Eben Etzebeth set for record Springbok cap in Rugby Championship finale

Jaden Hendrikse and Manie Libbok are paired as starting halfbacks for the first time in the title-deciding match, which sees six personnel changes from the 23 that went down 29-28 against the same opposition in Santiago del Estero last weekend.

Bongi Mbonambi (hooker), Frans Malherbe (prop), Pieter-Steph du Toit (flanker), Cheslin Kolbe (wing), Damian de Allende (centre), and Siya Kolisi (flanker) – who reassumes the captaincy – all come in after watching from the coaches’ box in Argentina.

These changes see the same starting pack that defeated New Zealand 18-12 in Cape Town, and the same five forward replacements, while reverting to a five-three split in favour of the forwards on the bench.

The Springboks need only a point from the match to guarantee their first Castle Lager Rugby Championship title since the abbreviated version in 2019, and their first full tournament title since 2009. 

Even should Argentina win the match without a bonus point, Erasmus' charges will still claim the championship based on competition points.

The only permutation that would see the Boks surrender the title is if Los Pumas win with a bonus point and deny the hosts a point, which would then see them claim the title based on the fact that they would have had two wins over South Africa.

READ: Elrigh Louw taking lesson's from Argentina loss

Springbok team to face Argentina in Nelspruit:

15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 8 caps, 20 points (4t)

14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 37 caps, 96 points (15t, 3c, 5p)

13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 76 caps, 85 points (17t)

12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 84 caps, 55 points (11t)

11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 21 caps, 85 points (17t)

10 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 17 caps, 94 pts (1t, 28c, 11p)

9 – Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 17 caps, 12 pts (2t, 1c)

8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 30 caps, 5 points (1t)

7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 83 caps, 45 points (9t)

6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 88 caps, 60 points (12t)

5 – Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 5 caps, 0 points

4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 127 caps, 30 points (6t)

3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 75 caps, 5 points (1t)

2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 74 caps, 75 points (15t)

1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 36 caps, 0 points

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 72 caps, 100 points (20t)

17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 7 caps, 0 points

18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 57 caps, 0 points

19 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 9 caps, 0 points

20 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 48 caps, 45 points (9t)

21 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 36 caps, 70 pts (14t)

22 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 76 caps, 749 points (7t, 102c, 165p, 5dg)

23 – Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 39 caps, 35 pts (7t)