2024 Rugby Championship – South Africa vs Argentina – ARN Guide

South Africa host Argentina in the 2024 Rugby Championship Final on Saturday in Nelspruit. The top of the table clash is the second of two meetings between the Springboks and Los Pumas in 2024. The prior clash saw Argentina upsetting the World Champions 29-28 in Santiago del Estero last Saturday. The win gave Los Pumas their first-ever Rugby Championship Triple Crown; never before had Argentina beaten New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the same year.

 

FORM GUIDE

Current World Ranking: 2 (91.77 points)
2024-09-21 – Argentina 29-28 South Africa (Santiago de Estero, AR)
2024-09-07 – South Africa 18-12 New Zealand (Cape Town, ZA)
2024-08-31 – South Africa 31-27 New Zealand (Johannesburg, ZA)
2024-08-17 – Australia 12-30 South Africa (Perth, AU)
2024-08-10 – Australia 07-33 South Africa (Brisbane, AU)
2024-07-20 – South Africa 64-21 Portugal (Bloemfontein, ZA)
2024-07-13 – South Africa 24-25 Ireland (Durban, ZA)
2024-07-06 – South Africa 27-20 Ireland (Pretoria, ZA)
2024-06-23 – South Africa 41-13 Wales (London, GB-ENG)

Current World Ranking: 6 (84.30 points)
2024-09-21 – Argentina 29-28 South Africa (Santiago de Estero, AR)
2024-09-07 – Argentina 67-27 Australia (Santa Fe, AR)
2024-08-31 – Argentina 19-20 Australia (La Plata, AR)
2024-08-17 – New Zealand 42-10 Argentina (Auckland, NZ)
2024-08-10 – New Zealand 30-38 Argentina (Wellington, NZ)
2024-07-20 – Uruguay 05-79 Argentina (Punta del Este, UY)
2024-07-13 – Argentina 33-25 France (Buenos Aires, AR)
2024-07-06 – Argentina 13-28 France (Mendoza, AR)

 

+ STARTING LINEUP CHANGES (from Santiago del Estero)

2 Bongi Mbonambi replaces Malcolm Marx
3 Frans Malherbe replaces Thomas du Toit
4 Eben Etzebeth replaces Salmaan Moerat,
6 Siya Kolisi replaces Marco van Staden
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit replaces Ben Jason-Dixon
9 Jaden Hendrikse replaces Cobus Reinach
10 Manie Libbok replaces Handré Pollard
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse moves from 14; replaces Makazole Mapimpi
12 Damian de Allende replaces Lukhanyo Am
14 Cheslin Kolbe replaces Kurt-Lee Arendse

4 Pedro Rubiolo moves from 5; replaces Franco Molina
5 Tomás Lavanini replaces Pedro Rubiolo
6 Juan Martín González replaces Pablo Matera
7 Santiago Grondona replaces Marcos Kremer (injured)
9 Gonzalo García replaces Gonzalo Bertranou
13 Matías Moroni replaces Lucio Cinti
14 Rodrigo Isgró replaces Bautista Delguy
15 Santiago Carreras replaces Juan Cruz Mallía

 

+ MOST CAPS

– E Etzebeth (127); S Kolisi (88); D de Allende (84); PS du Toit (83); J Kriel (76); H Pollard (76); F Malherbe (75); B Mbonambi (74); M Marx (72); V Koch (57)

–  P Matera (106); J Montoya (101); T Lavanini (90); M Moroni (85); S Carreras (50); JC Malia (38); JM González (36); T Gallo (31)

 

+ LEAST CAPS

– R Nortje (5); F Steenekamp (7); A Fassi (8); E Louw (9); J Hendrikse (17); M Libbok (17)

– P Delgado (1); R Isgró (3); I Calles (4); G García (7); F Molina (8); J Oviedo (9); T Albornoz (13)

 

+ NOTABLE ABSENTEES

– Steven Kitshoff (PR); Franco Mostert (LO); Willie le Roux (FB)

– Eduardo Bello (TH); Marcos Kremer (FL) Facundo Isa (N8); Emiliano Boffelli (WI)

