South Africa have won 18 Tests against Argentina and drawn the other since they first met in 1993, scoring 728 points and conceding 361. (Reuters)
AFP/Durban
Argentina have dropped eight starters from the recent hammering by Australia for a 2015 Rugby Championship Test against South Africa in Durban yesterday.
Backs dropped by coach Daniel Hourcade include full-back Santiago Cordero, right wing Gonzalo Camacho, outside centre Matias Moroni and fly-half Nicolas Sanchez. The axed forwards are lock Manuel Carizza and loose trio Javier Ortega Desio, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and No 8 Facundo Isa. A ninth change is injury induced.
Tighthead prop Ramiro Herrera was hurt during the 34-9 loss to the Wallabies in Mendoza nine days ago and knee surgery will sideline him for four to six weeks. Backline survivors from the Mendoza mauling are inside centre Juan Pablo Socino, left wing Juan Imhoff and scrum-half Martin Landajo.
Hooker and skipper Agustin Creevy, loosehead prop Marcos Ayerza and lock Tomas Lavanini remain among the eight who started against Australia. “The objectives for the match with South Africa are the same as for those against New Zealand and Australia,” explained Hourcade.
“We hope to gradually improve our game, develop greater rhythm, and assess players ahead of the World Cup. South Africa are a great team who could have won both matches they lost,” he said, referring to narrow Springbok defeats away to Australia and at home to New Zealand.
While Hourcade said before the Rugby Championship that he would rotate players ahead of the September 18-October 31 World Cup in England, some changes may be form-related. Sanchez, leading points scorer last season with 52 in the Rugby Championship, has given two poor performances.
Against Australia, the 26-year-old playmaker twice ignored a ball-in-hand plan to aimlessly boot kicks up field that triggered try-scoring counter-attacks. Veteran utility back Juan Martin Hernandez has been called up for the first time in this Championship and will be a contender to replace Sanchez.
Fit-again Joaquin Tuculet is a natural choice to replace Cordero, having worn the No 15 shirt in a 39-18 opening-round defeat in New Zealand.
Experienced centre Marcelo Bosch is another candidate to start against the Springboks at Kings Park stadium having faced the All Blacks, but not the Wallabies.
Loose forward Juan Manuel Leguizamon also boasts great Test experience and is likely to be included in a new back row. South Africa have won 18 Tests against Argentina and drawn the other since they first met in 1993, scoring 728 points and conceding 361.
The widest victory margin was 73-13 in Soweto two years ago and the narrowest 33-31 in Salta last season.
Bok stars De Villiers, Du Preez may face Pumas
Meanwhile, South Africa skipper and centre Jean de Villiers and star scrum-half Fourie du Preez could start against Argentina after long injury lay-offs, the team doctor said yesterday.
“We will see how Jean and Fourie go in training Tuesday, but they took part in our Monday morning session and came through very well,” said Craig Roberts.
The doctor added that three other long-term casualties—centre Jan Serfontein, lock Pieter-Steph du Toit and flanker Willem Alberts—also trained and could be considered for selection against the Pumas, too. All five missed the narrow Rugby Championship losses away to Australia and at home to New Zealand last month, which have left South Africa needing a win in Durban yesterday to avoid finishing last.
De Villiers had a knee reconstructed after being injured during a Test loss in Wales last November and missed the Super Rugby season. He came off the Springbok bench last month to play 20 minutes in an exhibition game against a World XV in Cape Town. A couple of appearances for Western Province in Currie Cup warm-up matches followed for the 34-year-old and he suffered no ill effects. Tactical kicking maestro Du Preez, 33, is a key cog in the World Cup plans of coach Heyneke Meyer, but last wore the green and gold national team colours a season ago.
Having recovered from a serious injury against Scotland, he was sidelined again recently after pulling up while training with his Japanese club. But Roberts is optimistic that Meyer can consider both when he names his matchday 23 Wednesday for the final-round fixture.
Youngsters Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende have formed a strong attacking centre partnership in the absence of De Villiers. And experienced Ruan Pienaar, who lines up with Irish province Ulster, has deputised for 2007 Rugby World Cup winner Du Preez.
The doctor said decisions would be made today regarding the fitness of a recently injured quartet, props Vincent Koch and Frans Malherbe and loose forwards Marcell Coetzee and Warren Whiteley.
Fly-half Handre Pollard and prop Trevor Nyakane, neither of whom trained Monday, are others whose availability to face the South Americans has to be determined.
Francois Steyn, another 2007 World Cup champion, has been released from the 50-man squad after the death of his brother, the South African Rugby Union said in a statement.
Another Springbok battling injury, ultra versatile Steyn can play full-back, centre or fly-half, and is an excellent long-range goal-kicker.
“We will not take any decisions on his immediate involvement with the squad,” said team manager Ian Schwartz.
“His personal situation is now most important and we will support him and his family in this time of mourning.”
