The Boks were convincing in last weekend's 35-17 victory over the same opposition in Port Elizabeth.
Despite much of the pre-match talk being about the Pumas' dominance in the scrum and breakdown areas, it was the Boks who won these key battles last weekend.
However, fresh in their minds will be the 24-26 defeat they suffered the last time they played in Salta in Rugby Championship 2016.
It is a venue the South Africans have found to be very lonely at times with a hostile atmosphere and a passionate partisan crowd.
Also, the field dimensions are much smaller and the fans are so close to the pitch they feel on top of the players.
The Boks will need to be steady under the high ball as last year they were given an aerial bombardment by los Pumas.
They allowed the Pumas to rattle them. A number of missed penalties didn't help either as they lost to a 78th minute Santiago Gonzales Iglesias penalty.
But this Springbok team are a different side from 2016. It appears they have emerged from their deep slump and are back on track.
In contrast, it has been a bad year for Argentina rugby with a poor Super Rugby showing from the Jaguares and a dismal display last weekend from the national team if truth be told.
What has been impressive about the Boks in recent times is their defence. New defence coach Brendan Venter must get the accolades for this among other things including instilling a sense of brotherhood in the side.
South Africa missed just 20 tackles in their Round 1 win against Argentina, fewer than any of the other three teams across the weekend.
And what has been a cause of concern for los Pumas is their discipline. They conceded 12 penalties in last week's game, more than any other team in the competition.
This Springbok side is spoilt with big, powerful, dynamic forwards who get around the park and are able to turn over the ball. Malcolm Marx has proven himself to be Bismarck 2.0 while Eben Etzebeth won three turnovers last weekend, more than any other player in the competition along with Agustin Creevy.
And when you think of the firepower to come off the bench in the form of Steven Kitshoff, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jean-Luc du Preez, it is a frightening prospect for the Pumas. Du Preez is yet to miss a tackle in his international career, having made 33 out of 33 since his debut against Wales last November. He made 28 out of 28 against France during the June Test series, the most of any player to maintain a 100% success rate.
So, although this Bok side is less experienced than the one that lost in Salta last year, it is definitely a better side and should come away with a win barring any major surprises.
Players to watch:
For South Africa: Francois Hougaard gets the nod at scrum-half in place of the injured Ross Cronje. He is less consistent, but on his day his quick feet and speed can cause any team serious problems around the fringes. If it is not his day, he can also single handedly lose a match for a team. Malcolm Marx was a beast in the last Test. He was a constant threat with ball in hand, didn’t miss a tackle and wins turnovers at critical times.
For Argentina: Agustin Creevy is an emotive player. He will not have have been pleased with the performance of Argentina's front row last weekend. Back at home and with two new props at his side, the Pumas skipper will be fired up for this Test. Juan Martin Hernandez comes in at fly-half. Known as ‘El Mago’ (The Magician), he can create something out of nothing with his vision, quick feet, tactical kicking and limitless distribution skills.
Head-to-head: The front rows of both teams have differing mental states. Coenie Oosthuizen, Malcolm Marx and Tendai Mtawarira retain their spots and will aim to smash their opponents and set a platform for their backs. Ramiro Herrera and Lucas Noguera come in to Argentina's line-up with skipper Agustin Creevy and will want to regain the fear factor once held by los Pumas' pack. Juan Martin Hernandez will offer a totally new set of strengths for the home side. Elton Jantjies will have to be on his toes to read him and ensure he runs the show once again.
Previous meetings:
2017: Springboks won 37-15 in Port Elizabeth
2016: Argentina won 26-24 in Salta
2016: South Africa won 30-23 in Nelspruit
2015: South Africa won 24-13 in London
2015: South Africa won 26-12 in Buenos Aires
2015: Argentina won 37-25 in Durban
2014: South Africa won 33-31 in Salta
2014: South Africa won 13-6 in Pretoria
Prediction: This Bok side are a different beast altogether from the one that lost in Salta last year. Springboks by 10.
The teams:
Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Ramiro Moyano, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Juan Martin Hernandez, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 7 Tomas Lezana, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Matías Alemanno, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustin Creevy (c), 1 Lucas Noguera
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Marcos Kremer, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Nicolas Sanchez, 23 Matias Moroni
South Africa: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Raymond Rhule, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Uzair Cassiem, 7 Jaco Kriel, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth (c), 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 20 Jean-Luc du Preez, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Curwin Bosch, 23 Damian de Allende
Date: Saturday, August 26
Venue: Estadio Padre Ernesto Marlearena, Salta
Kick-off: 16:40 local (19:40 GMT)
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Nic Berry (Australia)
Television match official: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
