Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Boks need to be more ‘switched on’
SPRINGBOK assistant coach Mzwandile Stick says there will be no complacency when they face Argentina in their penultimate Rugby Championship game in Buenos Aires tonight.
The competition is still up for grabs, despite New Zealand edging Australia 39-37 on Thursday to stay ahead in the race.
The Wallabies seemed in good position to win the game, but the result was another reminder to the South Africans that anything can happen on any given day.
The fact that Australia whipped Los Pumas, only for the Argentinians to humiliate them in the return match, provided another warning.
Speaking during the Captain’s Press Conference yesterday, Stick said: “Anybody can be punished if you don’t switch on … even yesterday’s game (New Zealand vs Australia) was tight. If you don’t switch on … we saw what happened to Australia when they played here. There are no easy games.”
Skipper Siya Kolisi was also cautious of the Pumas’ arsenal, and said Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer, Augustin Creevy and Julian Montoya were on their radar.
“They are all good, Matera is good under the high ball, Kremer is good with the ball and so is Montoya and Creevy is good when he comes on … we know what to do as a team.
“We just have to make sure at the breakdown, we look after the ball because without the ball, we can’t do anything. If we don’t keep the ball, they are going to have a field day and they have a very good kicking game.
“(Emiliano) Boffelli has been kicking very well and he has been getting penalties with each guy making their tackles and getting over the ball. Us as the loose forwards have to do what we do, make sure we manage the field.”
Stick wants to see more from number 10 Damian Willemse whose game improved markedly with the Stormers during the United Rugby Championship.
“We have to keep getting better in how we want to play. When the opportunities are there, I’m glad that the guys like Willie (le Roux) and Gaza in the backline get excited when they see those opportunities,” Stick said.
“I’m just happy for a guy like Damian getting an opportunity in that position. Over the past few seasons, there was always a question mark around him playing flyhalf, and everyone knows that this is a very special player.
“One thing I enjoy now watching him is that he is very much on his game – not only his X-factor. It’s the way he controls the game … the basics, fundamentals, when you look at high balls, how he defends.”
The Boks’ penultimate match of the Rugby Championship kicks off at 9.10pm.
ARGENTINA:
15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Emiliano Boffelli, 13 Jeronimo D e La Fuente, 12 Matias Orlando, 11 Lucio Cinti, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Eduardo Bello, 2 Julian Montoya (c), 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro.
Bench:
16 Augustin Creevy, 17 Thomas Gallo, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Rodrigo Bruni, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Benjamin Urdapilleta, 23 Matias Moroni.
SPRINGBOKS:
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Bench: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Kwagga Smith, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Andre Esterhuizen.