Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu headline a list of five crucial injury returns for South Africa’s upcoming clash against Los Pumas. National coach Rassie Erasmus has named a streamlined 26-man travelling squad for the one-off Test in Buenos Aires on Saturday, 8 August.
Lock Lood de Jager and scrumhalf Morne van den Berg also mark their return to fitness as the squad departs for Argentina this weekend.
According to Erasmus, the selection strategy centres entirely on balancing player conditioning and squad rotation ahead of a demanding international window.
“We tried to get the balance right between giving some guys who are returning from injury and who have not had too much game time in our last four matches a valuable run against Argentina, while at the same time managing the players who have played a lot of rugby this year,” Erasmus explained.
With massive fixtures on the horizon, getting these key figures up to match speed is a top priority for the coaching staff.
“The guys who have recovered from their injuries have been training hard this week and are ready to go, so it will be great for them to get a tough Test match under the belt before we face New Zealand.
“Several players have been performing for us week in and week out, so it was important that we manage their workload, while players such as Ox (Nche) and Franco (Mostert) are still on the road to recovery, so next week’s training camp will be useful for them to continue to put in the hard yards and for the injured players to continue their rehabilitation,” Erasmus added.
While some front-line stars are being rested or rehabbed back in South Africa, Erasmus insisted that Los Pumas will receive the Springboks' undivided attention.
“Argentina are a quality outfit, and we know we will be in for a massive challenge in Buenos Aires, so we are preparing for a physical and gruelling battle over there,” said Erasmus.
“They are a well-coached team who have tested us in the last few years, while they have also been competitive in the Rugby Championship, so it will be a good test for us as a team.”
The Springboks wrapped up their local preparation on Thursday afternoon, leaving the head coach highly satisfied with the squad's focus.
“We had a series of productive sessions throughout the week, and all the players know what we expect of them, so everyone understands the importance of building on our season,” Erasmus concluded.