Given the form Argentina have displayed in their last two outings, it is possible that the Springboks have all but written off this weekend’s match in Buenos Aires to World Cup planning.
That is not to say they don’t believe they can win – and the Pumas might well field a second-string side – but if you look at the Boks that have travelled, this will be a makeshift team that is about giving game time to individuals who have been on the fringes.
The Pumas are returning home after beating Australia away and making the Boks sweat for a grim 22-21 win in Johannesburg.
It remains to be seen how coach Michael Cheika approaches this warm-up game but the Boks have shown their hand and it looks like they will be fielding an experimental half-back pairing of Cobus Reinach and Damian Willemse, while Kurt-Lee Arendse is set for a run at fullback.
A number of Bok heavyweights have remained in Johannesburg, where they will be under the watchful eye of Rassie Erasmus.
Bok assistant coach Deon Davids said yesterday that the Boks have arrived in the Argentine capital after leaving South Africa at 2am on Sunday. The forwards coach said the only new injury concern is scrumhalf Grant Williams, who is likely to play again in the friendly against Wales in about three weeks’ time.
By that point, he should be over the concussion he sustained early in the weekend’s match. Interestingly, Pumas fullback Juan Cruz Mallia is in the dock for the airborne charge that knocked Williams unconscious and if found guilty he will miss this week’s game.
Strangely, the referee, Andrew Brace, did not immediately see the seriousness of the situation, and play continued until Argentina received a breakdown penalty. At this point, Brace looked at the incident on the big screen but did not see fit to penalize Mallia.
But Sanzaar announced yesterday that the citing commissioner feels the incident met the red card threshold for foul play.
The Boks could well be led by Lukhanyo Am, who will have his former Sharks partner Andre Esterhuizen with him in the midfield.
SPRINGBOKS Possible starting XV:
15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lukhanyo Am (capt), 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Cobus Reinach; 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 JeanLuc du Preez, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Trevor Nyakane
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