Bongi: 'No complacency, a lot can happen in a week'
Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi expects a tough outing against Argentina in their Rugby Championship decider in London on Saturday.
The Springboks won last week’s match against Argentina 67-30 in Durban and currently lead the Rugby Championship standings by one point going into Saturday’s match despite winning their previous two games with impressive scores.
The Springboks have won 11 of their last 13 outings against the Pumas, dating back to 2018, with their only two defeats being in Argentina, in Santiago Del Estero (last season) and in Mendoza (in 2018).
The teams have crossed paths in London only once before, in the bronze final of the 2015 World Cup, with the Boks winning the match 24-13 at the Olympic Stadium.
On Wednesday, Mbonambi said the Springboks cannot underestimate Argentina, stating, “A week is a long time in rugby.”
The 34-year-old will provide cover from the bench after returning to the Bok line-up after attending to family matters and having last featured for the Springboks in the loss to the Wallabies in Johannesburg earlier this year.
“We have seen in this Rugby Championship that you can quickly be humbled,” the hooker said. “The Pumas bounce back each time they have lost. You can never count them out, and we will never disrespect them.
“They’ll bring something, and we’ve got to respect our opponents. The way they play rugby, the way they train – their coaches are excellent and you can see they have plans they want to execute and we’re expecting a proper challenge from them,” Mbonambi stated.
“This weekend, we are expecting the Pumas to change a few things up to try and catch us out.”
“Argentina is a passionate team, and they’re quite tough. It wasn’t easy in Durban, and it won’t be easy here either.
“That game is in the past now, and we need to prepare for this weekend.
“In rugby, a lot can happen in a week. So we’ve got to focus on ourselves, focus on the plan, make sure all the players buy into the plan, and that we’re all aligned on Saturday.”
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The 80-test-capped hooker was asked about the competition among the hookers in the squad, with youngsters like Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Marnus van der Merwe starting to catch the eye.
“There has to be competition to become a better player. Seeing their growth and development in the side has been great.
“They bring a lot of energy, and they enjoy being here. It’s obviously tough out there on the field. We really push each other, but we’re all aligned into one plan, which is to see the Springboks succeed at the end of the day.”
