Springboks flanker Elrigh Louw says the world champions have exorcised the ghosts of their last trip to Argentina as they prepare for a brutal, high-stakes clash against Los Pumas at the Estadio José Amalfitani on Saturday.
Louw, who has been handed the starting No. 7 jersey by head coach Rassie Erasmus, expects nothing less than a physical onslaught in Buenos Aires. However, the 26-year-old insists the squad is vastly better prepared than they were during their last visit to South America two years ago.
In 2024, Louw watched from the bench as the Springboks suffered their only defeat of a triumphant Rugby Championship campaign, an agonising 28-27 loss in Santiago, sealed when flyhalf Manie Libbok missed a late penalty.
"We know Argentina are a quality side," Louw said from the team’s base. "I think we learned our lessons the last time we played here. They’re a really physical, quality side. We took our lessons from that, and we’ve prepared well."
For Louw, simply standing on the turf in Buenos Aires represents a massive personal triumph. The bruising loose forward has earned 14 Test caps since his 2022 debut, but his international career was put on a sudden hold last year.
A horrific leg break and severe knee ligament damage while playing for the Bulls forced him to miss the entire 2025 international season.
"Obviously it was quite a big injury and devastating for me at the time," Louw admitted. "But I had a lot of support behind me. My whole family helped me get back, along with the medical staff and everyone involved in my rehab."
The gruelling months in the gym were fueled by a singular obsession: pulling the green and gold jersey over his head once more.
"The motivation of getting back into the Springbok squad was more than enough for me to keep working hard," he said. "Mentally, forgetting about the injury was also a big part of it."