South Africa vs Argentina LIVE: Rugby Championship latest score ...
(Getty Images)
South Africa and Argentina meet at Ellis Park on the final weekend of the Rugby Championship as preparations continue ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
New Zealand’s thumping win against Australia earlier on Saturday means the All Blacks have retained the Rugby Championship title for a third successive year, but with a major tournament around the corner, there is still plenty to play for in the final match of this year’s series.
The Springboks are looking to respond after they were brought back down to earth with a 35-20 loss to New Zealand in Auckland last time out, while Michael Cheika’s Argentina are still riding on a high after stunning Australia in Sydney two weeks ago.
While the Wallabies showed improvement defensively against New Zealand earlier, they struggled to match the pace and power of the All Blacks, who appear to be hitting formidable form ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Follow live updates from South Africa vs Argentina in the final round of the Rugby Championship below
Rugby Championship LIVE - South Africa vs ArgentinaSouth Africa host Argentina at Ellis Park in Rugby Championship clash, live on Sky Sports Action
Team News - South Africa
Team News - Argentina
South Africa vs Argentina: Match officials16:02 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Chris Busby (Ire)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)
South Africa vs Argentina16:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The Ndlovu Youth Choir treat the Ellis Park crowd, someway below capacity, to a rather charming rendition of “World in Union”, the Rugby World Anthem sung as some of South Africa’s winning squad members in 1995 and 2007 make their way around the pitch. Plenty of the 2019 vintage in the Springboks side today, looking for another statement of intent ahead of their defence later in the year.
South Africa vs Argentina15:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle
One more Rugby Championship ding-dong, then, before we call this year’s competition to a close and accelerate towards the World Cup. Second spot on the ladder is up for grabs to today’s winner - and it’s a gorgeous evening in Johannesburg, the temperature due to drop significantly tomorrow but the dipping sun shining bright at Ellis Park.
Rugby Championship LIVE - South Africa vs Argentina15:46 , Harry Latham-Coyle
You fancy South Africa will be fast out of the blocks today having failed to really fire a shot in the first 20 in Auckland a fortnight ago. The Springboks found joy playing with ambition against Australia, and there might well be spaces wider against an Argentina backline without a couple of key defensive lieutenants. That Willie le Roux has started all three of South Africa’s games in this competition is illustrative of his importance to this side as a second distributor - Le Roux really took control with Damian Willemse struggling in that defeat to New Zealand, engineering a second half rally, and I’m excited to see him go to work with Manie Libbok again after they painted pretty pictures in partnership against the Wallabies.
Rugby Championship LIVE - South Africa vs Argentina15:33 , Harry Latham-Coyle
South Africa’s players are out and about on the Ellis Park surface and beginning to ramp up their preparations. This is a farewell fixture for the side, their last on home soil before they head off to France to defend their World Cup crown. Duane Vermeulen is taking it all in, this his swansong in South Africa, with the number eight all but certain to retire whenever the Springboks’ French adventure ends.
Rugby Championship LIVE - South Africa vs Argentina15:28 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Still a little while until kick-off in Jo’burg, but today also sees the start of the Summer Nations Series, or the World Cup warm-ups as they might more commmonly be called. The rest of Europe gets into the swing of things next weekend but for now Scotland and Italy are the lone performers on the bill, their encounter up and running at a rather miserable looking Murrayfield. Plenty of experimentation in both starting line-ups, and a relatively clunky start - an obstinate seagull has been the highlight of the first ten minutes.
Rugby Championship LIVE - South Africa vs Argentina15:19 , Harry Latham-Coyle
I thought Marco van Staden was excellent against Australia in the first game of this year’s Rugby Championship, filling in for the injured Siya Kolisi on the openside and offering a similar blend of breakdown acumen and carrying threat. It is understandable that Jacques Nienaber has returned to the back row trio that started in Pretoria today, Van Staden, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Duane Vermeulen a nicely balanced unit.
The latest news on the absent Springboks skipper is good, by the way, with Kolisi reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery and able to have some involvement in yesterday’s captain’s run at Ellis Park. Handre Pollard is on the mend, too - Jacques Nienaber has suggested that both might be back to face Wales in Cardiff on Saturday 19 August.
