Springboks team: Rassie Erasmus doubles down on bold selections as All Blacks’ slayers named to tackle Los Pumas

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has opted for consistency in selection for his team’s eagerly anticipated Rugby Championship encounter with Argentina in Durban on Saturday.

After securing an impressive 43-10 victory against the All Blacks in Wellington less than two weeks ago, Erasmus has made just two changes to his run-on side for the clash with Los Pumas.

Siya Kolisi will continue as skipper in his 97th Test while fellow double Rugby World Cup winners Eben Etzebeth and Damian Willemse take over from the injured Lood de Jager and Aphelele Fassi at lock and full-back respectively.

Willemse shifts to the back from inside centre which means Damian de Allende comes into the starting line-up to wear the number 12 jersey and he will link up with Canan Moodie in an exciting midfield combination.

Three changes to replacements bench

Meanwhile, Erasmus has also made three changes on the Springboks replacements bench, which again features a five/three forwards and backs split, with Boan Venter coming into the matchday squad to cover loosehead prop, which means Jan-Hendrik Wessels will be the replacement hooker, with Morne van den Berg taking over as the back-up scrum-half from Grant Williams, who is nursing a niggle.

“We were very pleased with the way the team rose to the challenge against the All Blacks in Wellington, and looking at the Pumas team and their strengths, we believe this would be the best team for this specific match,” said Erasmus.

“The make-up of this team not only allows us consistency in selection, but we’ll also have the vast experience of Eben and Damian de Allende in the starting team, who are excited to get back on the field again.

“On the bench, Jan-Hendrik covers prop and hooker equally efficiently, so Boan gets another chance along with Morne.”

After four rounds of action in this year’s Rugby Championship, all four of the competing nations still have a chance of winning the competition.

Each team has won two and lost as many Tests with the Wallabies setting the pace atop the standings with 11 points, one ahead of the All Blacks and Springboks, and two clear of Los Pumas.

Erasmus is not underestimating Argentina and expects a massive challenge from the South American outfit.

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“This is a vital match for both us and the Pumas, and if one takes into consideration that they beat New Zealand and Australia in the first four rounds of the competition, as well as the British & Irish Lions earlier in the season, there’s no doubt we’ll treat them the respect they deserve,” said Erasmus.

“They’ve made big strides in the last few seasons, and have an astute coach in Felipe Contepomi, so we know they are going to throw everything at us. Adding to that, they boast a strong forward pack and extremely talented backs, so they pose threats all around.”

The Bok boss said, however, his troops were geared up for the challenge.

“We’ve had a good few training sessions since assembling last Thursday, and the players know what they’ll be up against,” he revealed.

“Similarly to us, Argentina are a tremendously proud and passionate team, and they give everything for their country. They know that two good results could place them in a decent position to win the competition, so it’s going to be a hard grind of a match.

“As things stand, any team could win the title, so we need to capitalise on the point-scoring chances we create and play for the full 80 minutes if we want to get the desired result.

“Over and above that, we’ve faced them in Durban three times, and they’ve beaten us once, and that, combined with their self-belief, means the historical results between the teams will have no significance going into the clash.

“They are also ranked sixth in the world ahead of the Wallabies, so we do not underestimate them.”

Springboks team to face Argentina

Springboks: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements:16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen

Date: Saturday, September 27
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17:10 local (16:10 BST, 15:10 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Angus Mabey (NZR)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Damon Murphy (RA)

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