Springbok team confirmed for Pumas showdown
The experienced Tendai Mtawarira (loosehead prop), Bongi Mbonambi (hooker) and Trevor Nyakane (tighthead prop) will pack down in the Springbok front row when South Africa face Argentina in the third and final Castle Lager Rugby Championship encounter in Salta on Saturday.
The reshuffled front row are the only changes to the starting fifteen from the one that held holders New Zealand to a thrilling 16-16 draw in Wellington on 27 July. Duane Vermeulen will again lead the Springboks as captain for this decisive clash in the high altitude of Salta.
Mtawarira, the most experienced Springbok prop in history, and Nyakane replace Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe, while Mbonambi takes over the hooker duties from Malcolm Marx.
All three front rankers who started the Test at the Westpac Stadium in the New Zealand capital are due to make an impact off the bench against the Pumas on Saturday.
The ‘Beast’, who is set to make his 110th appearance in the Green and Gold jersey, will join Rugby World Cup winner Bryan Habana on 53 appearances in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship to equal the Springbok record for number of caps in the southern hemisphere competition.
South Africa can clinch the Castle Lager Rugby Championship for the first time since 2009 if they can manage to beat the difficult Pumas with a bonus point.
National director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, described Saturday’s vital clash as another very important opportunity to build momentum towards the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
“The Pumas are a very difficult team to play at home and they will be fired up for this one in front of their passionate crowd in Salta,” said Erasmus.
Regarding the tweaked front row, Erasmus said: “This Test is a good opportunity for Bongi and Trevor to start next to ‘Beast’, who has a wealth of experience from playing more than 100 Tests for the Springboks.
“We all know about the massively difficult forward threat of Argentina, however, they are a clever side with skill and pace out wide so we will have to be alert on defence right until the final whistle,” said Erasmus.
The two teams are due to meet each other again next week again in Pretoria in what will be the Springboks’ final home Test before the announcement of the official Rugby World Cup squad on Monday, 26 August.
South Africa and Argentina have played three times before in Salta. The first Test, in 2014, was won 33-31 by the Springboks, while the Pumas won the second encounter at the Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena in 2016, also by two points (26-24).
The last encounter between the two countries in Salta was in 2017, when Eben Etzebeth’s team, playing in a special edition red jersey, triumphed by a winning margin of 18 points (41-23), which was also the Boks’ biggest Castle Lager Rugby Championship victory in Argentina.
Overall, The Springboks have played 14 Test matches in Argentina against the Pumas, with 11 victories, two defeats and one draw, for a win percentage of 79%.
The Springbok team for Salta (in order of name, franchise or club, caps and points):
15. Willie le Roux (Wasps, England), 54 caps, 60 points (12 tries)
14. Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, France), 8, 10 (2t)
13. Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks), 7, 5 (1t)
12. Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers), 38, 20 (4t)
11. Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks), 6, 20 (4t)
10. Handré Pollard (Vodacom Bulls), 40, 350 (4t, 60c, 67p, 3d)
9. Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England), 22, 15 (3t)
8. Duane Vermeulen (captain, Vodacom Bulls), 47, 15 (3t)
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers), 48, 20 (4t)
6. Kwagga Smith (Emirates Lions), 2, 0
5. Franco Mostert (Gloucester Rugby, England), 30, 5 (1t)
4. Eben Etzebeth (DHL Stormers), 77, 15 (3t)
3. Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls), 39, 5 (1t)
2. Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers), 28, 15 (3t)
1. Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks), 109, 10 (2t)
Replacements:
16. Malcolm Marx (Emirates Lions), 25, 20 (4t)
17. Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), 38, 5 (1t)
18. Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), 30, 0
19. RG Snyman (Vodacom Bulls), 13, 0
20. Francois Louw (Bath Rugby, England), 67, 45 (9t)
21. Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers), 2, 15 (3t)
22. Frans Steyn (Montpellier, France), 58, 132 (10t, 5c, 21p, 3d)
23. Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls), 42, 60 (12t)
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to comments