Rugby Championship LIVE - South Africa vs Argentina15:06 , Harry Latham-Coyle
South Africa, meanwhile, are bracing for the physical challenge this Pumas pack might pose, Argentina shorn of a couple of back five regulars but still with real bite in the second and back rows.
“It’s going to be a tough game. Argentina are physical in the scrums, mauls and lineouts, so we have to man up,” Trevor Nyakane said earlier this week.
“They’ve come a long way from being a team that just wants to be physical. They are big on their lineouts and scrums, and if you are not alert, they can put you under pressure.
“No matter how much you dominate, they never go away. They like to go to dark places where other teams don’t necessarily go.”
Rugby Championship LIVE - South Africa vs Argentina15:01 , Harry Latham-Coyle
That Argentina backline definitely has an attacking look, with Lucio Cinti continuing his development at centre alongside a new partner in Santiago Chocobares, good whenever called upon by Toulouse over the last couple of years. There is no guarantee that any of the men sporting jerseys eleven to fifteen today are starters come the World Cup - but a big performance on South African soil would do their chances no harm.
Team News - Argentina14:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
With a win in Sydney representing a solid enough return from this Rugby Championship for Michael Cheika’s Pumas, the Argentina coach is prepared to rotate, welcoming back a handful of players given extra resting time after late-season exertions in France. La Rochelle’s Joel Sclavi provides tighthead back-up from the bench but the inclusion of Toulouse backs Santiago Chocobares and Juan Cruz Mallia further illustrates Argentina’s depth in the three-quarters. Racing 92’s Juan Imhoff, now 35, remains one of the game’s finest finishers and gets a first appearance of the summer, too.
There are starting chances for Lucas Paulos at lock and Lautaro Bazan Velez at scrum-half, while Ignacio Ruiz takes the place of Agustin Creevy on the bench – perhaps leaving Creevy free to become Argentina’s first centurion on home soil in Buenos Aires next weekend.
Argentina XV: Thomas Gallo, Julian Montoya (capt.), Francisco Gomez Kodela; Lucas Paulos, Tomas Lavanini; Pablo Matera, Santiago Grondona, Juan Martin Gonzalez; Lautaro Bazan Velez, Santiago Carreras; Juan Imhoff, Santiago Chocobares, Lucio Cinti, Mateo Carreras; Juan Cruz Mallia.
Replacements: Ignacio Ruiz, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Joel Sclavi, Pedro Rubiolo, Facundo Isa; Gonzalo Bertranou, Tomas Albornoz, Matias Moroni.
Team News - South Africa14:47 , Harry Latham-Coyle
It’s a mix and match job for South Africa, Jacques Nienaber blending together the starting side that ran all over Australia with the one that struggled to get going in Auckland. Manie Libbok takes over from Damian Willemse as he gets another opportunity to press his case as the back-up World Cup fly-half, partnering the livewire Grant Williams, while a wing combination of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe is exciting, two free electrons who should cause plenty of problems if given opportunity in the open field.
Duane Vermeulen captains the side in what is likely to be his final outing in South Africa, while Malcolm Marx starts ahead of Bongi Mbonambi with little to choose between two excellent hookers with different skills. Nienaber moves away from his preference for six forwards on the bench, naming just the five but including Trevor Nyakane for the first time this summer.
South Africa XV: Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth, Marvin Orie; Marco van Staden, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen (capt.); Grant Williams, Manie Libbok; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe; Willie le Roux.
Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Trevor Nyakane, Vincent Koch, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman; Faf de Klerk, Lukhanyo Am, Damian Willemse.
Rugby Championship LIVE - South Africa vs Argentina14:40 , Harry Latham-Coyle
These two have had a fortnight off since contrasting performances round two, South Africa below their best in Auckland against the All Blacks but Argentina valiant and victorious over Australia in Sydney. This could be plenty of fun this afternoon, both coaches opting to make a couple of tweaks as they tinker and test their squads ahead of more important business to come.
Rugby Championship LIVE - South Africa vs Argentina14:37 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A very good afternoon and welcome to the final fixture of this year’s condensed Rugby Championship, with Argentina in Johannesburg hoping to snatch second spot away from the Springboks. New Zealand’s win over Australia this morning has secured the All Blacks a third successive competition crown, but the World Cup is looming ever larger on the horizon, with each and every minute of in-game action vital learning time for these sides ahead of the tournament in France.
