Springbok loosehead prop Ox Nche has been ruled out of Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against Argentina at Kings Park.
Springbok loosehead prop Ox Nche has been ruled out of Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against Argentina at Kings Park.
Nche’s withdrawal, due to a “niggle”, sees Boan Venter start in the No 1 jersey, with Marco van Staden being drafted onto the bench.
Similarly to Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who can switch equally efficiently between prop and hooker, Van Staden can shift comfortably between flanker and hooker, which he proved at the 2023 World Cup.
SPRINGBOKS – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Boan Venter.
Bench: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen.
This one will be a battle of the coaching minds, as much as it will be about who wins the collisions, takes charge in the set piece and dominates the aerial battle,” he argues.
Argentina have been formidable. In 2024 they beat the All Blacks in New Zealand, thrashed the Wallabies 67-27, and edged the Boks by a point at home. This season they have downed the British & Irish Lions in Dublin, beaten the All Blacks for the first time in Argentina, and defeated the Wallabies in Sydney.
Erasmus has stuck with the bulk of the side that destroyed the All Blacks 43-10 in Wellington, with only two changes enforced by injury: Eben Etzebeth comes in for Lood de Jager and Damian Willemse starts at fullback in place of Aphelele Fassi. The bench again underlines the Boks’ depth.
Yet inconsistency remains a theme of South Africa’s season, from the shock concession of 38 unanswered points against Australia at Ellis Park to the historic highs in New Zealand.
Keohane believes the Boks must deliver a repeat of their Wellington intensity to subdue Los Pumas, noting that Erasmus’ faith in youth sends a clear message to the old guard.
