The Springboks are expecting a “pressure cooker” of a game in front of a hostile crowd in Buenos Aires on Saturday, fuelled by the possible 100th test cap for Agustin Creevy.
And that, according to coach Jacques Nienaber, will be the perfect test for the fringe players as the Boks look to finalise their World Cup squad of 33 that will be named next week.
The Boks will be looking to settle some outstanding questions on the places in the squad and several players have the perfect opportunity to put up their hands and with a good performance force their way into the squad.
But make no mistake, the Boks are expecting a fiery reception from the local crowd when the game kicks off Saturday night, South African time.
“I expect pretty much what we got at Ellis Park, but probably times ten - in terms of intensity and emotion. I said to the players yesterday that I think - if we can think back to the game against France in Marseilles - that’s the sort of hostility we will face. For this group, I think it is great preparation for a World Cup,” Nienaber said after naming his side.
HOSTILE AND FAIRLY HECTIC
“It will be that hostile, that pressure environment for the players. It will be good for us to get a little bit of that. I think it will be fairly hectic in there. Last year it was - and it depends who they select - but Creevy is on 99 tests and he will be the first Argentinean to get to a century. If he is selected there will be lots of emotions.”
Nienaber added that while the squad may not have that many familiar faces, it does boast a lot of experience - more than you would reckon at first glance. A number of the players - including captain Bongi Mbonambi and props Trevor Nyakane and Thomas du toit join Franco Mostert and Lukhanyo Am as World Cup winners. Others like Jasper Wiese won a British and Irish Lions series while on the bench World Cup winners Herschel Jantjies and Jessie Kriel are alongside dynamo Kurt-Lee Arendse.
“If you look at the squad. Trevor won a World Cup and Lions series. Bongi, Thomas the same. Jean Kleyn was an Irish international. Franco Mostert World Cup and Lions. Jasper won a Lions series,” Nienaber explained.
If you go through them all perhaps it is not as experienced but this is a very experienced team. Yest Gerhard will make his debut and there are a couple of guys with single digits on the bench. But even from a backs perspective - we all know the quality of Kurt-Lee and he is the least experienced of the three backs on the bench. Herschel and Jessie have both won a World Cup and Lions series before.”
The Boks expect Argentina to turn up the pressure to boiling point on Saturday and they’re keen to see what their squad can do in that sort of pressure - especially with the World Cup within weeks.
BOKS WILL BE READY
And while Argentina have produced three very different games, the Boks will be ready for what they encounter on Saturday.
“If you look at their (Argentina’s) first game - a similar thing happened to them as what happened to us. It was like 20-0 after 30 minutes. New Zealand got them with an incredibly quick start like they did us. I think it was similar and if you think of the Argentina group, they play most of their rugby in the northern hemisphere - the same as us.
“They probably went a bit cold into the first test match but they won the second half against New Zealand. They had a phenomenal game against Australia, beating them away from home. Against us, I think we were nicely in control of that game before we got a yellow card and then we gave them a foothold back into the game.
“So what do we expect from these guys - well, to handle what Argentina will throw at us. Argentina will throw emotion, physicality and a good setpiece. We know they are a physical, hard bunch of guys. Again, it will be a nice proper physical test match and the environment will be fairly hostile. Last year the crowd was humming in that stadium, and especially when Argentina gets momentum - then it is shirts off and flares going off everywhere. It will be a pressure cooker of a game.”
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