Morne van den Berg called up to replace Grant Williams in Argentina

Williams, who started at scrumhalf for the Springboks against the All Blacks in Cape Town last weekend, was ruled out of the touring squad due to a knock to the arm.

Van den Berg, who joined the squad in Stellenbosch on Thursday afternoon, made his debut against Portugal in Bloemfontein and earned his first start in the green and gold against Australia in Perth last month.

With Bok coach Rassie Erasmus looking to  build squad depth for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, this will offer Van den Berg a valuable opportunity to measure himself against top opposition.

"It's always sad to lose a player to injury, and we feel for Grant who has been waiting patiently for his chance to start this season, which he finally achieved last week," said Erasmus.

"But we have great squad depth, and if one player is injured it opens the door for another player to make a statement.

"Morne has only played two Tests so far, and facing Argentina at home is a completely different challenge to what he has faced so far, as is the case with many of the younger players in the touring squad.

"If he receives the opportunity to play, it will be a great way for the coaches to see how he handles with that type of pressure, and it would also be a stern test for him personally."

After a few days off, the Boks returned to camp with a gym session and two field training sessions on Thursday, before departing for Argentina on Saturday.

The Springboks' upcoming clashes against the Pumas - in Santiago on 21 September and Mbombela a week later - will decide the Rugby Championship title.

And while it's not going to be easy against an Argentina side who have claimed some impressive wins in this year's competition, the South Africans will enter the last two rounds with a confidence-boosting eight-point buffer at the top of the standings.

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