Boks taking no chances against Los Pumas

With eight straight wins the Springboks appear to have Los Pumas’ number in their head-to-head clashes.

The last time Los Pumas beat the Boks was in 2018 when they clawed the visitors in Mendoza at the foot of the Andes.

The teams meet on Saturday for the first time in Santiago del Estero, another rural outpost and there is perhaps more at stake than usual for both teams in this encounter.

The Springboks are eight points clear at the head of the Rugby Championship but the Pumas are still on their trail, if only by the slightest of whiff.

Los Pumas can still usurp the Boks to the title but it will require not just wins at the Estadio Unico Madre Ciudades on Saturday and Mbombela Stadium next weekend but they will have to do so in style by denying the World Champions a bonus point in both and getting one along the way themselves.

In the world of long shots it is almost the distance between Santiago del Estero and Mbombela (9,192km).

Still, the Boks are not taking any chances. They have the opportunity to clinch a first Rugby Championship title since 2019 and suffocate the Pumas out of contention. A win this weekend will turn the Springboks’ week in the lowveld into one of celebration, though perhaps not with the same swathe as Elton Jantjies on his last visit.

With some of the pressure off, it will also allow Rassie Erasmus and Co to test combinations ahead of their end of year tour that has stops in Edinburgh, London and Cardiff.

The Boks are devilishly difficult to beat and have only lost to Ireland (twice) in their past 19 Tests. Opening the door for Argentina is not an option.

Though they left seven regulars at home, in composing their match 23 for this weekend they have not left the door ajar. It represents a mix of established winners and a glimpse into the future with only four players (Salmaan Moerat, Ruan Nortjé, Ben-Jason Dixon and Aphelele Fassi) in the starting XV who haven’t won a Rugby World Cup.

The Boks perhaps have reason to tread carefully at a venue they haven’t played at. Los Pumas are with their tails up and find themselves in the rare position of still harbouring title aspirations with only two rounds to go. Their wins against the All Blacks in Wellington and their walloping of the Wallabies in Santa Fe have put them in a position of promise.

Christmas appeared to come early for them as they ran in nine tries against the hapless Australians to maintain their say in the Rugby Championship.

As much as talk of the All Blacks’ often drifts to SA’s exit from Super Rugby, Argentina too have flexed their muscle against the Kiwis and the Wallabies since the plug was pulled on that competition.

Los Pumas boast three wins against the Wallabies in their past four clashes and since the Jaguares’ departure from Super Rugby, Australia have beaten Argentina on only four occasions in nine meetings.

Though not with the same frequency, a similar trend has emerged in their Tests against the All Blacks. They recorded their first win over New Zealand after Super Rugby’s demise and have now beaten the All Blacks away from home three times in the past four years. Coincidence?

Argentina who finished fourth at the 2023 RWC are not to be taken lightly.

“Our players understand the importance of this match in every respect, and one could see from our training sessions in Stellenbosch and they are switched on and ready to give their all, as this match is equally important for both teams,” said Erasmus earlier this week.

A sixth consecutive Rugby Championship win for the Boks on Saturday will set a new competition (including its Tri-Nations forerunner) record for them and another reason to celebrate in Mbombela.