Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is shaking things up a bit for the upcoming scrum with Argentina at Kings Park this Saturday. With injuries forcing a switcheroo in the lineup, stalwarts Eben Etzebeth and Damian Willemse are stepping in, while the bench sees a fresh mix aimed to keep the Pumas guessing.
Etzebeth is filling in for Lood de Jager at lock, and Willemse is taking over from Aphelele Fassi at fullback, ensuring that the Boks' backline remains as formidable as ever. Not stopping there, Damian de Allende is making a comeback at inside centre, hopefully adding some extra oomph to the center field.
On the reserves front, Rassie is not holding back either. Boan Venter will prop up the scrum, replacing Jan-Hendrik Wessels who now covers as the hooker. Meanwhile, scrumhalf Morne van den Berg is stepping in for the "niggled" Grant Williams. As Rassie put it,
"We were very pleased with the way the team rose to the challenge against the All Blacks in Wellington, and looking at the Pumas team and their strengths, we believe this would be the best team for this specific match."
The Boks are bracing for a titanic clash against an Argentine squad that’s only two points shy of the Springboks in a tightly contested Rugby Championship. Given Argentina’s recent victories over New Zealand and Australia, and their early season win against the British & Irish Lions, Erasmus acknowledged the uphill battle, stating,
"This is a vital match for both us and the Pumas... They’ve made big strides in the last few seasons, and have an astute coach in Felipe Contepomi, so we know they are going to throw everything at us."
He highlighted the Pumas' strong forwards and talented backs, emphasizing the comprehensive threat they pose.
Despite the historical mixed bag of results in Durban, where the Springboks have both lost and won against Argentina, Erasmus stressed the irrelevance of past outcomes for this game, pointing out Argentina’s rise to sixth in the world rankings, above Australia.
The Springboks' lineup for Saturday includes: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen.
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Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is shaking things up a bit for the upcoming scrum with Argentina at Kings Park this Saturday. With injuries forcing a switcheroo in the lineup, stalwarts Eben Etzebeth and Damian Willemse are stepping in, while the bench sees a fresh mix aimed to keep the Pumas guessing.
Etzebeth is filling in for Lood de Jager at lock, and Willemse is taking over from Aphelele Fassi at fullback, ensuring that the Boks' backline remains as formidable as ever. Not stopping there, Damian de Allende is making a comeback at inside centre, hopefully adding some extra oomph to the center field.
On the reserves front, Rassie is not holding back either. Boan Venter will prop up the scrum, replacing Jan-Hendrik Wessels who now covers as the hooker. Meanwhile, scrumhalf Morne van den Berg is stepping in for the "niggled" Grant Williams. As Rassie put it,
"We were very pleased with the way the team rose to the challenge against the All Blacks in Wellington, and looking at the Pumas team and their strengths, we believe this would be the best team for this specific match."
The Boks are bracing for a titanic clash against an Argentine squad that’s only two points shy of the Springboks in a tightly contested Rugby Championship. Given Argentina’s recent victories over New Zealand and Australia, and their early season win against the British & Irish Lions, Erasmus acknowledged the uphill battle, stating,
"This is a vital match for both us and the Pumas... They’ve made big strides in the last few seasons, and have an astute coach in Felipe Contepomi, so we know they are going to throw everything at us."
He highlighted the Pumas' strong forwards and talented backs, emphasizing the comprehensive threat they pose.Despite the historical mixed bag of results in Durban, where the Springboks have both lost and won against Argentina, Erasmus stressed the irrelevance of past outcomes for this game, pointing out Argentina’s rise to sixth in the world rankings, above Australia.
The Springboks' lineup for Saturday includes: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen.