Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
World Champions South Africa have their farewell home match before the World Cup. The Springboks play host to Argentina in Johannesburg. The match is a third, and final, round fixture of the 2023 Rugby Championship.
South Africa go in to the match looking for answers. The Springboks were impressive winners first up against Australia but were well-beaten on the road by New Zealand. In contrast, Argentina were no match for New Zealand in their first fixture and recovered to defeat Australia on the road in their second match.
South African head coach Jacques Nienaber has opted for a heavily changed side. Nine changes have been made from the side that lost against the All Blacks in Auckland. Veteran Duane Vermeulen is back to wear the captain’s arm-band.
Vermeulen will join Pieter-Steph du Toit in the back-row. Marco van Staden. Both flankers were replacements in South Africa’s opening Rugby Championship match against the Wallabies. Also in the forwards, Malcolm Marx has been named in place of Bongi Mbonambi to start at hooker and Marvin Orie replaces Lood de Jager in the second-row.
There is a new halves pairing. Grant Williams will have his first test start for his country. Williams will play scrum-half inside Manie Libbok. It is a brand-new combination for the Springboks. Vice captain Damian de Allende will play at inside center with Jesse Kriel earning a start at outside center. Star center Lukhanyo Am will watch-on as a benchwarmer.
The hat-trick hero against Australia, Kurt-Lee Arendse is back to start on the wing. He replaces Makazole Mapimpi. Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe will provide tremendous finishing capabilities as the Springbok wingers.
The match is Argentina’s first of the year with all players considered. With the exception of the suspended Marcos Kremer, those from the Top 14 play-off’s are now all back in consideration. Bordeaux’s Guido Petti is fit again though will not play in the match. This comes with Pedro Rubiolo covering second-row with Matías Alemanno injured.
The second-row instead sees Lucas Paulos elevated for his first test start alongside the battle-hardened Tomás Lavanini. Paulos is the only change to the starting forwards that won in Sydney.
Julián Montoya leads the team from hooker with veteran Francisco Gómez Kodela and the young and explosive Thomas Gallo joining him up-front. Pablo Matera, Santiago Grondona, and Juan Martín González again form the back-row. González will again wear N8; his first professional start in the position was against the previous match against the Wallabies.
Michael Cheika’s stable forwards selection is not replicated in the backs. Lautaro Bazán Vélez is in to start at scrum-half. He will partner Santiago Carreras in the halves. Mateo Carreras again starts on one wing with veteran Juan Imhoff back to start on the other and fullback Juan Cruz Mallía earning his 24th cap. Now aged 35, Imhoff will earn his 43rd cap. He debuted against Chile in 2010.
Where it gets very interesting is the mid-field. Santiago Chocobares, and Lucio Cinti will play together for the first time. Chocobares missed 2022 due to injury. He impressed for Toulouse. The players are both big, strong and fast. They are impressive attackers and defenders. Argentina may have an added edge to their game.
The match will be the 34th test match between South Africa and Argentina. Second-rower Eben Etzebeth will become the first Springboks to face Argentina 20 times. Such is Rugby’s structure that the giant has never faced Fiji.
South Africa have recorded 30 wins and Argentina 3. The teams competed to a draw in the inaugural Rugby Championship in 2012. The Springboks are on a six match winning-streak against Los Pumas. Argentina’s most recent win was in 2018.
SOUTH AFRICA
1 Steven Kitshoff, 2, Malcom Marx, 3 Frans Malherbe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Marvin Orie, 6 Marco van Staden, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Duane Vermeulen (capt.), 9 Grant Williams, 10 Manie Libbok, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 12 Damian de Allende, 13 Jesse Kriel, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 15 Willie Le Roux
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Lukhanyo Am, 23 Damian Willemse
ARGENTINA
1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Francisco Gómez Kodela, 4 Lucas Paulos, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Santiago Grondona, 8 Juan Martín González, 9 Lautaro Bazán Vélez, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Juan Imhoff, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Lucio Cinti, 14 Mateo Carreras, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Pedro Rubiolo, 20 Facundo Isa, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Tomás Albornoz, 23 Matías Moroni
Date: Saturday, July 29
Kick-Off: 5:05pm (ZA); 12:05pm (AR)
Venue: Ellis Park (Johannesburg, ZA)
Referee: Andrew Brace (IE)
Assistant Referees: Nika Amashukeli (GE) & Chris Busby (IE)
TMO: Brett Cronan (AU)
vs
COMPLETE RESULTS
Sep 24, 2022 – South Africa 38-21 Argentina (Durban, ZA)
Sep 17, 2022 – Argentina 20-36 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Aug 21, 2021 – South Africa 29-10 Argentina (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
Aug 14, 2021 – South Africa 32-12 Argentina (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
Aug 17, 2019 – South Africa 24-18 Argentina (Pretoria, ZA)
Aug 10, 2019 – Argentina 13-46 South Africa (Salta, AR)
Aug 25, 2018 – Argentina 32-19 South Africa (Mendoza, AR)
Aug 18, 2018 – South Africa 34-21 Argentina (Durban, ZA)
Aug 26, 2017 – Argentina 23-41 South Africa (Salta, AR)
Aug 19, 2017 – South Africa 37-15 Argentina (Port Elizabeth, AR)
Aug 27, 2016 – Argentina 26-24 South Africa (Salta, AR)
Oct 20, 2016 – South Africa 30-23 Argentina (Nelspruit, ZA)
Oct 30, 2015 – South Africa 24-14 Argentina (London, UK)
Aug 15, 2015 – Argentina 12-26 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Aug 08, 2015 – South Africa 25-37 Argentina (Durban, ZA)
Aug 23, 2014 – Argentina 31-33 South Africa (Salta, AR)
Aug 16, 2014 – South Africa 13-06 Argentina (Pretoria, ZA)
Aug 24, 2013 – Argentina 17-22 South Africa (Mendoza, AR)
Aug 17, 2013 – South Africa 73-13 Argentina (Johannesburg, ZA)
Aug 25, 2012 – Argentina 16-16 South Africa (Mendoza, AR)
Aug 18, 2012 – South Africa 27-06 Argentina (Cape Town, ZA)
Aug 19, 2008 – South Africa 63-09 Argentina (Johannesburg, ZA)
Oct 14, 2007 – South Africa 37-13 Argentina (Paris, FR)
Nov 05, 2005 – Argentina 23-34 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Dec 04, 2004 – Argentina 07-39 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
June 28, 2003 – South Africa 26-25 Argentina (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
June 29, 2002 – South Africa 49-29 Argentina (Springs, ZA)
Dec 12, 2000 – Argentina 33-37 South Afica (Buenos Aires, AR)
Nov 16, 1996 – Argentina 21-44 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Nov 09, 1996 – Argentina 15-46 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Oct 15, 1994 – South Africa 46-26 Argentina (Johannesburg, ZA)
Oct 08, 1994 – South Africa 42-22 Argentina (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
Nov 13, 1993 – Argentina 23-52 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Nov 06, 1993 – Argentina 26-29 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
vs
OVERALL RESULTS
South Africa Wins 30
Argentina Wins 3
Draws 1
