Argentina v South Africa Preview: A battle in Buenos Aires

Argentina and South Africa lock horns for a second weekend in a row as the two sides clash in their first Rugby World Cup warm-up game following the conclusion of the Rugby Championship.

Little split the pair last weekend, with the Springboks securing a 22-21 win at Ellis Park, as the attention now shifts to Buenos Aires for the return fixture.

The clash doubles up as a last opportunity for several players to make an impression on the coaches, with final Rugby World Cup squads set to be announced in the coming days.

As it was for South Africa last Saturday, this weekend is Los Pumas’ final game in Argentina before the Rugby World Cup and, for many players, their final match in the blue and white jersey at home.

Notably, Agustin Creevy will hit a personal milestone, becoming the first player to represent his country in 100 Test matches.

Last week we previewed the set-piece as the area where the game will be won, and while the same is true this time around, the breakdown battle seems more prevalent.

Although the Springboks had the upper hand at the set-piece, they did not dominate enough to pull out of touching distance as Argentina battled throughout the match, keeping the scoreline close.

We have to talk about the man hitting the big milestone on Saturday. Agustin Creevy has been a magnificent servant of Argentine rugby since making his debut all the way back in 2005. He has been through it all, from missing out on the World Cup squad in 2007 to making the final cut in 2011, 2015 and 2019, and reaching the semi-finals in his second tournament.

The Springbok coaches have earmarked the World Cup warm-up match against Wales as the potential return for Siya Kolisi, so in the meantime, Deon Fourie becomes the third player to don the iconic Green and Gold number six jumper.

The experienced forward has made the most of every opportunity he has got since becoming the oldest Springboks debutant last July and earns his first start on Saturday.