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Barring some unfortunate injuries from their two-match tour of New Zealand in The Rugby Championship, Rassie Erasmus has selected a strong squad to take on the Pumas in Durban this weekend, with the side needing to string together some consistent performances and results in an unpredictable tournament.
Barring some unfortunate injuries from their two-match tour of New Zealand in The Rugby Championship, Rassie Erasmus has selected a strong squad to take on the Pumas in Durban this weekend, with the side needing to string together some consistent performances and results in an unpredictable tournament.
This penultimate Rugby Championship match at Hollywoodbets Kings Park sees them enter the contest on one of their biggest highs after their 43-10 record demolition of the All Blacks in Wellington. But a fortnight in international rugby, and in the context of this TRC is an eternity in how teams have performed.
It is no different for the visitors who narrowly lost their first match on Australian soil but were victorious in Sydney 28-26 and have now moved up to sixth in the world rankings.
The hosts are second on the log with ten points (tied with New Zealand), and Argentina sit on 9 points, with all sides trailing the log-leading Wallabies on 11 points.
Argentina has beaten Australia, New Zealand and the Springboks over recent years and although the record books show that they have only beaten South Africa four times and drawn once in 38 tests, absolutely no one will be taking them lightly when they run out on the east coast of South Africa.
Erasmus said of the Felipe Contepomi coached team, “If one takes into consideration that they beat New Zealand and Australia in the first four rounds of the competition, as well as the British & Irish Lions earlier in the season, there’s no doubt we’ll treat them the respect they deserve.
We have two massive encounters ahead against a psyched-up Argentinean team, who, just like every other side in the competition, believes they can win the trophy.”
It was at this Durban stadium that Pumas registered their first victory over the Boks 37-25 a decade ago. It's been a year of cracked milestones and tumbling records so anything could happen.
The Springbok coach has opted to make just two personnel changes in the starting XV. Eben Etzebeth and Damian Willemse taking over from the injured Lood de Jager and Aphelele Fassi at lock and fullback, while Damian de Allende returns at inside centre alongside Canan Moodie as Jesse Kriel is not included in the matchday 23.
The selection of the mercurial Damian Willemse at 15 was probably the biggest talking point all week, with the experienced Willie Le Roux having also been training with the squad, and Aphelele Fassi out injured. If Willemse can find the same form he displayed against the All Blacks in Wellington, the Argentine defence better be rock solid and those ankles taped up tight.
Siya Kolisi will captain the side in his 97th Test - if he plays in every test scheduled for the remainder of the year, he could enter the centurion club against France in Paris on November 8th.
There are three changes on the replacements bench which have a 5/3 split. Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, and Morne van den Berg are included with the latter in the place of an injured Grant Wiliams.
The world champions have used 46 players in the last eight matches.
Erasmus said of the selection, “We were very pleased with the way the team rose to the challenge against the All Blacks in Wellington, and looking at the Pumas team and their strengths, we believe this would be the best team for this specific match,”
There are four Springboks in the team with more than 90 Test caps – Etzebeth (136), Kolisi (96), Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende (both on 91 caps).
Other players who remained unavailable for selection due to injuries are Gerhard Steenekamp, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat, and Kurt-Lee Arendse.
The second of the matches between the two teams will take place at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Saturday 4 October.
After that its a tough European tour which includes matches against Japan, France, Italy, Ireland and Wales which precedes the all-important pool draw for the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia. Rassie can ill-afford to tinker and would want to lay a marker against the French and Ireland in particular.
For now he needs to focus on getting through a tough test in Durban ideally with a five point haul and a minimal injury toll.
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