Pumas' final play fumble costs them try, match against Springboks

The Pumas were agonizingly close to a match-tying try against South Africa, but a fumbled final play sealed their 17-10 defeat. With seconds ticking away in the 80th minute, Argentina was awarded a penalty. They opted to play on, moving the ball across the field in a desperate attempt to score.

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This was the culmination of a match in which the Pumas were always close on the scoreboard and gave their all in defense.

Lucio Cinti's pass to Matías Moroni was slightly off, and the center couldn't secure the ball. It slipped through his grasp for a knock-on, signaling the end of the game. This single mistake proved costly for Argentina, who had no room for error.

Even if Moroni had scored, the try itself wouldn't have guaranteed a tie. Santiago Carreras would still have needed to convert the difficult, tight-angled kick. The what-ifs will linger: a cleaner pass from Cinti, Moroni maintaining his momentum, could have changed the outcome.

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He couldn't take the ball, which fell from his arms. It was a knock-on and the game ended.

Throughout the match, the Pumas had stayed within striking distance on the scoreboard and defended fiercely. Nevertheless, South Africa secured the victory. Moroni was visibly distraught, clutching his head in disbelief, while Pablo Matera offered comfort after the game-ending error.

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It will remain the unknown of what would have happened if Cinti had given a neater pass and if Moroni had continued in full stride, launched, towards the try.