Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids has cautioned against thinking any team can go to Buenos Aires to face Argentina as a warm-up. Davids says Argentina will be a formidable test match opponent and that’s exactly what the Boks need ahead of their series against New Zealand.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has been talking up this test match against Argentina for several reasons, chief of which is that the Springboks need to go full tilt against a tough opponent to get returning players back to full match fitness.
Bok assistant coach Deon Davids says Los Pumas are that team to get the green and gold machine up to speed.
“It’s another test match, so our aim will always be to be at our best. To play test match rugby, we focus on ourselves, and that will also be our main focus in this game … (it) is to ensure that we play the game that we want to play, that we are clear in terms of what we want to achieve, and that we play it in the right way against a formidable opponent,” says Davids.
The Boks will be looking forward to welcoming back a few of their blue-chip players from injury, including scrumhalf Morne van den Berg, who has been using his down time wisely.
“So, I had an opportunity to upskill, to get fitter, to work on my mentality, to get it stronger, so you don’t always get what you think, in the moment, is best for you. But I did my best to make the best out of my situation,” say Van den Berg.
Van den Berg should be getting lineout ball from the likes of Lood De Jager and Eben Etzebeth, both with the Boks in Argentina and both looking for test match minutes.
“From a set piece specific, we know they are experienced guys. Their experience means a lot, and we hope that they find their feet quite well. We had a very good build up towards this game in our camp week, and now it is a fantastic opportunity for them to play, which is important as we build up to the rest of the season,” says Davids.
The Springbok team to face Argentina in a one off test will be named on Tuesday evening.
