Boks braced for battle at the Allianz

Boks Bracing for Battle at the Allianz

You could be forgiven for not noticing a Sports Direct store halfway down Oxford Street, but today it played host to nine different South African internationals, including electric back Cheslin Kolbe, the always impressive Bongi Mbonambi, and the dominant scrummager Ox Nche.

Whilst the players were all in a good mood as they signed different forms of memorabilia and posed for countless selfies, it’s clear they also have Saturday afternoon on their mind.

At 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, South Africa will be kicking off against Argentina in the final round of this year’s Rugby Championship. They will also be aware that a bonus-point win will guarantee them the title. It has to be said that after last week’s absolutely dominant result over the same opponents, a bonus-point win seems likely, but there are no guarantees in rugby.

Last weekend saw South Africa run riot in a 67-30 win in Durban, and they’re currently on a winning streak at Twickenham, having won their last four games at the home of English rugby. This weekend is likely to be no different, with Rassie Erasmus naming another strong side featuring the likes of Eben Etzebeth, the earlier-mentioned Cheslin Kolbe, and of course, captain Siya Kolisi.

For Los Pumas, however, there is no chance of winning the championship, even with a bonus-point win. They currently sit rock bottom of the table with nine points from their five games, although they’ve only won two of their last eight in total: wins against Australia and New Zealand, as well as a 52-17 victory against Uruguay in the summer. They’ll be captained once again by former Leicester Tigers hooker Julián Montoya in a side that also features familiar names such as Guido Petti, Pablo Matera, and Santiago Carreras, as well as Juan Martin Gonzalez on the bench.

Argentina have only beaten South Africa once in their last ten meetings, the sole win being a 29-28 victory in 2024.

One big talking point ahead of kick-off will be if fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu can pick up where he left off last week after an absolutely sensational performance in which he scored 37 points—the most by a South African in a test match since Percy Montgomery in 2007. SFM slotted two penalties and eight conversions, as well as helping himself to a hat-trick of tries. Worth noting: these are his only tries for the Green and Gold.

No matter what happens on Saturday, it’s sure to be a fierce encounter between two physical sides in front of a highly expectant crowd who will be hoping the good rugby displays carry on after the recent Women’s World Cup final.