Boks brace for big onslaught

Durban – The Springboks will have to brace themselves for a Pumas team breathing fire next weekend, Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has predicted, in their return Rugby Championship clash in Mendoza.

After their 34-21 win at King’s Park on Saturday, the Boks are expecting a big backlash, but Erasmus confirmed they were likely to make a number of changes to counter the onslaught from their Argentine opponents.

“I just know the Pumas will be fuming to get us back there, and it’s going to be a helluva battle,” Erasmus said.

“You can ask anybody who played there before how tough it is, but we’ll make a few changes, maybe four or five.

“It will be a massive physical onslaught from their side, but as desperate as they are to turn it around, we will be just as desperate to get the win there.”

Captain Siya Kolisi admitted the Boks did not start the way they wanted in their Championship opener, lamenting their poor discipline and execution.

“We had some opportunities in the 22 which went begging,” Kolisi said.

“This week the most important thing is recovery and to make sure we are ready for next weekend.”

With just 26 863 people braving the cold conditions, wings Aphiwe Dyantyi and Makazole Mapimpi stole the limelight by scoring four of the six Bok tries.

Erasmus, however, was not smiling too broadly over the win.

“The only really good part was 25-30 minutes in the second half. That was the only really decent rugby we played,” the coach added.

With Francois Louw and Faf de Klerk having only a pre-season to prepare, Damian Willemse coming back from a six-week knee injury, and Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe and Malcolm Marx all making recent returns, he had expected a “less fluent” display.

Meanwhile, Erasmus named a squad of 28 players for their trip to Argentina on Saturday.