Preview: South Africa v Argentina

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND ONE: This is a significant Test match. Whatever is really going on by way of experimentation with the 2019 World Cup in mind, this match has a significance of its own.

After all, for both teams, it is the first match of a significant competition, the Rugby Championship.

It may tell us about the sincerity of selection, whether it’s with the World Cup in mind or whether the intention really is to try to win the Championship.

Or are the teams resigned to another All Black victory and trying to find a team that performs well in Japan next year?

If you are old-fashioned, you believe that each Test match has a meaning of its own, as the very best of two countries meet.

The advantage for the Pumas is that they were playing together as Jaguares in Super Rugby. They had 17 matches in which the core of the team played together.

The Springboks had no such opportunity.

The Jaguares started in lethargic fashion, but then with an injection of Ledesma, they became winners, close to getting a semifinal spot. But they lost 23-40 to the Lions in the quarterfinal.

Yet of that 23 who played the Lions, 16 are in the 23 to play the Springboks this weekend.

Both sides must be eager for the match.

They have had a long time preparing for it without playing and both sides know that they can beat the other because they have done so before.

Not only have the Pumas beaten the Springboks before, but they have done it in South Africa – in fact on the very ground where they are playing in Saturday – KINGS Park in Durban.

The Argentinians have a high regard for South Africa.

After all South Africa had been their teachers from 1932 onwards.

The high regard and the mixture of gratitude and admiration, make the Springboks the Pumas’ special target.

Players to watch

For South Africa: Creative Willie le Roux with his ability do things differently, livewire Aphiwe Dyantyi who can spring surprises, relentless Malcolm Marx, and you will also see mercurial Francois de Klerk, and you will be interested in every young player, but especially Damian Willemse who could become a Springbok on Saturday.

For Argentina: You will see a lot of Nicolás Sánchez, clever, sharp and effective. He would be the key to Puma success. Then there is Agustín Creevy, who can change in an instant from a shuffling old man to the strongest man on the field, unbudgingly bending to win a turnover. Strong, young Marcos Kremer may just be the Pumas best “new” man of the year. Last month the big man turned 21 and he has already played 15 Tests in the hurly-burly of forward play. He is just 10 months older than Damian Willemse.

Head to Head: The two major conflict areas will be obvious – centres versus centres and front rows versus front rows. The Puma scrumming is no longer the power it once was but it is still not to be taken lightly and with Mario Ledesma, bulky hooker not long ago, there is bound to be extra attention to the scrum. Then there are line-outs where Guido Petti could just rule, but it is unlikely that Eben Etzebeth will be content to play second fiddle. Goal-kickers – Nicolás Sánchez versus Handré Pollard. In Super Rugby Sánchez’s success rate was 81 percent, Pollard’s 77 percent. Coaches: Rassie Erasmus versus Mario Ledesma, both international players of note, but both relatively new to coaching at this level and the first time that they have met as coaches.

A glance at SA v Arg history

Prediction: This will be the 27th meeting between the Springboks and the Pumas, South Africa have lost just two of their previous 26 meetings. South Africa defeated England two-one in their June Test Series, winning their first two clashes before losing the third; the Springboks haven’t lost consecutive matches on home soil since a run of three defeats from 2015 to 2016. The Pumas have lost their last six away games in The Rugby Championship, only on four occasions in the history of the tournament (including the Tri-Nations) has a side endured a longer losing run on the road (Australia lost 14 – 2002-2008; Argentina lost 10 – 2012-2015; South Africa lost seven – 2001-2004 & 2005-2008). Argentina was one of just two tier one teams to record a 100 percent scrum success rate during the June Tests (also Australia), while the Springboks had the best rate at the line-out (96 percent). Pieter-Steph du Toit made the most carries of any tier one player during the June Tests (42), while the Pumas’ Nicolas Sanchez made the most of any back (39), closely followed by teammate Emiliano Boffelli (38). Of course, it’s a mad thing to attempt as unpredictability is such a great part of sport but we believe that the Springboks will win by over 15 points.

Teams

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Makazole Mapimpi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Siya Kolisi (captain), 6 Francois Louw, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Marvin Orie, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Lionel Mapoe, 23 Damian Willemse.

Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matías Moroni, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matías Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Agustín Creevy (captain), 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Diego Fortuny, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Tomás Lavanini, 20 Tomás Lezana, 21 Martín Landajo, 22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Juan Cruz Mallia

Date: Saturday, 18 August 2018
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT 12.00 Buenos Aires time)
Expected weather: Overcast with a high of 17°C and a low of 12°C
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Andrew Brace (Ireland)
TMO: Simon McDowell (Ireland)

By Paul Dobson
@rugby365com

* Stats provided by Opta Sports

Mario Ledesma es el nuevo Head Coach de @lospumas https://t.co/nRokwlLCOv#JugamosTodos pic.twitter.com/J3euAgAPWc

— Los Pumas (@lospumas) August 1, 2018