Eben Etzebeth could possibly equal Victor Matfield’s record for the most Test played by a Springbok later this week. BackpagePix
The equation is simple: A win on Saturday evening in Argentina will be enough to see the Springboks crowned Rugby Championship winners.
If they can’t get any points out of the clash in Santiago del Estero, the champagne will have to be placed on ice until at least next weekend, when the sides meet in Mbombela in the final Test of the Southern Hemisphere competition.
The Springboks arrived in South America yesterday – after a long trek that started on Saturday, via São Paulo, Brazil – and the 28-man squad will have a full week of preparation to adjust to what Los Pumas will ask of them.
Even though they have a full week in Argentina, it's interesting that the #Springboks will prepare in Buenos Aires for half of the week before catching a flight on Wednesday night to Santiago del Estero ahead of Saturday's #RugbyChampionship Test against Los Pumas
— Leighton Koopman (@Leighton_K) September 15, 2024
For half of the week, the world champions will stay and prepare in Buenos Aires before making the trip to Santiago del Estero on Wednesday night, where they will put the final touches in place ahead of Saturday’s (11pm kick-off) vital clash.
The Boks are the only unbeaten side in the tournament and another victory could take them a step closer to a Grand Slam in the Rugby Championship. The last time South Africa won the Cup was in 2019, in a truncated version during a World Cup year, and this will be the first time since 2009 that the Boks claim a full Championship.
Of course, they will have to get past a Los Pumas side buoyed by a 67-27 win over Australia a week ago, and one that beat New Zealand in the opening round with a spirited performance.
Playing in front of a boisterous home crowd will also add to the fire in their belly, knowing they are still within a shout of winning the title.
If Argentina can bag two bonus point wins over the Springboks over the next couple of weekends, and prevent the world champions from getting three points over the two Tests, the Rugby Championship will go to South America for the first time. But Bok guru Rassie Erasmus and his fellow coaches will have put some good plans in place over the past week to prevent the Argentinians from running rampant over them.
“They must firmly believe they are still in the running for the cup.”
“Who prepares the hardest and who’s the most desperate, that could determine the winner,” Erasmus said about Saturday’s encounter.
“You don't want to lose against Argentina and they don't want to lose against us. They must firmly believe they are still in the running for the cup. Both teams will be very hungry.”
The Boks will look to continue on the path they’ve been on regarding the evolution of their game plan and how they are evolving ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
How they’ve varied their set-piece play, especially at line-out time, has been brilliant. They’ve caught Australia and New Zealand out a few times with this. While the sparks in their attack have been there, the Boks have squandered plenty of try-scoring opportunities over the past four matches and they will hope it’s not the same this weekend.
Yes, they are missing a few attacking weapons, with youngster Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, centre Damian de Allende, fullback Willie le Roux, and hot-stepping wing Cheslin Kolbe getting a break. But the return of flyhalf Manie Libbok, centre Lukhanyo Am, who had valuable minutes against the All Blacks, and outside backs Kurt-Lee Arendse, Makazole Mapimpi and Aphelele Fassi should definitely make up for that.
The #Springboks are on their way to Argentina, fully aware of the big task that awaits against Los Pumas - more here: https://t.co/nQPqYe8abA 🛫#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/i2JdnQ8Xwv
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 14, 2024
Everything will start up front, though, and for this duel a few more rookies are in the mix, with the likes of front rowers Frans Malherbe, and Bongi Mbonambi, and utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit not in the mix. But how serious Erasmus and his assistants see this match is the presence of captain Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth, who could have been resting for next week’s home tie.
Should Etzebeth be selected tomorrow, when the Bok team is expected to be announced, he will stand on 127 Tests come Saturday. That will equal the record of former Bok Victor Matfield as the most experienced Springbok, and that, together with claiming the Championship title, will give the Boks enough reason to go all out on Saturday evening.
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