Creevy: Boks 'too clever'
Argentina captain Agustin Creevy bemoaned the fact that his team did not have the nous and fortitude to close out the game when they had a big lead.
Flyhalf Morne Steyn kicked a penalty three minutes from time to earn South Africa a very fortuitous 33-31 win over the Pumas at the 20,000-seater Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena in Salta at the weekend.
Trailing by 12 points with the final quarter approaching, a Springboks side - given a torrid time in the forward exchanges for much of the match - clawed back to snatch victory.
The scrums were a particular problem for the two-time World Cup champions, with the Argentines shoving them back metres several times - in one instance 10 metres.
Success lifted leaders South Africa to eight points on the Southern Hemisphere Rugby Championship table, one above title-holders New Zealand.
Defeat left the often dominant Pumas wondering what they must do to end a 14-match winless run since debuting in the competition two seasons ago.
Argentina, ranked No. 12 in the world, has only a draw - 16-all against the Boks in 2012 - and 13 defeats in the Rugby Championship.
Creevy spoke of "anger and bitterness" at having let the match slip from their grasp.
"They knew how to take advantage of some bad moments from us and we couldn't figure out how to win the game," Creevy said in his post-match reaction.
"Up by 12, we said we should play intelligent rugby, but they came out strong and we made some mistakes.
"Closing games is always a psychological issue," he added.
He admitted is was a game they could have won and added that he felt they played a great match.
"In the latter stages of the match we made mistakes and against a team like South Africa that is costly.
"We have to be more patient in the latter stages of games."
Loose forward Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe said they have "no excuses", adding that the defeat caused them "much grief".
"We can't complain about fatigue [fitness] nor the heat," Lobbe said of the soaring matchday temperature that saw referee Steve Walsh allow water-breaks midway through the first and second halves to avoid player dehydration.
"We were playing at a high intensity, against a great team that continued to pressure us," he said, adding: "When we had control of the game, we scored two tries and a penalty.
"After we score the third try, there was a five-minute period where we lost the ball, the control and the ambition that we were looking for.
"That turned the game."
He said their defence was very good, but pointed to a breakaway try by Bryan Habana late in the first half and the errors at the end of the match as the reasons for their loss.
"We will get back up and work harder. Since I have been with this team, the heads have never dropped and we will continue to work hard to [get that first Rugby Championship] win.
"However, losing when you're so close is very hard. "