A new look Springbok side could struggle against a powerful Argentina lineup at the Estadio José Amalfitani on Saturday.
Argentina v South Africa
Saturday 5 August
Estadio José Amalfitani
To Win
Argentina 37/20 | Draw 21/1 | Springboks 46/100
Handicap
Argentina (+5.5) 9/10 | Springboks (-5.5) 9/10
As great as the Springboks’ strength in depth is, they may find the going tough this Saturday after Jacques Nienaber made as many as 14-changes to the side that defeated Argentina by a single point last week. With the Boks’ World Cup squad set to be announced on Tuesday, this presents a number of players with a last opportunity at securing a ticket to France.
Bongi Mbonambi will become the 65th Bok captain when he leads the team out, while Bulls front ranker Gerhard Steenekamp could make his debut off the bench.
Gerhard Steenekamp, or '𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚 𝙂' as he's known by the Springboks, is set for his debut from the bench this weekend and Jacques Nienaber is excited to see what he brings 👏 pic.twitter.com/dtw5A6AwBU
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 2, 2023
Pumas legend Gus Creevy will make history when he takes to the pitch, becoming the first Argentinian to earn a century of Test caps. The grizzled hooker made his debut way back in 2005 and has since been at the forefront of many of his country’s greatest achievements, including memorably leading Los Pumas to an historic first win over the Boks in Durban in 2015.
With a much more settled team and home ground advantage to boot, Michael Cheika’s men should get the job done here.
Verdict: Argentina
Considering how well they played last week, and given the added emotion of Creevy playing his 100th Test, get on the South Americans to claim the win here.
