Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has named his team for the penultimate round of the Rugby Championship as South Africa face Argentina in Santiago.

The Boks head into the clash against Los Pumas knowing that a victory over Felipe Contepomi’s troops will seal a first Rugby Championship title since 2019.

In fact, it will also be just the third time New Zealand has not won the competition since 2012 – when Argentina were added to the then Tri Nations.

With this in mind, Erasmus has rotated his squad once again from the team that sealed a second victory over the All Blacks in South Africa.

Rassie Erasmus rings the changes again

Erasmus has included lock Eben Etzebeth on the bench for the fixture and if the centurion features, he will equal Victor Matfield’s record as the most-capped Springboks player of all-time.

Replacing Etzebeth in the starting XV is Salmaan Moerat, who will skipper the team in Siya Kolisi’s absence, and he packs down alongside Ruan Nortje who earns his fourth straight start for the Boks.

Nortje is one of five players who retain their starting jersey from the win over the All Blacks in Cape Town, the others are: Ox Nche (prop), Jasper Wiese (number eight), Handre Pollard (fly-half) and Jesse Kriel (centre).

In the front-row, Nche partners hooker Malcolm Marx – who moves from the bench into the starting XV – while Thomas du Toit starts at tighthead prop.

Marco van Staden replaces Kolisi in the number six jumper with Wiese at eight and Ben-Jason Dixon returning to reclaim the blindside flanker role with Pieter-Steph du Toit rested.

Cobus Reinach starts alongside Pollard as the nine and 10 combinaion while Lukhanyo Am and Kriel are the starting midfielders. Into the back three, the starting wingers are Makazole Mapimpi and Kurt-Lee Arendse while Aphelele Fassi returns to the full-back role where he shone against Australia and in the first Test against the All Blacks.

Erasmus has favoured a 6-2 split on the bench to face Los Pumas with versatile front-rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels covering hooker, while Gerhard Steenekamp and Vincent Koch are back-up props. Etzebeth, Elrigh Louw and Kwagga Smith will provide impact in the back-five forward roles with Jaden Hendrikse and Manie Libbok completing the replacements.

 

Erasmus on the team to face Argentina

“It would be amazing to wrap up the Castle Lager Rugby Championship title this weekend, but it won’t be easy, and we have a bigger picture in mind as well, which is to build squad depth with an eye on the 2027 World Cup,” head coach Erasmus said.

“The only way we can do that is to expose the younger players to tough opposition under difficult circumstances, and so far, all of them have risen to that challenge.

“We’re excited about this squad and to see what the younger players can do in pretty tough playing conditions with such a passionate support base in Argentina and also at a new stadium.

 

“The fact that Los Pumas are still in the running for the title for the first time ever will drive their team and supporters even more. We have no doubt we will be tested to the limit both as a team and the players as individuals, and we are excited to see how they deal the pressures that comes with playing here.”

Ahead of the clash against Argentina, Erasmus opted to rest the following players for the trip: Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Frans Malherbe and Bongi Mbonambi.

A win over Los Pumas would be the sixth in succession for the Boks in the Championship, which would be South Africa’s longest winning run in the competition (or its Tri-Nations forerunner), exceeding five consecutive victories recorded in 2009.