Preview: Argentina v South Africa
Argentina outplayed the hosts in just about every aspect of the game in Durban, and they will have the benefit of a sold out home crowd right behind them this time.
It has been a testing time for Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, whose team have lost their last four consecutive matches having finished the Rugby Championship winless.
Meyer has his back well and truly against the wall, with his transformation record under the spotlight at a time when other reports have surfaced claiming that he has already signed a four-year contract extension.
There has been talk of a need to 'set the record straight' following a frustrating outing at Kings Park, but perhaps more important is the fact that this wil be the last match before the World Cup, and both teams will be desperate to take some positive momentum with them to England next month.
The Bok coach admitted that the team have had to take a hard look at themselves following the backlash from an expectant public, but said that the experience has pulled them closer together.
"You have to keep your head up and prove that you are good enough. I have been in this situation before, I have been written off at the Bulls a few times and I have been fired a few times.
"In a sense the guys are a lot closer now, they know that it is not good enough and we will see who stands together and who is tough enough. This builds character and we have to get through it," he said.
If there are any positives for Meyer right now, at least he knows that there is no risk of complacency from his team who he believes can still win the World Cup despite their disappointing recent form.
"If we get through this game then we can regroup, and I know there is not a lot of time but I know how we have to play at the World Cup, I have done a lot of research.
"It is going to be very tough flying there [Argentina], they have got a lot of fresh guys waiting there, but I still believe we can win the World Cup," he said.
There have been a number of changes to the team that went down in Durban last week, with veteran forwards Victor Matfield and Willem Alberts returning from injury in a bid to get some much-needed game time and a brand new front row as the Bulls trio of Trevor Nyakane, Adriaan Strauss and Marcel van der Merwe get a chance to show what they can offer from the first whistle.
In the backline Pat Lambie gets a run at flyhalf and the exciting centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel are reunited following another injury to Jean de Villiers, while outside backs Lwazi Mvovo and Zane Kirchner get their first starts of the year as well.
This selection suggests that the Springboks are set up to play a somewhat more conservative style of rugby than they did in the Rugby Championship, with the focus likely to be on field position, forward dominance and defensive discipline.
Despite the historic victory last week Pumas coach Daniel Hourcade has stuck to his plan and made another seven changes to his team as he continues to examine all of his options ahead of the World Cup.
The build-up to the tournament has been particularly tricky for Hourcade with the bulk of his top players based in Europe and in their off-season, which has meant that he has had to juggle his resources carefully.
However, the team has responded well and managed to avoid finishing last in the Rugby Championship for the first time having picked up their first away win in the competition.
They now have the chance to rub further salt into the wounds of a demoralised Springbok side in what should be a hostile environment in Buenos Aires.
Players to watch:
For Argentina: Santiago Cordero returns to the team at wing, having impressed at fullback against Australia and on the other side of the pitch much will be expected of hat-trick hero Juan Imhoff who caused all sorts of problems for the Springboks out wide last week. Juan Martin Hernández is at inside centre having played at flyhalf last week, and it will be interesting to see how he combines with returning playmaker Nicolas Sanchezwho is prehaps a more reliable goal-kicker. In the pack the return of Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe will provide a huge boost alongside the breakdown prowess of Juan Manuel Leguizamon and up front they will look to talismanic skipper Agustín Creevy and the experienced Marcos Ayerza to give them the upper hand in the set-phases.
For South Africa: Zane Kirchner's performance at fullback will be heavily scrutinised given that he is not the most popular player, but there should be plenty to get excited about when the ball gets to the dynamic midfield pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel while Pat Lambie get the chance to stake his claim for the No.10 jersey. Big Willem Alberts will seek to make an impact in the first half before being replaced at blindside flank by Pieter-Steph du Toit, and captain victor Matfield will want to silence all doubters by putting in a commanding performance at line-out time. Both props lack real Test experience, but they will be determined to show that they can stand up to one of the most formidable scrums in the world.
Head to head: Lwazi Mvovo should have his hands full up against Juan Imhoff out wide and the same could be said of Bryan Habana who faces the tricky Santiago Cordero on the other wing, but the key battles are likely to be closer to the scrum with Damian de Allende squaring up to the experienced Juan Martin Hernandez in midfield and Pat Lambie taking on Nicolas Sanchez in what should be a crucial tactical kicking battle. Both teams have influential ball-carriers returning in the shape of Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe and Willem Alberts, who will be keen to make their presence felt while at scrum-time all eyes will be on how Bok tighthead Marcel van der Merwe fares against the wily Marcos Ayerza.
Recent results:
2015: Argentina won 37-25 in Durban
2014: South Africa won 33-21 in Salta
2014: South Africa won 13-6 in Pretoria
2013: South Africa won 22-17 in Mendoza
2013: South Africa won 73-13 in Soweto
2012: 16-16 draw in Mendoza
2012: South Africa won 27-6 in Cape Town
2008: South Africa won 63-9 in Johannesburg
2007: South Africa won 37-13 in Paris
2005: South Africa won 34-23 in Buenos Aires
Prediction: It is likely to be a dogfight from start to finish, with both sides prepared to play ugly to win, but we expect the Springboks to do just enough to grind out a victory by a few points.
Teams:
Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Juan Martin Hernández, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 7 Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe, 6 Tomas Lezana, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Benjamín Macome, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustín Creevy (captain), 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Lucas Noguera, 18 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Pablo Matera, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Juan Pablo Socino, 23 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.
South Africa: 15, Zane Kirchner 14, Lwazi Mvovo, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damien de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Schalk Burger, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Handré Pollard, 23 Jan Serfontein.
Date: Saturday, August 15
Venue: Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
Kick-off: 16.40 (21.40 SA Time; 19.40 GMT)
Expected weather: Partly cloudy with a high of 17 and a slight breeze.
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)
By Michael de Vries
