VIDEO: Battle of the brutes
Albertus Stephanus Smith may not be physically the most intimidating figure on the field, but his never-say-die attitude is exactly what South Africa will need when they face off against Argentina in a crunch Rugby Championship Round Five match on Saturday.
The Springboks head the tournament standings on 18 points, after four wins from four starts.
Los Pumas remain their only threat on 10 points after two wins and just two rounds remaining.
Smith emphasised the importance of physical dominance in Saturday’s match.
“For us, it’s a huge opportunity to win the Rugby Championship, but we can’t look too far ahead,” the 31-year-old loose forward said.
“It’s going to be a tough game this weekend because Argentina is also in the running to win the competition for the first time.
“They will be desperate to get five points here [at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero] to make it a Final next week [at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit].”
“We are focusing on this game, to physically match them.”
The two-time World Cup winner said the key areas the Boks must improve on is defence and the breakdown.
“After playing the All Blacks twice we learned a few things,” he said, adding: “Defensively we wanted to stop momentum better after the first Test, and personally for me, the breakdown in the second Test, we lost a lot of ball.
“New Zealand won a lot of turnovers and that broke our momentum.
“We know Argentina got a few good stealers and fetchers, and it’s going to be a big challenge at the breakdown this weekend.”
(WATCH as Springbok loose forward Kwagga Smith previews his team’s crucial Rugby Championship face-off with Los Pumas….)
Smith also highlighted the experience within the Argentine squad, particularly in the forward pack.
“[Pablo] Matera and the boys are really good players and have been in the system a long time.
“That’s something they will bring to the game, that experience, and they’re Argentineans so will be passionate.”
He admitted Los Pumas is not all about power, with plenty of X-factor in their backline.
However, the best way to counter that is to do what the Boks do best – batter them into submission.
“We need to rock up physically and do our jobs, play as a team,” the veteran bruiser added.
“If there are loose balls we must clean it up and stay together as a team.
“If you fall into a trap and play as individuals you’ll be in trouble.”
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