Springboks must silence 16th man en route to winning Rugby Championship

The Springboks know they will get a hostile reception when they take on Argentina at the Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena in Salta.

The Springboks have a one-point advantage on the Rugby Championship log and a bonus-point win in Saturday’s decider will take all the permutations out of the equation and land them the Rugby Championship title.

It will be a tough test for the visitors, but Springbok captain Duane Vermeulen believes his team is ready for a massive Argentinian onslaught

“Winning the Rugby Championship will be extra motivation for all the work the guys have put in so far as a group,” said Vermeulen. “But we have to remember there are still other teams in the running to win it and if you make a mistake someone else will take it.”

The Springboks arrived in Salta on Thursday afternoon following three days of training in the capital city of Buenos Aires.

“We had a good week of preparations and everyone is ready to do their best against a very strong Pumas side,” added the Springbok skipper.

“Argentina are a fantastic team and they play really well in front of their home crowd, especially here in Salta. I know they will come with everything they have and we must just be prepared for what’s coming.

“I believe a full house is expected and we know from experience the crowd do play a role in motivating the Pumas – it’s like their 16th man on the field. But hopefully we can focus on what we need to do and try to take that out of the equation, and work towards our goals.

“The Pumas are really good in their lineouts, have a quick tempo and also do well to stop the mauls. And then, of our course, you don’t have to talk about their scrum. They have a fantastic scrummaging unit and will bring a big challenge to us in that department,” said Vermeulen.