Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber likened the hostile Buenos Aires reception his side will receive on Saturday to what they can expect in France during the 2023 World Cup, and that’s why he opted to add more physicality to the side taking on Argentina on Saturday.
The World Champions narrowly beat Los Pumas 22-21 in Johannesburg last weekend and will look to follow it up with a more convincing victory on Saturday (kick-off 9.10pm) when their first warm-up match ahead of France 2023 gets underway.
Hooker Bongi Mbonambi, playing in his 60th Test, will be the captain of a side that sees 13 changes from last week.
Props Thomas du Toit and Trevor Nyakane will start on his flanks, while locks Jean Kleyn and Marvin Orie will also get a final chance to impress the coaches ahead of South Africa’s World Cup squad announcement on Tuesday.
Orie replaced Lood de Jager, who was earmarked to start, but fell ill and had to be replaced. Nienaber named Mbonambi as the stand-in leader, and he will jog out in front for the first time in the absence of injured regular captain Siya Kolisi, eighth man Duane Vermeulen and lock Eben Etzebeth, who stayed behind in South Africa.
Saturday will be a dress rehearsal for a host of players to show Nienaber and his management why they should be among the 33 players selected to go to France.
Apart from the new-look front row, the Boks also opted for a changed loose-trio where fetcher Deon Fourie will get another opportunity to show his prowess, especially at the breakdown, alongside Franco Mostert and Jasper Wiese. Mostert and Wiese will have to lead the physical onslaught against the Argentineans.
Nienaber said he is proud of Mbonambi.
“He is one of our game drivers. People follow him because he says something and does it, he does not do a different thing after he says one thing,” Nienaber said of his new captain.
“He doesn’t mince his words. Since 2018 when I returned he has been a brilliant leader. As a hooker, he is also the guy who talks to the referee in the line-outs, scrums, and so on.
“It’s common that hookers or props talk when it comes to the darker things (scrums and line-outs). In our team, it’s the hooker. And he must do what he normally does.
“When he is playing, we just want Bongi to play like he does. It might seem left-field (the captaincy choice) from the outside, but it is not.”
According to Nienaber, they expect a match filled with emotion (and flares on the touchline) when they face the Argentinians in their backyard.
“For this group, it is great preparation for the World Cup. It will be a hostile and pressured environment. They tend to grow an extra arm and leg in front of their home crowd. It will be a hostile crowd and a proper Test match for the 23 players.
“It also depends on who they select. I know (Agustin) Creevy, Argentina’s former captain is on 99 Tests, and he will be the first Argentinian to get to a century. If he is selected, there will be a lot of emotion.”
Springboks: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Bongi Mbonambi (capt), 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Jean-Luc du Preez, 20 Evan Roos, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Jesse Kriel, 23 Kurt-Lee Arendse
