A bonus point will be enough to secure back-to-back titles for the first time in history, and that’s a massive motivating factor for the world champions. Argentina, meanwhile, would have travelled to London determined to put things right after their heavy 67-30 defeat to the Boks in Durban at Kings Park last weekend.

So far in the Rugby Championship, the Pumas have both beaten and lost to the All Blacks and the Wallabies, and they’ll believe they can continue that pattern, especially on neutral ground.

Eben Etzebeth and Deon Davids. Photo: Morgan Piek

But for them, Saturday is pretty much only about pride. With nine points from five Tests, they are already out of the title race. They could still finish above Australia on the log. 

The Wallabies, though, are still in for a mathematical chance, but only if they beat New Zealand by considerably more than 54 points and the Boks lose to Argentina, a highly unlikely scenario. The Springboks are expected to get strong support in London, with thousands of South African expats based in England. 

Still, it’s far from guaranteed, and they won’t be banking on a “home crowd” atmosphere at Twickenham. Lock Eben Etzebeth, sporting a fresh black eye from last week’s clash against Argentina, said it would be special if the Boks received good backing in London, but the focus remains firmly on the job at hand.

“The last time we played here against a neutral team was against the All Blacks in 2023, and there were quite a few South Africans in the stands,” said Etzebeth. “But we don’t spend the week worrying about whether there will be support for us or not.

“We just focus on the task. We know what’s at stake. We’ll put in the work during the week, and hopefully deliver a great performance on Saturday. If there are a lot of South African supporters, that’s a huge bonus, but it’s definitely not something we talk about or rely on. 

“We want to pitch up on Saturday and play a proper Test match.”

On Saturday, Eben Etzebeth will become the first Springbok to play 25 Tests against the Pumas. Photo: X

Etzebeth, set to earn his 138th Test cap, added that while the team has achieved a lot since 2018, they are hungry to break new ground by winning back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for the first time.

“I think it would be incredible for us as a group. We’ve achieved a lot under coach Rassie, but one thing we’ve never managed in our history is winning the Rugby Championship two years in a row,” he said. “It’s a massive challenge, and it’s easier said than done. We know Argentina will be hurting after last week. 

“They’ll come at us hard. But we also said we’re not going to sit back. We want to improve on last week and deliver another big performance to make sure we win this thing for the first time in two years in a row.”

Saturday’s clash between the Springboks and Argentina at Twickenham kicks off at 15:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh