Will Rassie Erasmus’ “Pooper” gamble of playing two opensiders with a link man and a classic fetcher on the bench pay off? Will Argentina return to form with the World Cup looming ever closer?
Join The Roar for a live blog of the match between the Springboks and Argentina in the first week of the 2018 Rugby Championship at Kings Park Stadium on Sunday morning (AEST), starting from 1:05am.
Both sides have deep knowledge of all opposing players, because they play in the very same Super Rugby conference.
History favours the Boks, who have only lost two tests to Los Punas ever, but lately, the Latin Americans have played the Boks very well.
Erasmus is using a much closer-to-coalface shape in his forward attack plan, which creates very quick two-cleaner ball for Faf de Klerk to allow Willie le Roux and Handré Pollard to find wider channels in which the Boks’ superior speed should pose the Pumas problems.
But it also puts young wings on lonely islands, as Eddie Jones found in the first halves of the England series.
But Argentina will bring a stiff challenge to the Boks: dangerous on the counter and always sniffing the turnover.
The set piece battle is probably a Bok edge. Fit-again Eben Etzebeth renews his big-boy battle with Tomás Levanini, and Steven Kitshoff will probably pose problems for the visitors’ scrum in the later stages. Malcolm Marx and Gus Creevy are two of the very best rakes.
The backlines are even with finishers and class, with a few matadors on both teams.
So it’s the back row where the game is in the balance.
I’ll tip the Boks because Francois Louw is all class.
Springboks by 7.
Join The Roar for a live blog of the match between the Springboks and Argentina in the first week of the 2018 Rugby Championship at Kings Park Stadium on Sunday morning (AEST), starting from 1:05am.
Ivan N
Guest
Cant see him taking Eben out for any reason other than an injury. Rassie suggesting that he wants to play VanStaden and Louw together, which means no spot for Whiteley, and possibly PSDT if RG is included. We cant pick PSDT, RG and van staden. I would try this Starting 4.Eben 5.Mostert 6.Louw 7.Kolisi 8.JeanLuc after 55min 4.Eben 5.RG 6.VanStaden 7.Kolisi 8.Louw
Harry Jones
Expert
That looks good, Ivan. Rassie hinting he’ll beef up for Mendoza. Probably RG-Mostert; PSDT-Kolisi-Louw (8).
RobC
Roar Guru
Thanks Hazger / Digszaaaa! Pumas did well. No one was bitten, carded or dived on. A couple nice tries. Bokke played to type. 40 to 60 was the best I've seen them in a few years including HMs era. Re Pumas. Terrible scrum. Looks like they and WBs have their respective strengths reversed yesterday. Upside down world!
Ivan N
Guest
I would use Jean luc du Preez at 8 in a Vermeulen type role. Bring PSDT on at 7 after 60 when the props make their swaps and start with Mostert ar 5. Start 6. LOUW 7. KOLISI 8. DUPREEZ After 60. 6. KWAGGA 7. PSDT 8. LOUW
Machooka
Roar Guru
Congrats Harry... and Biltong on what was a pass mark against those Argies types. Good win... but not convincing! RC is on for who's gonna get second place ;)
Harry Jones
Expert
Erasmus says the Boks only played well for 25 minutes; albeit dominated the contest. He’ll hope to erase many of the errors at Mendoza. Mario L says: ‘How do you stop them? I don’t know. Maybe they will get sick or something. They are the most physical team in the world by far. We knew that coming into this game. They kept playing direct footie. We stood up, but it was like a dam wall. They kept hammering away and something had to give. They built up momentum, and I stopped counting their tries. We will have to address our problems at the set pieces and rucks, because we know they have world-class players like Francois Louw, Siya Kolisi and Malcolm Marx.”
Harry Jones
Expert
In the first half, the Boks rushed their attack, failing first to gain quick clean ball. Rassie may need a bigger loosie on the field than Kolisi-Flo-WW.
