Springboks shuffle front-row for Pumas showdown

Tendai Mtawarira, Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane will pack down in the front-row when South Africa face Argentina in Salta on Saturday.

The reshuffled front-row are the only changes to the starting XV from the one that held holders New Zealand to a thrilling 16-16 draw in Wellington on July 27.

Duane Vermeulen will again lead the Boks as captain for this decisive Rugby Championship clash in the high altitude and is joined in the back-row by Kwagga Smith and Pieter-Steph du Toit.

Mtawarira, the most experienced Springbok prop in history, and Nyakane replace Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe, while Mbonambi takes over the hooker duties from Malcolm Marx.

All three front-rows who started the Test at Westpac Stadium in the New Zealand capital are due to make an impact off the bench against the Pumas on Saturday.

The “Beast”, who is set to make his 110th appearance in the Green and Gold jersey, will join Rugby World Cup winner Bryan Habana on 53 appearances in the Rugby Championship to equal the Springbok record for number of caps in the southern hemisphere competition.

South Africa can clinch the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2009 if they can manage to beat the difficult Pumas with a bonus point.

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen (c), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Jesse Kriel

Date: Saturday, August 10
Venue: Estadio Martearena, Salta
Kick-off: 16:40 local (20:40 BST, 19:40 GMT)
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (England), Karl Dickson (England)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)