Springbok great Bryan Habana was denied a World Cup record as South Africa beat Argentina 24-13 at London’s Olympic Stadium on Friday, while typically impassioned Heyneke Meyer, the coach of South Africa, said his players can go home with their heads held high after finishing third in the Rugby World Cup.
Habana needed just one try to break the World Cup career record of 15 he shares with retired New Zealand star winger Jonah Lomu.
However, in what is likely to be the 32-year-old wing’s final World Cup match, Habana squandered several chances before being taken off in the 67th minute. Habana’s fellow wing J.P. Pietersen and lock Eben Etzebeth, from a Habana pass, did score tries.
Photo: EPA
Flyhalf Handre Pollard kicked 14 points as South Africa, who started the tournament with a shock defeat by Japan in the biggest World Cup upset of them all, finished on a high to come third as they did in 1999.
It looked like a Nicolas Sanchez drop-goal and penalty would be all Argentina had to show for their efforts, but a converted try in stoppage time from replacement front-row Juan Pablo Orlandi gave the Pumas the last word.
South Africa great Victor Matfield in his 127th and last Test, led the Springboks in place of Fourie du Preez, injured in the 20-18 semi-final defeat by defending champions New Zealand. Ruan Pienaar replaced Du Preez at scrum-half.
Photo: AFP
Argentina also had a new skipper.
The Pumas, looking to equal their best World Cup-placing of third in 2007, made 10, mostly enforced, changes, with skipper Agustin Creevy, wing Juan Imhoff, veteran centre Juan Martin Hernandez and prop Marcos Ayerza all missing.
Sanchez captained the side for the first time in hooker Creevy’s absence.
Argentina were a man down as early as the fifth minute when Irish referee John Lacey sent scrumhalf Tomas Cubelli to the sin-bin for obstruction.
South Africa kicked the ensuing penalty for a line-out, which they duly won.
The ball was worked right, with Pietersen going over for a try after good hands from Pienaar and full-back Willie le Roux.
Pollard landed the difficult conversion and South Africa led by seven.
Minutes later Habana almost had his record-breaking try, but he was beaten to the touchdown by Pumas’ fullback Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino. Argentina fell further behind when Pollard’s penalty made it 10-0.
Habana, who knocked on in the 18th minute, missed an even better opportunity for the record on the half hour when, in space and unmarked, he could not hold Pollard’s high looping pass.
Either side of two more Pollard penalties, Habana saw another chance go begging.
The Springboks won a turnover and Habana regathered out on the left before chipping in-field.
However, his run was halted when Lacey penalized him for pulling on Amorosino’s shirt when he did not have the ball.
Meyer faces a review of his performance when he gets back to South Africa, but hopes to stay involved with a team he said is on the verge of greatness.
“I’m always going to look back and wonder: ‘What could I have done better?’” Meyer said.
Losing their semi-final to New Zealand by two points last weekend, a result that “ripped out my heart,” still gnawed at him because “I still feel in my heart that we should be playing tomorrow [in the final].”
“I don’t mean to be arrogant, but only a win is good enough for me and my team,” he said. “If you’re happy to jump up and down for third place, you shouldn’t be coach of South Africa.”
“Sometimes I wonder why I coach, because you can never win as coach of South Africa, but I just love coaching, I love my team, and I love my country,” Meyer said.
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