Preview: Argentina v South Africa

It could just be a tough visit for South Africa, when they face Argentina in Salta on Saturday.

This is the third year in a row that the Springboks have faced the Pumas at one of Argentina's dry inland cities, with the Andes looking down.

It could just be third time lucky for the Pumas.

In 2012, the Springboks won 27-6 at Newlands and then were fortunate to draw 16-all in Mendoza near the Andes, when Frans Steyn charged down a kick and scored the try that drew the match.

Last year the Springboks hammered the Pumas 73-13, scoring nine tries in Soweto. A week later they struggled to win 22-17 in Mendoza, when the Pumas scored two tries to one.

This time they have nothing like the extent of the home victories, as they head for Salta up in the north-west of the country with its famous colonial architecture – and people who will be hellbent on beating the Boks.

The town is about 1 150 metres above sea level, which means it is nearly 200 metres lower than Pretoria.

They will play at a modern stadium, built in 2001 and seating about 20 000 spectators. The year 2001 is significant as that is the year when thieves murdered Father Ernesto Martearena, a Catholic priest who involved himself in every need of the poor in Salta – and so the stadium is the Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena.

It will be the fourth time the Pumas have played there. They have beaten Italy and England there. At other inland venues they have beaten France, Italy, Fiji and Wales.

All of this is relevant to the match.

The message is: You cannot take this lightly. You cannot have the iffish set pieces and uncontested breakdowns that you had in Pretoria last Saturday.

If you do, your backs will be as starved as they were in last week's rain.

It will take hard minds and bodies to beat the Pumas.

One thing is certain – this band of Pumas will take into battle the determination bred of self-belief.

Players to watch.

For South Africa: If you are a Springbok watcher you will want to see if Juan Smith is back to the form that made him one of the greatest Springbok flanks of all time, now after he has been limping away from Test rugby for four years. South Africa will hold its breath that this giant of a man is back to full fitness. You will watch South Africa's Willie le Roux, the man revolutionising rugby, putting the fun and romance back into the game. He had a brilliant first half last week. You will want to watch Eben Etzebeth and Lodewyk de Jager. It seems ridiculous to describe locks as endearing but these two young men are and could just be on the brink of long, great careers. And would it not be great to see Bryan Habana, bearded now, burning up the Salta turf.

For Argentina: There are three backs to watch for the Argentinians – elegant Joaquín Tuculet who scores tries, wing Lucas Amorosino who has speed and vision, and outside centre Marcelo Bosch who has so many skills. Then in Pretoria the only back to break – and he did so twice – was deceptive flyhalf Nicolás Sánchez who has his sturdy, clever inside half Martín Landajo.

Head to Head: There will  be units in contest, first of all front row if South Africa is to improve on its wobbly scrums of last week and it seems that Gurthrö Steenkamp has been chosen to put things right. But then it will be the battle between two outstanding loose trios – Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw and Juan Smith for the Springboks and Juan Manuel Leguizamón, Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe and young Pablo Matera for Argentina. A loose forward's life depends partly on his creative backs, partly on tight forwards and greatly on his own determination, strength and skill. Then there is the speed and decision-making of the halfbacks and the willingness of the back three to counterattack and support each other. Kicking could again be important. Pretoria demanded, it seems, lots of kicking because of the torrential rain, but that would not have militated against chasing and getting in to drive wrong-footed defenders away from the ball.

Recent results:

2014: South Africa won 13-6, Pretoria

2013: South Africa won 22-17, Mendoza

2013: South Africa won 73-13, Johannesburg  

2012: Argentina and South Africa drew 16-all, Mendoza

2012: South Africa won 27-6, Cape Town

2008: South Africa won 63-9 , Johannesburg

2007: South Africa won 37-13, Paris (World Cup semifinal)

2005: South Africa won 34-23, Buenos Aires

2004: South Africa won 39-7, Buenos Aires

2003: South Africa won 26-25 , Port Elizabeth

Prediction: There is vacillation between certainty and doubt, optimism and pessimism.  It is a hard one made harder by numerous ifs and buts. History can be a consolation, but history is there to be made. But last week the All Blacks were trumped. In 1999 Wales beat the Springboks and made history. Could this just happen in Salta in 2014? Yes it could. And so we make bold to say that the Pumas will win by about five points.

Teams

Argentina: 15 Joaquín Tuculet, 14 Lucas González Amorosino, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Juan Martín Hernández, 11 Manuel Montero, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Martín Landajo, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 7 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Mariano Galarza, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustín Creevy (captain), 1 Marcos Ayerza.

Replacements: 16 Matías Cortese, 17 Bruno Postiglioni, 18 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Leonardo Senatore, 21 Tomás Cubelli, 22 Jerónimo De la Fuente, 23 Horacio Agulla.

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Damian de Allende, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.

Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Bakkies Botha, 20 Marcell Coetzee, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Morné Steyn, 23 Lwazi Mvovo

Date: Saturday, August 23

Venue: Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena, Salta

Kick-off: 16.40 (21.40 SA time; 19.40 GMT)

Expected weather: Sunny with a high of 32°C and a low of 13°C

Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)

Assistant referees: John Lacey (Ireland), Marius Mitrea (Italy)

TMO: Vinny Munro (New Zealand)

By Paul Dobson