NOTES

• The Springboks require 1 competition point from the match to secure the Rugby Championship title. It would be their first since 2019.
• If Argentina win with a bonus point and deny South Africa a bonus point then Los Pumas will win the Rugby Championship for the first time.
• Argentina’s win last Saturday ended an 8 match losing streak against South Africa. The result saw South Africa fall from 1st to 2nd in the World Rankings.
• South Africa have gone for the same forwards that defeated New Zealand in Cape Town and also the same five forward replacements.
• Halves Jaden Hendrikse and Manie Libbok start together for South Africa for the first-time as do Gonzalo García and Tomás Albornoz for Argentina. This is a Zebre-Benetton combination. It also marks the first time in history that Los Pumas have a Tucumán halves pairing in a test match.
• Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel are the most capped Springbok center combination in history.
• Ruan Nortje and Eben Etzebeth are the competition’s leading lineout winners with 29 and 22 each. Argentina’s main targets have been flankers; Juan Martín González has won 21 and Pablo Matera 9. Argentina will likely continue this with second-rowers Pedro Rubiolo and Tomás Lavanini being secondary jumpers.
• Rodrigo Isgró will earn his first cap since the World Cup. He is preeminent under the high ball.
• Replacements Franco Molina, Pablo Matera, Lucio Cinti and Juan Cruz Mallía suggest intent for a fast-paced 80 minute performance.
• The match ends a 77 test match streak; the last time that Los Pumas had neither Marcos Kremer nor Pablo Matera starting was against Georgia in 2017.
• Eben Etzebeth will overtake Victor Matfield to become the most capped Springbok of all time.
• 14 of South Africa’s 23 players play in the United Rugby Championship (URC). 7 play in Japan, 1 in England and 1 in France.
• 8 of the 23 Pumas play in England, 8 in France, 4 in Italy and 1 in Japan. Pedro Delgado plays in Argentina. Matías Moroni is unattached. Delgado is preferred to Racing 92’s Lucio Sordoni.
• Julián Montoya captains Argentina for the 39th time. He overtakes Hugo Porta who led Los Pumas in 38 test matches. Montoya goes into 3rd behind Agustín Creevy (51) and Lisandro Arbizu (48).
• Pablo Matera is the only player in the 23 who played in all four Pumas wins over South Africa.
• The Springboks have conceded 7 yellow cards thus far in the tournament. Argentina zero.
• The Springboks were 30-23 winners over Argentina at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit in 2016.
• 6 Springboks and 3 Pumas from the 2016 Nelspruit match will play on Saturday. They are: D de Allende, E Etzebeth, B Mbonambi, V Koch, PS du Toit, J Kriel, P Matera, T Lavanini, and J Montoya.
• The Last time the teams met in South Africa was decided by 1 point; South Africa won 22-21.

 

PREDICTION

Warm conditions await the teams in what will be a late afternoon kick-off. The will allow for plenty of open play; similar to that from Santiago del Estero. The fatigue level ought not reach the same proportions due to a reduction in the intensity of the heat. South Africa’s pathway to victory will likely focus on winning the collision areas, putting-up accurate high-balls and having continued ascendancy in the scrum. Argentina will play with width as they target at least four tries. ARN projects a South African victory.

 

LINE-UPS

SOUTH AFRICA
1 Ox Nche, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 3 Frans Malherbe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Ruan Nortje, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt.), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 10 Manie Libbok, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 12 Damian de Allende, 13 Jesse Kriel, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 15 Aphelele Fassi

Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18  Vincent Koch, 19 Elrigh Louw, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Lukhanyo Am

ARGENTINA
1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Joel Sclavi, 4 Pedro Rubiolo, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Juan Martín González (vice-capt.), 7 Santiago Grondona, 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 9 Gonzalo García, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 11 Mateo Carreras, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 15 Santiago Carreras (vice-capt.)

Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Ignacio Calles, 18 Pedro Delgado, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Pablo Matera, 21 Lautaro Bazán Vélez, 22 Lucio Cinti, 23 Juan Cruz Mallía

 

MATCH INFO

Date: Saturday, September 24
Kickoff: 5pm (South Africa); 12pm (Argentina)
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspuit (ZA)
Broadcasts: ESPN, Disney + (Argentina)
Weather Forecast: Partly Cloudy and Hot, 31°C, wind 10 km/h

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
Assistant Referees: James Doleman (NZ); Craig Evans (GB-WLS)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZ)
Foul Play Review Officer: Andrew Jackson (GB-ENG)

 

HISTORY vs (1993-2024)

Sep 21, 2024 – Argentina 29-28 South Africa (Santiago del Estero, AR)
Aug 05, 2023 – Argentina 13-24 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Jul 29, 2023 – South Africa 22-21 Argentina (Johannesburg, ZA)
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 Africa (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)

 

HEAD TO HEAD vs

South Africa Wins 32
Argentina Wins 4
Draws 1