South Africa beat a spirited Argentina in Durban, but fell well short of the landslide victory needed to snatch the Rugby Championship from New Zealand.

Gonzalo Bertranou and Juan Martin Gonzalez scored either side of the break and, as the rain fell, South Africa’s title hopes dissolved.

The world champions finished a point behind the All Blacks in second.

On Heritage Day – a celebration of South Africa’s multi-cultural make-up – the Springboks had hoped to wrestle the Rugby Championship from the grasp of New Zealand.

The All Blacks’ emphatic win over the Wallabies earlier in the day had set the hosts a formidable target in Durban.

Required to score three more tries and 40 more points than the Pumas, South Africa made a slow start.

By fair means or foul, Argentina jammed up the gears of the powerful home pack, stopping them turning pressure into points.

Flankers Marcos Kremer and Gonzalez were sent to the sin-bin in the first half as the visitors’ persistent offending sapped South Africa’s momentum.

Leicester’s Wiese scored his first international try at the back of a driven scrum, before Kolisi crashed over. When 35-year-old Francois Steyn knocked over a trademark long-range penalty to make it 17-0 after 36 minutes, it seemed like the Springboks might be on track for their points chase.

But Argentina, full of fight under coach Michael Cheika, hit back.

Scrum-half Bertranou sniped round an unguarded fringe to score just before the break before Gonzalez swerved outside Willie le Roux and galloped in early in the second half.

Those scores brought South Africa back within three points at 17-14.

The Springboks’ forward grunt forced a penalty try, but the hosts discipline frayed in the final 25 minutes.

Lock Eben Etzebeth and replacement scrum-half Faf de Klerk were both in the sin-bin as Matias Moroni strolled in.

A second penalty try, earning Argentina a fourth yellow card en route, and Kurt Lee Arendse’s final-play effort polished up the scoreline, but the Boks had left it too late to be shining any silverware.

South Africa: Le Roux; Moodie, Kriel, De Allende, Mapimpi; Steyn, Hendrikse; Kitshoff, Marx, Malherbe, Etzebeth, De Jager, Kolisi, Du Toit, Wiese

Replacements: Mbonambi, Nche, Koch, Mostert, Vermeulen, Smith, De Klerk, Arendse

Argentina: Mallia; Boffelli, Moroni, De la Fuente, Imhoff; Carreras, Bertranou; Chaparro, Montoya, Bello, Alemanno, Lavanini, Gonzalez, Kremer, Matera

Replacements: Creevy, Vivas, Sclavi, Petti, Rubiolo, Cubelli, Urdapilleta, Delguy