Harry Jones
Expert
SUMMARY: A bit wild, a lot loose, fast and furious, but the Boks won a 6-try bonus point, after a dominant second half, following an energy-sapping first stanza. The performances of the two Bok wings, Mapimpi and Dyantyi, as well as strong displays by Shark outside centre Lukhanyo Am, 17-carry Eben Etzebeth, senior mentor Francois Louw, Malcolm “The Rock” Marx (except at lineout time), were welcome sights, as was Beast Mtawarira’s bid to keep the No 1 jersey from hard-running Steven Ginga Ninja Kitshoff. The two teams looked to have healthy dislike of each other. Perhaps this led to the Boks looking wild and unfocused in the first half. But South Africa did open the scoring. Argentine scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou kicked out on the full and gave the Boks a 22 m line-out. Pollard took it over the gainline, reset and Faf fed Am on a great line for his first Test try. The Boks were penalised after some argie-bargie. Nicolas Sanchez set up an attacking lineout, which the Boks sacked illegally, leading to a speculative kick, mishandled by le Roux, and Sanchez scored under posts to give his side a 7-5 lead. It got worse for Erasmus’ team, in front of 26,000 fans experiencing deja vu. Against the run of play, Pablo Matera pounced on a loose ball at a ruck, and scored unchallenged down the left channel. Trailing 14-5, the Boks seemed to settle down. Big carries by the likely Bok locks in Japan next year, Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph Du Toit, softened the Pumas before Mapimpi set off on another exciting charge down the right side. The ball switched left to Le Roux, who barretted a cross-kick to Dyantyi for the Boks’ second unconverted try. Pollard kept missing, so at halftime, it was 14-10 to the visitors. But Argentina had worked too hard in the first half. Meanwhile, the Boks looked a different side in the second half. Faf de Klerk found grass with the boot, and the fastest man on the pitch, Dyantyi, chased like a habanero to score his second of the night. Pollard finally converted, to put the Boks up 17-14. Mapimpi then scored two simple overlap tries against the weary Pumas. Pollard missed his fifth kick, but the Boks had a 27-14 lead with just under half-an-hour remaining. It looked like champagne time when young phenom Damian Willemse came on, but he threw a horrible pass to rookie Marco van Staden. Matias Moroni scored under the posts and suddenly it was a 6-point game. But the Boks got their bonus point margin back when de Klerk slid in under the posts after a Kitshoff rumble. That was it, after a few more Puma raids.
Harry Jones
Expert
The ball stayed in play 39 minutes: phenomenal! Big credit to Los Pumas for searching to the end for a bonus point in defeat. Dyantyi looks like a real nightmare to contain. Willie was lively; and Am played well at the troublesome 13 position.
Harry Jones
Expert
Massive thanks to Digger for being like BBBBB in 2013: the utility finisher who wins. Six good tries by four Bok backs (Am, Mapimpi, Dyantyi, and Faf), with big grunt work by Eben Etzebeth (17 carries!)
Harry Jones
Expert
The errant, profligate Springboks begin their 2018 Rugby Championship with what ended up being a comfortable win over the scrappy, spirited Pumas in Durban, but Rassie Erasmus will have plenty (Digger word) of work-ons.
Thanks Digger
Digby
Roar Guru
Cheers Harry, Corne and Bok supporters, congrats on the win. Hard luck Nobes, not to be today!
Digby
Roar Guru
Pumas concede a penalty for holding on, this must be it, it is! Boks win, 34-21 in Durban to open their 2018 RC campaign.
Boks will have to work on their patience and execution, their error rate is concerning
Digby
Roar Guru
Pumas a lineout from 25 out, time almost up 34-21 Boks
Digby
Roar Guru
Pumas have a LO inside the 22, a couple to go as I ponder what Harry has been up too. 34-21 Boks
Harry Jones
Expert
Thanks, Digger!!!!
Digby
Roar Guru
Pumas a penalty, inside the 22 now but with only 3 minutes to play, feels too little too late. 34-21 Boks
Harry Jones
Expert
My apologies. If I could only explain what I just did! Hahahaha! SA 34 ARG 21 (70+ min) Battle of the Benches !