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South Africa host Argentina in the sixth and final round of the 2022 Rugby Championship. The match has plenty on the line; South Africa need to win against Argentina while New Zealand need to win against Australia. Such has been the outcome of matches in the tournament that the reverse is possible in both matches.
Test matches between South Africa and Argentina have been played since 1993. However, the rivalry dates back to long before then. Argentina toured South Africa and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in 1965 and the Junior Springboks’ played in Argentina in 1959.
Annual competition began with Argentina joining the Rugby Championship in 2012. In Rugby Championship matches Los Pumas have won three matches and South Africa have won thirteen. The teams also competed to a draw in 2012. South Africa won the three other matches between the teams during this period.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has made two changes from the side that won in Buenos Aires. At fly half Frans Steyn will wear the 10 shirt for the first time in fourteen years. The veteran takes over from Damian Willemse who was injured in Buenos Aires.
The second change comes in the forwards. Former World Rugby Player of the Year winner Pieter-Steph du Toit returns to start at flanker. He replaces Franco Mostert who has been named as a replacement.
There have also been alterations to the replacements. Nienaber has recalled Bongi Mbonambi as the replacement hooker while outside back Kurt-Lee Arendse returns after serving his suspension for a dangerous tackle last month.
Meanwhile, there are only two backs on the replacements; Arendse and Faf de Klerk. This sees two replacement back-rowers which sees Duane Vermeulen returning.
Michael Cheika has opted for two changes to Argentina’s starting line-up. Both come in the backs as Juan Imhoff returns to play left wing and Matías Moroni is elevated from the replacements to start at outside center. Both Lucio Cinti and Matías Orlando will miss the match.
Imhoff joins Emiliano Boffelli as the starting wingers. Both Boffelli and Cinti performed well against the Springboks’ aerial tactics in Buenos Aires. They will be joined in the back-three by Juan Cruz Mallía who has now established himself as Argentina’s first choice fullback.
The starting halves are unchanged as is the entirety of the forward pack. Tomás Lavanini will earn his 75th test cap and Gonzalo Bertranou will earn his 45th. Eduardo Bello and Juan Martín González both start; they have come far this year.
Changes among the replacements see returns for Mayco Vivas and Bautista Delguy. The former covers loose head with Thomas Gallo back in Italy. The latter sees a first game for the winger who has been out of favor thus far under Cheika. There will also be new blood as teenager Pedro Rubiolo will make his debut from the bench covering flanker. Rubiolo is 15 years younger than Imhoff and 17 years younger than reaplcement fly half Benjamín Urdapilleta.
The venue of King’s Park in Durban is familiar to some of the players. Imhoff made history at the venue in 2015. He became the first player in history to score a hat-trick against the Springboks. Argentina’s win over South Africa that day remains one of Los Pumas’ greatest wins. That result will be used as motivation for the showdown this Saturday.
TEAMS
SOUTH AFRICA
1 Steven Kitshoff, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Frans Malherbe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Lood de Jager, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt.), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 10 Frans Steyn, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 12 Damian de Allende, 13 Jesse Kriel, 14 Canan Moodie, 15 Willie Le Roux
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Duane Vermeulen, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Faf de Klerk, 23 Kurt-Lee Arendse
ARGENTINA
1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Eduardo Bello, 4 Matías Alemanno, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Juan Martín González, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Pablo Matera, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Juan Imhoff, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Emiliano Boffelli, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía
Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Pedro Rubiolo, 21 Tomás Cubelli, 22 Benjamín Urdapilleta, 23 Bautista Delguy
Date: Saturday, September 24
Kick-Off: 5:05pm (ZA); 12:05 (AR)
Venue: Kings Park (Durban, ZA)
Referee: Damon Murphy (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy (Ireland); Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Chris Hart (New Zealand)
HISTORICAL RESULTS
2022/09/17 Argentina 20, South Africa 36 (Buenos Aires, AR)
2021/08/21 South Africa 29, Argentina 10 (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
2021/08/14 South Africa 32, Argentina 12 (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
2019/08/17 South Africa 24, Argentina 18 (Pretoria, ZA)
2019/08/10 Argentina 13, South Africa 46 (Salta, AR)
2018/08/25 Argentina 32, South Africa 19 (Mendoza, AR)
2018/08/18 South Africa 34, Argentina 21 (Durban, ZA)
2017/08/26 Argentina 23, South Africa 41 (Salta, AR)
2017/08/19 South Africa 37, Argentina 15 (Port Elizabeth, AR)
2016/08/27 Argentina 26, South Africa 24 (Salta, AR)
2016/08/20 South Africa 30, Argentina 23 (Nelspruit, ZA)
2015/10/30 South Africa 24, Argentina 14 (London, UK)
2015/08/15 Argentina 12, South Africa 26 (Buenos Aires, AR)
2015/08/08 South Africa 25, Argentina 37 (Durban, ZA)
2014/08/23 Argentina 31, South Africa 33 (Salta, AR)
2014/08/16 South Africa 13, Argentina 06 (Pretoria, ZA)
2013/08/24 Argentina 17, South Africa 22 (Mendoza, AR)
2013/08/17 South Africa 73, Argentina 13 (Johannesburg, ZA)
2012/08/25 Argentina 16, South Africa 16 (Mendoza, AR)
2012/08/18 South Africa 27, Argentina 06 (Cape Town, ZA)
2008/08/09 South Africa 63, Argentina 09 (Johannesburg, ZA)
2007/10/14 South Africa 37, Argentina 13 (Paris, FR)
2005/11/05 Argentina 23, South Africa 34 (Buenos Aires, AR)
2004/12/04 Argentina 07, South Africa 39 (Buenos Aires, AR)
2003/06/28 South Africa 26, Argentina 25 (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
2002/06/29 South Africa 49, Argentina 29 (Springs, ZA)
2000/12/29 Argentina 33, South Afica 37 (Buenos Aires, AR)
1996/11/16 Argentina 21, South Africa 44 (Buenos Aires, AR)
1996/11/09 Argentina 15, South Africa 46 (Buenos Aires, AR)
1994/10/15 South Africa 46, Argentina 26 (Johannesburg, ZA)
1994/10/08 South Africa 42, Argentina 22 (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
1993/11/13 Argentina 23, South Africa 52 (Buenos Aires, AR)
1993/11/06 Argentina 26, South Africa 29 (Buenos Aires, AR)
OVERALL RESULTS
South Africa Wins 29
Argentina Wins 3
Draws 1
