In a sport often decided by inches, Argentina was left to lament a crucial missed penalty that could have changed the complexion of the Rugby Championship final. Santiago Carreras’s 77th-minute attempt that struck the post was a moment of high drama and ultimate heartbreak for the Pumas.
A successful kick would have brought Argentina to within a converted try of the Springboks, setting up a frantic, grandstand finish. The momentum would have been squarely with the Pumas, and the pressure would have shifted entirely onto the defending champions.
Instead, the cruel bounce of the ball off the upright seemed to suck the remaining life out of the Argentinian challenge. It was a moment of pure misfortune that encapsulated a day where the fine margins consistently went against them.
This single kick highlighted the knife-edge nature of Test match rugby. Despite being outplayed at the scrum for most of the match, the Pumas had fought their way into a position where one successful kick could have given them a realistic shot at victory.
While South Africa were deserved winners on the balance of play, the Pumas will look back at that one moment and wonder what might have been. It was a game of inches, and on this day, the inches went against them.