Rugby Championship: Springboks won’t take Pumas lightly

With Argentina already beating Australia and New Zealand in the 2024 Rugby Championship, frontrunners South Africa can’t take anything for granted when they face Los Pumas on Sunday morning.

The Springboks have been the standout team in the competition so far this season, winning all of their four games and sitting on 18 points at the top of the ladder.

Argentina, after a 67-27 win over the Wallabies in Santa Fe last time out, find themselves in second place going into Sunday’s showdown in Santiago del Estero.

South Africa know a win will secure the Rugby Championship title and the Boks will be going all out to get their hands on the trophy at the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades.

. What: Argentina v South Africa
. Where: Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero
. When: 07:00 (AEST), Sunday 22nd September
. How to watch: Stan Sport
. Odds: Argentina 4.00, South Africa 1.25

Boks a cut above

South Africa have enjoyed plenty of global success at recent World Cups but Rugby Championship titles have often eluded the Springboks.

That’s not been the case this season and it would take something remarkable to deny Rassie Erasmus’s side the title with away and home games against Argentina remaining.

Building not just a 23-man squad but a 40-man group that are capable of interchanging and beating any side on the international stage, South Africa look to be the standout team in Test rugby.

The Boks will be determined to get the title secured in Santiago del Estero this weekend, before what would be a party atmosphere at Mbombela Stadium for their final game against Los Pumas next week.

South Africa are 1.25 for the win on Sunday morning, while the Boks are available at 2.00 with -10.5 in the line market.

Pumas will be quietly confident

Having thrashed Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies last time out, there should be some quiet confidence in the Argentina camp that they can cause a shock on Sunday.

Los Pumas will know that the Springboks will be a significant step up in quality from the current Wallabies squad and will be fully aware of the physical challenge that awaits them.

Argentina have only beaten South Africa three times in their history, with the last victory coming back in Mendoza in 2018.

Since then, the Springboks have gone on to win their last eight meetings, with the last game between these nations finishing 24-13 in favour of South Africa in Buenos Aires last year.

Argentina are the 4.00 underdogs to claim the victory on Sunday and make South Africa wait another week before potentially getting their hands on the Rugby Championship trophy for the first time since 2019.