Rugby Championship: South Africa v Argentina match preview

Ruan Pienaar: South Africa’s scrum-half needs to get out discerning round

Daniel Hourcade: His Argentinian group face a daunting task

South Africa will start their Rugby Championship opener in Pretoria as prohibited favourites to see off a plea of Argentina.

The Springboks beaten Saturday’s opponents by some-more than 70 points when a teams met in this foe for a initial time final year. Since afterwards Santiago Phelan over as conduct manager and underneath Daniel Hourcade a group has struggled to find a form.

That does not bode good for a group that will be personification a world’s best 3 teams over a entrance weeks. Despite talents among their series such as Marcelo Bosch and former skipper Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, they demeanour expected to onslaught to enclose a power, organization and gait of a home side.

In new outings a Pumas have been means to emanate opportunities during times, though have unsuccessful to modify these into points with a kind of ruthlessness that they will face from all 3 of their some-more prominent opponents.

Prop Ramiro Herrera creates his initial start opposite any of a large 3 after Saracens’ Juan Figallo was again ruled out by injury, while Tomás Lavanini is another pitched into a starting choice for a initial time opposite such clever opposition.

Formidable

South Arica have not mislaid to Saturday’s opponents in 17 matches and they benefaction a challenging challenge.Heyneke Meyer’s men, captained by Jean de Villiers, can compare some challenging container energy with gait among a backs by a likes of Bryan Habana and Cornal Hendricks.

Handré Pollard will again choice during fly-half after an considerable display opposite Scotland and he should have a time and space to be artistic once again with so most peculiarity and knowledge around him.

Therein lies a pivotal purpose for scrum-half Ruan Pienaar, who will wish to glow out discerning round to his half-back partner. If he can, afterwards a Springboks’ higher gait out far-reaching should be absolutely good adequate to see them by to clear a bookmakers’ restricted odds.

South Africa: 15 le Roux, 14 Hendricks, 13 de Allende, 12  de Villiers (c), 11  Habana, 10 Pollard, 9 Pienaar, 8 Vermeulen, 7 Alberts, 6  Louw, 5  de Jager, 4  Botha, 3 J du Plessis, 2 B du Plessis, 1 Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16  Strauss, 17 Nyakane, 18 Malherbe, 19  Etzebeth, 20 Coetzee, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 M Steyn, 23 Serfontein.

Argentina: 15 Tuculet, 14 Agulla, 13 Bosch, 12 Hernández, 11 Montero, 10 Sánchez, 9 Landajo, 8 Leguizamón, 7  Lobbe, 6 Matera, 5 Lavanini, 4 Galarza, 3 Herrera, 2 Creevy (c), 1 Ayerza.
Replacements: 16  Cortese, 17 Paz, 18 Chaparro, 19 Alemanno, 20 Senatore, 21 Cubelli, 22 Iglesias, 23 Amorosino.

Article source: http://www.skysports.com/rugbyleague/match_preview/0,,11070_3686497,00.html

Rugby Championship: South Africa v Argentina match preview