Rabat – South Africa rugby captain Siya Kolisi will make his first international appearance of the season when he leads his squad against Argentina this Saturday. The highly anticipated match will take place at the Estadio Jose Amalfitani in Buenos Aires.
The 35-year-old flanker missed recent Nations Championship victories over England, Scotland, and Wales due to an injury. He previously played in a non-cap exhibition match against the Barbarians two months ago.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus implemented 13 changes to the starting lineup that recently secured a dominant 43-0 victory over Wales in Durban. Only full-back Aphelele Fassi and scrum-half Cobus Reinach retained their starting positions for the upcoming game.
The returning squad leader will anchor a heavily adjusted team featuring several returning World Cup veterans. Lock Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, and fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu are returning to the field after recovering from respective injuries.
The Springboks will field a completely new pack of forwards to match the physical playing style of Los Pumas. Boan Venter, Johan Grobbelaar, and Thomas du Toit will form the aggressive front row.
Erasmus deliberately left several regular starters at home to rest and prepare for a challenging four-Test sequence against New Zealand. This upcoming block of fixtures begins on August 22 in Johannesburg.
“This match is the perfect occasion for players like Siya, Eben, Lood, Sacha and Morne to get a tough Test under the belt and get back into full swing at international level,” Erasmus stated in an official SA Rugby press release.
The head coach added that the Argentine side is a formidable team that will push the Springboks to their limit. He expects Kolisi to play a crucial role in maintaining team composure during the intense physical battle.
