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Hot on the heels of a home series victory over the British and Irish Lions, South Africa play host to Argentina on Saturday. The fixture is an opening round match in the 2021 Rugby Championship. It marks the return of the Springboks after South Africa pulled-out of the 2020 competition.
The last meeting between the teams was in 2019. Since then South Africa have claimed the Rugby World Cup and have gone to top of the World Rankings. The men in green lay claim to being the best in the world and the team to beat in 2021.
Their line-up to face Argentina is complete; all players are stand-out names. Siya Kolisi leads the side from flanker. He will do so behind the phenomenal second-row combination of Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager.
The back-line sees Cobus Reinach rewarded for his performance last weekend. He will start inside the recalled Elton Jantjies in the halves. The backs also contain no shortage of finishers. Aphelele Fassi, Sbu Nkosi, and Damian Willemse will form the back-three for the home side.
Argentina’s side contains 14 of the 15 starters from their most recent outing. Los Pumas completed a record-setting away win over Wales in July. The one changes is not tactical; Tomás Cubelli is out of the Rugby Championship through injury. His place has gone to Los Jaguares XV captain Felipe Ezcurra. Ezcurra is the only Argentine-based player in the 23.
The Argentine team is mobile, yet combative. The front-row is Argentina’s strongest possible scrum. The second-row sees hybrid players with both Guido Petti and Marcos Kremer playing flanker in the Top 14 this year. As such, the hard-hitting Facundo Isa and Rodrigo Bruni can both start alongside former captain Pablo Matera in the back-row.
The centers look as Argentina’s strategy target and surprise the Springboks. Jerónimo de la Fuente and Santiago Chocobares are both big players who can force back opposition ball-carriers as well as gaining good meters as carriers themselves. This tactic is expected and it explains the call to play Matías Moroni out of position on the wing.
South Africa’s winning record against Argentina is well known. The Springboks were unbeaten against Argentina until 2015. The first Argentine victory over the Springboks was played on the Indian Ocean city of Durban. This Saturday’s match will be down the coast in Port Elizabeth.
The Springboks are on a high after their series win; yet, the rugby played was ferocious. This is reflected in the changes made to face Los Pumas. Whether or not this will represent a weakened home side remains to be seen. Notwithstanding, Argentina do go in to the match with a better shot at victory than in most years.
SOUTH AFRICA
1 Ox Nche, 2 Joseph Dweba, 3 Wilco Louw, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Lood de Jager, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt.), 7 Kwagga Smith, 8 Jasper Wiese, 9 Cobus Reinach, 10 Elton Jantjies, 11 Aphelele Fassi, 12 Frans Steyn, 13 Jesse Kriel, 14 Sbu Nkosi, 15 Damian Willemse
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marvin Orie, 20 Marco Van Staden, 21 Dan Du Preez, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Morné Steyn
ARGENTINA
1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Julián Montoya, 3 Francisco Gómez Kodela, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Facundo Isa, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 9 Felipe Ezcurra, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 11 Matías Moroni, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 13 Santiago Chocobares, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Santiago Carreras
Replacements: 16 Facundo Bosch, 17 Carlos Muzzio, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Tomás Lavanini, 20 Matías Alemanno, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Sebastián Cancelliere
Date: Saturday, August 14
Kick-Off: 5:05pm (Local); 12:05pm (Argentina)
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (England); AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
TMO: Tom Foley (England)
Historical Results
2019/08/17 South Africa 24, Argentina 18 (Pretoria)
2019/08/10 Argentina 13, South Africa 46 (Salta)
2018/08/25 Argentina 32, South Africa 19 (Mendoza)
2018/08/18 South Africa 34, Argentina 21 (Durban)
2017/08/26 Argentina 23, South Africa 41 (Salta)
2017/08/19 South Africa 37, Argentina 15 (Port Elizabeth)
2016/08/27 Argentina 26, South Africa 24 (Salta)
2016/08/20 South Africa 30, Argentina 23 (Nelspruit)
2015/10/30 South Africa 24, Argentina 14 (London)
2015/08/15 Argentina 12, South Africa 26 (Buenos Aires)
2015/08/08 South Africa 25, Argentina 37 (Durban)
2014/08/23 Argentina 31, South Africa 33 (Salta)
2014/08/16 South Africa 13, Argentina 06 (Pretoria)
2013/08/24 Argentina 17, South Africa 22 (Mendoza)
2013/08/17 South Africa 73, Argentina 13 (Johannesburg)
2012/08/25 Argentina 16, South Africa 16 (Mendoza)
2012/08/18 South Africa 27, Argentina 06 (Cape Town)
2008/08/09 South Africa 63, Argentina 09 (Johannesburg)
2007/10/14 South Africa 37, Argentina 13 (Paris)
2005/11/05 Argentina 23, South Africa 34 (Buenos Aires)
2004/12/04 Argentina 07, South Africa 39 (Buenos Aires)
2003/06/28 South Africa 26, Argentina 25 (Port Elizabeth)
2002/06/29 South Africa 49, Argentina 29 (Springs)
2000/12/29 Argentina 33, South Afica 37 (Buenos Aires)
1996/11/16 Argentina 21, South Africa 44 (Buenos Aires)
1996/11/09 Argentina 15, South Africa 46 (Buenos Aires)
1994/10/15 South Africa 46, Argentina 26 (Johannesburg)
1994/10/08 South Africa 42, Argentina 22 (Port Elizabeth)
1993/11/13 Argentina 23, South Africa 52 (Buenos Aires)
1993/11/06 Argentina 26, South Africa 29 (Buenos Aires)
OVERALL RESULTS
South Africa Wins 26
Argentina Wins 3
Draws 1
