Argentina – South Africa

Argentina will host South Africa in Salta on Saturday evening in the last match of the 2019 Rugby Championships.

The Springboks will have the title in their own hands and will need a win to claim it, or possibly a bonus point win depending on what New Zealand does in Australia earlier in the day. If New Zealand doesn`t win in Australia then a draw would be enough for the Boks. As for Argentina, they`ll play their best, as always, for a famous win which could well see them avoid the wooden spoon.

Argentina competed very well in the first two rounds, losing 16-20 at home to New Zealand and 10-16 in Australia. Close matches, with the Pumas playing very well particularly defensively, but they could not get over the hump. The team is definitely looking good and it has been a great season for Argentinean Rugby as a whole, but the hosts might be paying the price for the long run of the Jaguares franchise to the Super Rugby final. The Jaguares are basically the Argentinian National team, and the Super Rugby ended just one week before the Rugby Championship kicked off.

South Africa is coming after a 16-16 draw in New Zealand, with the Springboks looking excellent in that match. In fact, the visitors have been extremely solid in the last couple of years and made a statement in the first game of the Championship as well, spanking Australia 35-17 with a weakened starting XV. South Africa will now have the chance to win the Rugby Championship title for the first time since 2009 (when it was still Tri Nations!). That will be huge motivation even if this year`s edition has been shortened due to the coming World Cup.

Bet on Argentina vs South Africa and get your 100% (100 Eur) bonus at 1XBet now!

Team news & lineups:

Argentina won`t make many changes to the lineup that lost against Australia. They get back captain Creevy, an important plus for them. The Springboks will make just three changes to the lineup that held New Zealand to a draw two weeks ago. Mtawarira returnes in the starting XV, which is good news for South Africa.

Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Facundo Isa, 7 Javier Ortega Desio, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Marcos Kremer, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen (c), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Tendai Mtawarira

Argentina has had pretty good success against South Africa recently, winning 2 out of 6 matches since the 2015 World Cup, including the last meeting last year in Mendoza, a brilliant 32-19 result.

However, this is a different Springboks team. Coach Rassie Erasmus has turned this side around in the last couple of years after the Coetzee disaster, and now the Boks seem to have reached their peak (or close to it) right before the World Cup.

South Africa was rock solid in the first two rounds, with very little (if any) weaknesses, and the lineup they will field for this game looks very strong.

Argentina will definitely put on a great battle, and they are playing well themselves, but in the end you just have to feel that the Boks will have too much for the Pumas. It`s hard to see an in form South African team blowing their chances at a first Rugby Championship title in 10 years by failing to win in Argentina. Their motivation and confidence will be sky high.

You also have to wonder about Argentina`s physical state. The two week break after the last round will surely help, but this is still the end of a brutal season for their players, who played so much for the Jaguares in Super Rugby and after losing the final there, went right into the Rugby Championship.

Weather will be perfect for sports on Saturday, with clear skies, relatively cool temperature and not much humidity. There will be above average wind speed, but nothing to shout about – both kickers should be fine.

Look for a good game of rugby with a lot of physical play. It may not be easy for the Boks, but they have the quality, confidence, motivation and killer instinct to win. If they get the bonus point or not (which they may or may not need), that`s another story.

My tip will be South Africa to win. Prediction: Argentina – South Africa 21 – 26.

Pick: South Africa
Odds: 1.49 @ Unibet
Stake: 10
Possible profit: 4.90
Event date: 10 August