Los Pumas stars to make Boks sweat in crucial area
SPOTLIGHT: Springbok captain Siya Kolisi compared the Boks’ loose trio to Argentina’s ahead of their Rugby Championship Round Five clash at Kings Park.
Kolisi is wary of the danger the Los Pumas loose trio poses and highlighted that the Boks should be on their A game for this crucial fixture.
The Boks have been found wanting at times at the breakdown during the 2025 season, especially against Italy and New Zealand in the Eden Park clash.
The return of Jasper Wiese from suspension proved to be a vital one against New Zealand in Wellington, as the Boks were better in that department and had more balance to their loose trio.
On the flipside, Argentina boasts a formidable loose trio themselves with Joaquin Oviedo, Marcos Kremer and Pablo Matera.
Kolisi had heaps of praise for their loose forward makeup.
He also compared the two opposing loose trios who will do battle at Kings Park and highlighted the threats they pose.
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“They are physical and very experienced.
“I started [my Test career] at a similar time as Pablo [Matera] and [Marcos] Kremer as well.
“They have the same experience as myself, Pieter-Steph [du Toit] and Jasper [Wiese] obviously came in later.
“Pablo is good with the ball [in hand]. He is good at the breakdown, and he’s a good leader in the Los Pumas side.
“Then there’s [Marcos] Kremer, who is a hard man. He’s our typical No.7 like Pieter-Steph.
“He’s a little bit different to the others. He’s like a Willem Alberts kind of player who they look to to stop and gain momentum.
“And the way they’re playing now, you see him get around the field a bit more, and he’s always fighting for the scraps.
“It’s similar to the way we always played.”
Kolisi added that the Boks’ loose trio are a great blend that complements each other well.
He discussed the various roles each player brings and highlighted their strengths and weaknesses.
Kolisi, who played at No.8 twice so far this season, also spoke about the difference between himself and Jasper Wiese in that position.
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“Jasper is good over the ball at the breakdown, Pieter-Steph can get in and create opportunities,” he said.
“My role is more around the stuff that nobody sees.
“I know how good Jasper can carry and how Pieter-Steph can carry.
“I can also carry, but they’re better than me, especially when it comes to a set line on defence, but in broken play, I can carry quite well with the backs.
“I’m good at the breakdown as well in securing our own ball.
“That’s the type of combination we have. We’re in similar positions together, so we’ll decide who is doing what during the match depending on the situation.
“As a combination, we’ve been able to do that a lot.
“Myself playing at No.8 is a bit different. I can’t get the same momentum Jasper does.
“I’m not afraid to say that. I can’t carry the ball the way Jasper does.
“Jasper can stand still, pick the ball up and run over people.
“I need a 15 metre run-up to do the same thing.
“It’s going to be a proper battle. They have [Juan Martin] Gonzalez on the bench as well.
“He brings something different, like Kwagga [Smith] does. They have the same energy.
“Gonzalez is good in the line-out too, and so is Kwagga.
“So it’s going to be a great match-up on Saturday.”
The Boks have an opportunity to go to the top of the Rugby Championship table following Australia’s earlier loss to New Zealand.
A win for Argentina will leapfrog them ahead of South Africa, whilst a bonus point victory would see them go to the top.
