The Springboks know they must be switched on from the first whistle when they face a confident, battle-hardened Argentina in Durban on Saturday.
With the Rugby Championship wide open, both teams are still in contention and neither can afford a slip.
ALSO READ: Here is the Springboks’ Test record against Argentina
SPRINGBOKS MUST BE SWITCHED ON FROM START TO FINISH
Springbok assistant coach Tony Brown and Andre Esterhuizen, who has established himself as a quality hybrid player this season, expect an epic encounter against Argentina in their penultimate Rugby Championship match in Durban on Saturday, and said it was vital to deliver a quality 80-minute performance to get the desired result.
The match, which kicks off at 17h10 at Kings Park, marks the Springboks’ final home game of the season, which will undoubtedly spice up what will be a crucial clash, with both teams still in the running to win the title.
In fact, all four participating teams, the Wallabies, Springboks, All Blacks, and Pumas, are all still in the title race, which is expected to set the scene for an electric closing two pool rounds as the competition draws to a close.
“Our performance against the All Blacks (in Wellington) was good, but the Pumas are a completely different team,” said Brown.
“They’ve beaten the All Blacks and Wallabies already, so if we don’t pitch up in the right frame of mind, and try to be as dominant as possible, it will be a tough outing.
“It’s vital for us that we get our game plan right this week. We showed patches of good rugby in the last few matches, but we’d like to put together a strong 80-minute performance, and use most of our opportunities, which is something we must still get right.”
Esterhuizen reiterated Brown’s comments: “They are a very good side, who like to move the ball and use their opportunities, so the big challenge for us will be to try to counter their loose play, and we also need to deliver a quality performance until the final whistle.
“As Tony said, they beat all three opposition teams in the competition last year, and they defeated New Zealand and Australia again this year, so they are a dangerous side to face.
“It’s always hard playing against them because they are a tough and passionate nation, but they’ve also come a long way in the last few seasons. So, I think it will be a tight game with a big forward battle as well. The team that looks after the ball the best, uses their chances, and does well in the aerial battle will probably come out on top.”
IMPROVEMENT STILL THE NAME OF THE GAME FOR SOUTH AFRICA
Similar to Brown, Esterhuizen said there was still a lot of room for improvement in the Boks’ game.
“It was special to be part of that game (the team’s record 43-10 victory against the All Blacks), but we still feel there is a lot to work on, especially in terms of executing our chances better,” he said.
“The one thing we took from that match was that it showed us what we can do when we execute our game plan well, so consistency will be the key in that area going forward.”
Brown, meanwhile, spoke highly of the work Argentinean coach Felipe Contepomi has done with the team and said: “He’s done a good job carrying on from what Michael Cheika did with them. They still play with flair, and they have a strong pack, so they are a challenging team to beat.”
Commenting on the return of Pumas flyhalf Tomas Albornoz, Brown said he certainly posed a threat, like many of their other players.
“Both their flyhalves are good players,” said Brown. “In my opinion, Albornoz was probably the breakthrough player of the competition for them last year, and he’s a huge figure in their team. He’s decision-making is good, and he certainly has a bright future.”
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will name his match-day squad to face Argentina on Tuesday.
SEND US YOUR SPRINGBOK TEAM PREDICTIONS…
By leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
