Erasmus backs fresh Springbok blend for Argentina Test

By George Byron

An exciting fresh mix of experienced and talented rising stars will have an opportunity to show what they are made of when the Springboks face a pugnacious Argentina outfit in a one-off Test in Buenos Aires on Saturday, coach Rassie Erasmus says.

Several players are returning from injury, including skipper Siya Kolisi and locks Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, who will give the Boks extra experience for the clash against Los Pumas (kickoff 9.10pm).

Other players back in the mix for the encounter at Estadio José Amalfitani are Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Morné van den Berg, André Esterhuizen and Ethan Hooker.

The revamped team shows 13 changes to the side that ran out against Wales in the Boks’ last Test.

Seven players who featured in SA’s 43-0 victory in Durban retained their places in the match-23, with only two in the starting lineup (Aphelele Fassi and Cobus Reinach).

The other five players — Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ben-Jason Dixon, Marco van Staden, Cobus Wiese (all utility forwards) and Gerhard Steenekamp (prop) — have been named on the bench.

The Argentineans are very similar to South Africans in many ways. Their passion and patriotism for their country and people, and the way they give everything on the field and keep fighting is a testament to the type of Test match we are expecting this weekend

—  Rassie Erasmus, Springbok coach

“This match is the perfect occasion for players like Siya, Eben, Lood, Sacha, Morné and the other players returning from injury to get a tough Test under the belt and get back into full swing at the international level, as Argentina are a formidable team who will push us to the limit,” Erasmus said.

“The guys have been working very hard to return from injury and there is no better test to measure where they are than facing the Pumas in Argentina.

“The other players in the squad also all deserve their places and have been waiting patiently as we tested combinations in the last few matches, and one can sense the excitement in the group to get back onto the field.

“The Argentineans are very similar to South Africans in many ways. Their passion and patriotism for their country and people, and the way they give everything on the field and keep fighting is a testament to the type of Test match we are expecting this weekend.

“They have beaten us twice in Argentina before, and they delivered brave performances in their Nations Championship matches and will have a point to prove on Saturday, so we are fully aware of the challenge ahead.”

Erasmus said he is looking forward to seeing what the new mix of experienced and rising players can deliver in the face of fierce opposition.

“This squad includes a bunch of World Cup winners and extremely talented young players who have been looking forward to playing again for a while, and others who have been working hard week in and week out to play more regularly,” he said.

“They have all adapted very well to the time zone and showed true grit at training, so we have full faith that they will rise to the occasion.

“Argentina are a quality team with players who play in several different competitions and countries, and they are well coached under the guidance of Felipe Contepomi. So we have to be sharp from the outset, accurate in our execution and convert the chances we create into points if we want to get the desired result.

“They have a strong pack and dangerous backs, and they will have a passionate crowd behind them, so we will have to be at our best to win this match.

“We’ve had to grind out results against them on several occasions in the past, so it will take a proper 80-minute effort this weekend — and we are looking forward to the challenge.”

Springbok squad

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt), 5 Lood de Jager 4, Eben Etzebeth 3, Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Venter.

Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Cobus Wiese, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Morné van den Berg, 23 Handré Pollard.