Latest updates from the Rugby Championship
Hello and welcome to The Telegraph’s coverage of South Africa v Argentina in the Rugby Championship.
With New Zealand already crowned victors of this year’s competition following their comprehensive victory over Australia earlier today, both sides enter today’s clash with one eye on the World Cup which kicks of on 8 September.
The Springboks have made nine changes to their starting XV that lost 35-20 to New Zealand in Aukland two weeks ago.
Scrum-half Grant Williams makes his first start, forming a new half-back pairing with fly-half Manie Libbok.
With skipper Siya Kolisi still recovering from knee surgery, veteran no.8 Duane Vermeulen reprises his role as captain, taking over from the captain against New Zealand Eben Etzebeth.
Vermeulen joins flankers Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marco van Staden to recreate the Springbok back-row from the opening match of the competition against the Wallabies.
The other changes to the pack are at hooker, where Malcolm Marx starts for the first time this season – taking over from Bongi Mbonambi – and lock, where Marvin Orie comes in for Lood de Jager.
Meanhile, in the backline, wing Kurt-Lee Arendse – who scored a hat-trick against Australia – starts in place of Makazole Mapimpi, while experienced centre Jesse Kriel makes his first appearance of the season in the midfield alongside vice-captain Damian de Allende.
Bok coach Jacques Nienaber says it is all about managing minutes.
“Our challenge is to spread that load between the squad,” Nienaber told reporters. “We don’t want to go cold into Scotland in that first game at the World Cup with one or two guys having most of the minutes.
“If you pick up an injury or two, you are bringing in a guy that is cold. That is the balance that we would like to have.”
Argentina coach Michael Cheika has also shuffled his backline, making four changes to the side who beat Australia 34-31 in Sydney, with a further forced change at lock due to an injury for Matias Alemanno.
Centre Santiago Chocobares starts his first test since 2021 and Juan Cruz Mallia gets a first run at fullback this year as Argentina seek a maiden win at Ellis Park.
“Mallía, Chocobares and Juan Imhoff played in the final stages of the [French] Top 14 and that’s why they had a break,” Cheika said. “But it is the right time to give them a chance, along with [prop] Joel Sclavi, who is a replacement.”
The teams will meet again in a World Cup warm-up game in Buenos Aires on Aug 5.