Handre Pollard starts at flyhalf while Salmaan Moerat is set to captain as Rassie Erasmus named his starting line-up as the Springboks eye clinching the Castle Lager Rugby Championship against Argentina in Santiago.
Salmaan Moerat (lock) leads a new-look team in a match which would see the Boks claim the Championship title for the first time since 2019, should they avoid defeat by the in-form Pumas.
The five players retaining their starting places from the team that defeated New Zealand in Cape Town 18-12, ten days ago are Ox Nche (prop), Ruan Nortje (lock), Jasper Wiese (No 8), Handre Pollard (flyhalf) and Jesse Kriel (centre).
Lukhanyo Am (centre) and Malcolm Marx (hooker) are moved from the bench to a starting position from that match-23, while Eben Etzebeth (lock) goes the other way to join the retained Bomb Squad of Vincent Koch, Gerhard Steenekamp (both props), Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith (both loose forwards) and Jaden Hendrikse (scrumhalf).
Jan-Hendrik Wessels (hooker) and Manie Libbok (utility back) come in to complete a bench once again consisting of six forwards and two backs.
Etzebeth will equal Victor Matfield’s Springbok record of 127 Test appearances if he takes the field.
Returning to the starting line-up after previously appearing in the competition are: Aphelele Fassi (fullback), Kurt-Lee Arendse and Makazole Mapimpi (wings), Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf), Ben-Jason Dixon and Marco van Staden (loose forwards) and Thomas du Toit (prop), along with Moerat.
“It would be amazing to wrap up the Castle Lager Rugby Championship title this weekend, but it won’t be easy, and we have a bigger picture in mind as well, which is to build squad depth with an eye on the 2027 World Cup,” said Erasmus.
Springbok team to face Argentina in Santiago del Estero:
15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 7 caps, 15 points (3t)
14 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 20 caps, 85 points (17t)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 75 caps, 80 points (16t)
12 – Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 38 caps, 35 pts (7t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 44 caps, 150 points (30t)
10 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 75 caps, 739 points (7t, 100c, 163p, 5dg)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 35 caps, 65 pts (13t)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 29 caps, 5 points (1t)
7 – Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 4 caps, 5 points (1t)
6 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 22 caps, 10 pts (2t)
5 – Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps, 0 points
4 – Salmaan Moerat (captain, DHL Stormers) – 9 caps, 0 points
3 – Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 20 caps, 0 pts
2 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 71 caps, 100 points (20t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 35 caps, 0 points
Replacements:
16 – Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps, 5 points (1t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 6 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 56 caps, 0 points
19 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 126 caps, 30 points (6t)
20 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 8 caps, 0 points
21 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 47 caps, 45 points (9t)
22 – Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 16 caps, 12 pts (2t, 1c)
23 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 16 caps, 91 pts (1t, 28c, 10p)
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