Pumas will look to make Rugby Championship history against South Africa: time, TV and everything you need to know about the title-deciding match
Cougars They are ready to play one of the most important games in their history Saturday at 12:00 (Argentine time) against South Africa in the town of Nelspruit. The team led by Felipe Contepomi will be looking for the most important milestone in the discipline at national level, winning the rugby championship for the first time. The Argentine team comes off the back of a historic 29-28 victory in Santiago del Estero and must win with a bonus point and by more than seven points to win the title, no easy task against the last two-time world champions.
Head coach Cougars announced changes to the starting XV to face the Springboks. Compared to the last meeting in Santiago del Estero, the starting formation underwent seven adjustments. New features include Thomas Lavanini enters the second line and Santiago Grondona and Juan Martin Gonzalez They will be part of the third series. Gonzalo Garcia will wear the nine for the first time and Rodrigo Isgro will make his debut in this year’s Rugby Championship. Another returnee is Matías Moroni in midfield, while Santiago Carreras replaces Juan Cruz Mallía at full-back.
On the other side, Rassie Erasmus, the team’s coach Boxingwill make a total of nine adjustments compared to the previous meeting. Among the players who will be there from the start next Saturday are Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende, Siya Kolisi, Jaden Hendriks and Mania Libbok.
South Africa will be looking to win their second Rugby Championship at a stadium they have turned into a fortress. For the Argentinians, this is their only visit Mbombela Stadium It was a 30-23 defeat in 2016. Of the current squad, only four players were in the fall: Pablo Matera, Tomás Lavanini, Guido Petti and captain Julián Montoya.
Argentina started this Rugby Championship, already the best in its history, by slapping world runners-up New Zealand on home soil: They won 38:30 in Wellington. Apart from the following defeats against the All Blacks and Australia in La Plata, they recovered and had a chance to lift the title: They beat the Wallabies 67-27 record the highest score in their favor since joining this tournament. Another success continued in Santiago del Estero, but this time against a two-time world champion: they beat South Africa 29-28 in a fight that allowed them to arrive with chances.
The Springboks are worth explaining as they have won two of their four straight World Cup crowns during the World Cup in Japan 2019 and France 2023. But in their two matches they have also beaten Australia (33-7 and 30-12) and New Zealand (31 -27 and 18-12) in this competition.
PUMA: Gallo Thomas, Montoya Julián (C), Sclavi Joel, Rubiolo Pedro, Lavanini Tomás, González Juan Martín, Grondona Santiago, Oviedo Joaquín, García Gonzalo, Albornoz, Carreras Mateo, Chocobares Santiago, Moroni Matías, Isgró Rodrigo and Carreras Santiago.
Substitutes: Ruiz Ignacio, Calles Ignacio, Delgado Pedro, Molina Franco, Matera Pablo, Bazán Vélez Lautaro, Cinti Lucio and Mallía Juan Cruz.
SOUTH AFRICA: Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Ruan Nortje, Siya Kolisi (C), Pieter-Steph Du Toit, Jasper Wiese, Jaden Hendrikse, Manie Libbok, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian De Allende, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe and Aphelele Fassi
Substitutes: Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach, Handre Pollard and Lukhanyo Am
Stadium: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
TV: ESPN
Schedule: 12:00 p.m
Referee: Ben O’Keefee (NZR)
Assistant 1: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant 2: Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
DATE 1: New Zealand 30-38 Los Pumas
DATE 2: New Zealand 42-10 Los Pumas
DATE 3: Cougars 19-20 Australia
DATE 4: Pumas 67-27 Australia
DATE 5: Cougars 29-28 South Africa
DATE 6: South Africa vs. Cougars at Mbombela Stadium, South Africa 12pm (Saturday 28 September)