Erasmus names team to tackle Pumas

Springbok coach, Rassie Erasmus, recalled hooker, Johan Grobbelaar, to his 28-man squad for their short tour to Argentina, where they will face Los Pumas at Estadio Unico Madre Ciudades in Santiago on Saturday in their penultimate Rugby Championship clash.

Erasmus opted to rest seven players, who have had a heavy workload in the last few months, with an eye on the final round of the competition in Nelspruit against Argentina on Saturday, the 28th of September.

Grobbelaar is back in the squad after participating in the Australian leg of the tournament, where the Boks collected a full haul of points, and will cover hooker with Malcolm Marx and Jan-Hendrik Wessels.

The seven players who will not travel to Argentina are Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe, and Willie le Roux.

The Springboks currently lead the Rugby Championship standings with 18 points with four victories in as many games, while Argentina are on 10 points, followed by New Zealand and Australia. This means South Africa only need three more log points from their two remaining matches to guarantee their first title since 2019.

“We have been open about our policy to try to give as many players in our wider squad as possible a chance to play against the top teams in the world,” said Erasmus.

“We believe playing against Argentina in Santiago, where we are expecting a massive encounter in front of a hostile crowd, will serve as a great test for this group of players.

“The players we decided to rest have really done their bit this season and their bodies deserve a break, so we thought the best for them would be to enjoy a break and spend time with their families before joining us in Nelspruit. All of the players in the 28-man squad have been in the set-up this year and have proved their worth, so we are delighted to give them an opportunity to face Argentina on their home ground.”

Erasmus says they are expecting a tough game.

“Argentina proved last week what a force they can be at home by defeating the Wallabies by 67-27 in Santa Fe, so we know how tough the match will be against them, and this is exactly what we want our players to experience as we continue to build the group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.”

Springbok squad for Argentina tour:

Props: Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, Ox Nche, Gerhard Steenekamp.

Hookers: Johan Grobbelaar, Malcolm Marx.

Locks: Eben Etzebeth, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Salmaan Moerat, Ruan Nortje.

Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon, Siya Kolisi, Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, Jasper Wiese.

Utility forward: Jan-Hendrik Wessels.

Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams.

Flyhalves: Manie Libbok, Handre Pollard.

Centres: Lukhanyo Am, Jesse Kriel.

Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Aphelele Fassi, Makazole Mapimpi.

Utility back: Canan Moodie.