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Springboks insist they are 'on track' for Rugby World Cup
By Ian Cameron
South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber claims the Springboks are 'on track' for the Rugby World Cup following their win over Los Pumas in Buenos Aires.
Amidst an electric atmosphere at Velez Sarsfield stadium, the Springboks showcased their mettle with a powerful second-half surge to defeat Argentina 24-13 in the opening match of their three-game warm-up series. Head coach Jacques Nienaber expressed unwavering confidence that his team is firmly "on track" for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
Despite trailing 10-3 at halftime, the Springboks remained undeterred, taking inspiration from the opportunities they created earlier in the game. Although their execution faltered in the initial stages, the team found their rhythm in the second half, culminating in tries by Makazole Mapimpi and Canan Moodie.
“This is an exceptional place to get a win,” said Nienaber. “Argentina have been progressing well. They beat Australia and, last year, they defeated New Zealand, so we worked really hard to get our game in order and grind out the win, and we are pleased with the result."
The Springboks will name their 33-man squad this Tuesday and Nienaber admits selection is coming down to the wire. Thirty-eight players were tested in recent weeks and at least five now face the brutal reality of being axed just a month out from the Rugby World Cup, given Handre Pollard and Siya Kolisi have not played in this window due to injury.
“We have a tough team selection meeting coming up,” said Nienaber. “The players certainly put up their hands today. We gave 38 players a run in the last few weeks, and with the team set to play knock-out rugby from our opening game of the World Cup, it has set us in good stead.”
The Boks will arrive back in South Africa tomorrow.
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Latest Comments
The unfortunate reality is that Razor has set his stall on Mo'unga returning so is content to select DMac or Beauden during the interim.
Whether he'll have an open mind to take a punt on a rookie with potential to develop in time for 2027 remains to be seen.
To be honest, I was disappointed when NZRU chased Beauden after the world cup to re-sign to 2027. The time was right to move on and invest in the future.
Go to commentsUnfortunately I didn't have time to watch the game. Will check it out somewhere during the week. What Nick White did was very wrong then.
If it's true that Jack Crowley pretended, then it's wrong. It's time that players be reported and there must be consequences for such actions.
It's against the spirit of the game, and it was a big turning point in the game where the Irish scored 14 points effectively if I understand the article correctly. It should be labelled as a professional foul and should get a long ban and a huge fine.
Also, those points gained on the rankings should be taken off and added to the opposition team. That would stop such behaviour. No matter the team, it's disgusting to bring the sport into disrepute like that.
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