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Boks must deliver strong performance to claim Rugby Championship with odds in their favour

Boks must deliver strong performance to claim Rugby Championship with odds in their favour
Manie Libbok is set to start for the Springboks at Mbombela Stadium. (Photo: James Worsfold / Getty Images)
Craig Ray
By Craig Ray
27 Sep 2024
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The Springboks hold all the aces going into the final round of the 2024 Rugby Championship and therefore have it all to lose.

The Springboks have had a firm grip on the 2024 Rugby Championship since round three but they are not over the line yet. They cannot slip up against Argentina at Mbombela Stadium this weekend.

All the Boks need is a point, or for Argentina to fail to earn a bonus point, to secure their first Rugby Championship crown in its full, double-round format since 2009.

With the Boks on 19 log points, and the Pumas on 14, and home ground advantage to the Boks, everything is stacked in their favour.

For the Boks to lose the match and still take the title, would be limping over the line. Winning the championship, however unconvincingly, would still go down in the record books, but it would feel hollow.

Siya Kolisi’s men need another strong performance. They must finish the job with a flourish in front of a sold out crowd in Mbombela, and do it with victory.

Settled squad


Coach Rassie Erasmus has chopped and changed the team throughout this campaign and for much of the season, using 48 players as part of a strategy to build depth. And it’s been done while winning 78% of their games, which is an excellent outcome in the context of continual rotation.

This weekend, though, it appears he has settled on what is currently the best available 23.

Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has made nine changes to the team that started last week. (Photo: David Rogers / Getty Images)



Pumas flyhalf Tomas Albornoz celebrates victory over the Boks at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades on 21 September 2024 in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. (Photo: Rodrigo Valle / Getty Images)



They are tasked with ensuring the Rugby Championship joins the Webb Ellis Cup, the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate and the Freedom Cup as trophies won in the past 12 months, and that the Boks are back up to an 80% winning ratio.

Lock Eben Etzebeth will win a Bok record 128th cap, and the team are desperate to mark his milestone with a victory.

It’s a significant achievement for the bruising second rower, and one which Erasmus admitted they manipulated slightly. Etzebeth played in Santiago del Estero last week, to ensure his 128th Test was back in South Africa.

It was a rare moment of sentimentality from the coach, who usually puts aside emotion in terms of team selection and planning. But if anyone has earned a little leeway, it’s Etzebeth.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph this week, defence coach Jerry Flannery underlined Etzebeth’s value to the team.

“Because you have someone like Eben, who’s becoming the most capped Springbok of all time, and because he and Siya (Kolisi) are so tight, it’s like they are always trying to protect what is special about the Springboks,” Flannery said.

“Rassie obviously sets the tone, but if the players don’t drive it, it’s never going to set in.

Wave of talent


“There’s a wave of talent coming through in South Africa, but I think Eben and Siya, to me, are who will protect what is special about the Springboks. They are driving the messages about serving the team as much as Rassie is.”

With Etzebeth starting and the return of tighthead Frans Malherbe, hooker Bongi Mbonambi and Kolisi to the starting lineup, the Boks have experience and power in a beefed-up pack.

That allows for brutal hooker Malcolm Marx and prop Vincent Koch to add to the bomb squad this week.

Damian de Allende’s return to inside centre and Cheslin Kolbe’s appearance on the wing, also add more guile and class to the backline. In all it looks a better and more settled team compared to last week.

Manie magic?


Erasmus, in his usual esoteric way, didn’t discard flyhalf Manie Libbok after missing a kick to win the match the previous week then the Boks lost 29-28 in Santiago. The coach promoted him to start this week.

Manie Libbok is set to start for the Springboks at Mbombela Stadium. (Photo: James Worsfold / Getty Images)



Libbok’s problems from the kicking tee are well documented, but his general play remains excellent.

That week, he controlled the game tactically with some excellent kicking from hand, which won the Boks field position and momentum. After conceding four first-half tries, the Boks only leaked three points in the second half, thanks largely to the momentum shift from Libbok’s boot.

This week it appears the Boks, who dominated the scrums against the Pumas in Santiago, will look to keep the Pumas in bad areas of the field from the start to take the sting out their attack.

Discipline is also key. Kurt-Lee Arendse’ 18th-minute yellow card last week led to 12 unanswered points for the Pumas. Argentina have not had a single yellow card this year. The Boks need to tidy up in that area.

Improved discipline is perhaps the most remarkable turnaround in the Pumas’ play under new coach Felipe Contepomi.

Needless penalties


As good as they have been in the past at various times, opponents could always count on the Pumas to give away needless penalties and stupid yellow cards. They appear to have eliminated that from their game this year.

“We don’t speak directly about discipline, but we want to be the best team we can be, and maybe it’s the end result of trying to insist on doing the right things,” Contepomi told the media this week.

“We don’t take any shortcuts in training, and we keep hammering on our method and the way we want to play, working hard, especially in defence.

“And, you know, we just don’t cheat. I know it’s part of our values, it’s part of our behaviour, and we pride ourselves on that and the result is maybe giving away less penalties and not picking up cards.

“But the real thing is not focusing on avoiding cards, but rather doing the right thing and working hard.”

The Boks made nine changes for the match from last week and Contepomi has surprisingly made seven. Only flank Marcos Kremer was unavailable through injury.

“We trust all the players in the squad. It’s about trying to get the best combinations for each game,” Contepomi said.

“With the travelling, it is also necessary to get some fresh legs into the side. Now we also have experienced players coming on off the bench.”

The Pumas team looks loaded to finish strongly if there is a whiff of an unlikely upset. The Boks are primed to ensure the game is no longer a contest by then.

A fascinating duel is in store. DM

Teams:


South Africa


15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nché.

Reserves: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Elrigh Louw, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Handré Pollard, 23 Lukhanyo Am.

Argentina


15 Santiago Carreras, 14 Rodrigo Isgro, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Gonzalo Garcia, 8 Joaquin Oviedo, 7 Santiago Grondona, 6 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Pedro Rubiolo, 3 Joel Sclavi, 2 Julian Montoya (captain), 1 Thomas Gallo.

Reserves: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Ignacio Calles, 18 Pedro Delgado, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Pablo Matera, 21 Lautaro Bazan Velez, 22 Lucio Cinti, 23 Juan Cruz Mallia.

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)

Kick-off: 5pm (Supersport)

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