbok again drops ball to toe, Duane Vermeulen stomping up the right touchline to take, but brushing his boot on the chalk just as he tries to combine with a teammate.

A handful of crunching close-in hits and Steven Kitshoff jackals superbly! Heavens, this South African defence packs a punch, Tomas Lavanini and Lucas Paulos ended by back-to-back tackles, two large locks levelled in quick succession. Kitshoff simply pecks at the carrion - another turnover penalty the home side’s way.

It’ll be exit drills first things Monday morning for both sides at this rate - South Africa this time fail to appropriately clear their lines, Willie le Roux taking his eye off the ball and shelling a slightly low pass. Argentina will feed a scrum six metres or so out from the South Africa line.

And Damian de Allende is the unlikely beneficiary of the lineout drive!

Argentine bodies are tossed aside as the South Africa locomotive chugs out of the next station, the backs piling in to add their weight. De Allende is the end man, riding the green wave and then surfing away to bash through Lautaro Bazan Velez.

Manie Libbok succeeds from the tee - two more to South Africa’s tally as the crowd roar.

South Africa’s forwards are beginning to show their might, a massive maul drawing another whistle from Andrew Brace as Argentina infringe to halt it. The Springboks will go again from 40 metres further up the left touchline.