Boks ready despite Rugby Champs uncertainty
The Springboks can move to the summit of the Rugby
Championship log with a win over Argentina at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
tomorrow; this is the only focus for captain Siya Kolisi and his team despite
the competition turmoil.
New Zealand Rugby have cancelled all their remaining matches indefinitely given a recent outbreak of covid-19 in the country which has thrown the competition into a state of flux as SANZAAR and unions scramble to find an alternate venue for the tournament.
The All Blacks were supposed to play Australia in Perth next weekend but they have withdrawn from that fixture to the disappointment of Rugby Australia while their two matches against the Springboks, including the elusive 100th test between the nations, have also been canned until further notice.
Given the uncertainty around the competition, the Springboks and Argentina know that they will play tomorrow in Gqeberha – a second test in two weeks after the Boks beat the Pumas 32-12 last Saturday.
Captain of South Africa Siya Kolisi only wants his chargers to concentrate on the job at hand tomorrow because that’s a guarantee.
“Tomorrow is happening and we are really excited and looking forward to the match,” Kolisi said.
“That’s the most important thing right now and I think Argentina will be saying the same thing and whatever happens, happens but we know that tomorrow is happening and we are looking forward to it.”
The Springboks fielded a side that included several players who hadn’t featured during the British and Irish Lions series, and for that side to come out on top in such a convincing manner excited Kolisi as they continue to build a formidable squad of players.
“When we first started in 2018, coach Rassie and the management said that winning, transformation and squad depth were the three things that we wanted to achieve.
“Seeing that happening and seeing guys getting opportunities after working hard during the week and beating a strong Argentinian side means that we are getting to where we want to go.
“There’s still a lot that we have to get right but it’s great to see guys get opportunities and take them,” the skipper added.
The match kicks off at 17:00 on Saturday evening.
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Trevor Nyakane
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Nicolaas van Rensburg, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Dan du Preez, 22 Jaden Hendrikse, 23 Damian Willemse.
