South Africa v Argentina - tale of the tape
South Africa will host Argentina in a decisive Rugby Championship Round Six match in Durban on Saturday.
By the time the game kicks off at 17.00 (12.00 Argentinean time; 15.00 GMT) in the Kings Park stadium, both the Springboks and Los Pumas will know exactly what they have to do to win the tournament.
New Zealand hosts Australia at Eden Park, in Auckland, earlier in the day.
All four teams can still win the tournament.
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New Zealand can win the Championship if they record a bonus-point win or just a win, based on what happens in Durban.
Australia requires a bonus-point win and has to turn around a 67-point points differential.
The crucial game is at Kings Park, where the Boks do need to make up a 13-point points differential on the All Blacks if they win in Auckland.
It is in Durban where we focus our attention – two teams who are a lot closer than last week’s 36-20 Springbok win in Buenos Aires suggests.
The South African team’s average age is 29.8 years, compared to Argentina’s 28.4.
The Springboks weigh in at 104.9kg (on average), with Los Pumas at 102.
The hosts’ average height is 186.6 and the visitors come in at 186.5.
They have met 33 times, with 29 Springbok wins, three Los Pumas victories and one draw. Argentina has won just once in their 14 previous visits to South African soil.
South Africa has won their last five Tests against Argentina.
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Argentina’s goal-kicking overshadows that of their hosts – with the Springboks at a poor 76 percent success rate and Los Pumas at 85.2.
Defence is another aspect where the visitors have been better – the Boks succeeding with 86 percent of their tackles and the Pumas 87.8 percent.
Set pieces will also be a concern for the hosts – the Pumas winning 88.4 percent of their line-outs and the Boks just 82.1 percent; with scrums sitting at 90 percent (Pumas) and 83.3 (Boks).
Los Pumas conceded on average 13 penalties per game and the Boks just 10.4.
Lodewyk de Jager (21) and Eben Etzebeth (20) top the line-outs won stats, with Etzebeth’s three line-out steals in five games also putting him on top in that department.
Flank Marcos Kremer (66) and hooker Julian Montoya (63) have put Los Pumas on the most tackles stats.
Bok hooker Malcolm Marx has won the most turnovers, with eight in five games.
He is followed closely by captain Siyamthanda Kolisi, with six turnovers from five games.
* More stats follow below …
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Source: Opta Data
