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Rassie to ring changes for Los Pumas

todaySeptember 9, 2024 185

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Rassie Erasmus, head coach of the Springboks during the Springboks Team Announcement Press Conference at Southern Sun Hyde Park in Johannesburg on the 27th of August 2024 ©Nokwanda Zondi/BackpagePix

The Springbok side that will face Argentina on Saturday evening will look much different to the side that beat the All Blacks in Cape Town last week Saturday.

Coach, Rassie Erasmus, says they will look to employ a split-squad system for the home-and-away Rugby Championship clashes with Los Pumas.

Following the 18-12 victory over the All Blacks at the DHL Stadium in round four of the tournament, Erasmus told the media that the squad would regather in Stellenbosch this coming week before half the team heads to Argentina.

The win over New Zealand has put the world champions in a in a strong position to win the tournament ahead of the final two rounds of action.

The Boks next face Argentina in Santiago del Estero before they will return to South Africa for their final match in Nelspruit.

Their boss says two different teams will face the South Americans.

“We have three days off before we get together again in Stellenbosch,” Erasmus says. “From there we will send one group over to Argentina and keep one here for the home game.”

Last week, Erasmus stated that Ben-Jason Dixon would feature against the South Americans, while Aphelele Fassi is also set to earn a recall to the matchday 23, among others.

The Boks are on the cusp of winning the competition for the first time since 2019 and if they are successful in doing so, it will be their maiden full tournament victory outside of a World Cup year when the Rugby Championship is shortened – since Argentina joined the then Tri-Nations in 2012.

After the Rugby Championship, the Springboks’ Test season will pause only to resume in November when they will face Scotland, England and Wales on their End of Year tour.

Written by: Ntsako Mukhari

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