Cape Town – Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber made two changes to the Springbok starting team for Saturday’s final round Rugby Championship Test against Argentina in Durban.
Pieter Steph du Toit will make his return to the starting lineup at flanker, replacing Franco Mostert, who will be looking to provide an impact off of the bench.
Meanwhile, the Springboks are stretched thin in the fly-half position, missing Elton Jantjies who was sent home due to off-field discrepancies, Damian WIllemse who suffered a concussion last week, and Handre Pollard who suffered a knee injury against the Wallabies earlier in the tournament.
Experienced utility back Frans Steyn has been selected to start at flyhalf for the Boks.
?? Minor changes to the Bok team for the big clash in Durban
✅ Steyn and Du Toit to start against @lospumas
?️ “We showed in the first half last week what we are capable of”
? https://t.co/aNetG9kBg8#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #CastleRugbyChampionship #RSAvARG pic.twitter.com/YPMiJs9KiA— Springboks (@Springboks) September 20, 2022
Springbok team to face Argentina in Durban:
15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz)
14 – Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks)
10 – Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs)
9 – Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers)
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks)
5 – Lood de Jager (Wild Knights)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers)
2 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears)
1 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers)
Replacements:
16 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks)
17 – Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks)
18 – Vincent Koch (Wasps)
19 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat)
20 – Duane Vermeulen (Ulster)
21 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs)
22 – Faf de Klerk (Yokohama Canon Eagles)
23 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls)
This weekend’s fixture presents a crucial challenge for the Springboks, as they are level on 14 log points with New Zealand on the Castle Lager Rugby Championship log and trail the All Blacks by 13 points on points’ difference.
Viewing this weekend’s clash as a final, Nienaber said that the Argentinean side will be a challenge.
“We viewed last week as a semi-final and this week as a final, but Argentina are a team that do not give an inch, and they never stop fighting as we saw last week,” said Nienaber.
“It is all or nothing for us this week, and we have a team with several players who have won the Rugby World Cup and the British & Irish Lions Series, so they know it will take nothing less than a quality 80-minute effort to win this match and the competition,” he added.
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Picture: Twitter/ @Springboks
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Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
