Pumas the perfect 'trial run' for Boks
Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:12
Facing the media: Bok coach Peter de Villiers
South Africa will use their one-off Test against Argentina, in Johannesburg on 9 August, as a "trial run" for their home leg in the Tri-Nations series, according to Springbok coach Peter de Villiers.
The encounter between the Boks and Pumas is mainly to celebrate former South African president Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday — but for the two teams it remains a full-blooded international.
History will be revisited in more ways than one, with as many as 23 of the players who went head-to-head in the World Cup semifinal between South Africa and Argentina in Paris last year likely to take the field in Johannesburg,
But there will also be echoes of the Springboks’ first World Cup triumph in 1995 — as the elements of Mandela, the Springboks, and Francois Pienaar are reunited on the field where Madiba presented the trophy to the South African captain in what became one of the most iconic moments of the 20th century.
However, for the Springbok class of 2008, the game is significant for other reasons.
De Villiers, who has already warned against complacency ahead of next Saturday's match, said he would use the game to build towards the Boks' three remaining matches in the Tri-Nations — New Zealand in Cape Town, Australia in Durban and Australia (back in Johannesburg) on consecutive Saturdays.
The Bok coach is determined to retain his unbeaten record on home soil, having already beaten Six Nations champions Wales (twice) and Italy on South African soil in June.
"We will certainly not underestimate the Pumas," De Villiers told a media gathering in Pretoria on Thursday, when asked about the absence of several of Argentina's World Cup stars.
They are without inspirational captain Agustín Pichot — who has just retired — and flyhalf Benjamin Urdapilleta has replaced Santiago Fernandez, who had to withdraw after breaking his wrist playing club rugby.
Also unavailable are star No.10 Juan Martin Hernández and Marcelo Bosch — both injured — and Tomas de Vedia and Gonzalo Tiesi, who were not released by their English clubs for this excursion.
De Villiers feels the Pumas will provide enough of a test for his team to ensure they are adequately prepared for the Tri-Nations encounters.
"It is the ideal situation for us to prepare ourselves, in a Test-match environment, for the remainder of the Tri-Nations," De Villiers told the media gathering.
The Boks coach also said he would consider all 28 remaining players, currently in camp with the squad in Johannesburg, for the Test against the Pumas.
Of course, the initial squad announced by De Villiers was a 30-man group, but No.8 Ryan Kankowski (shoulder) and flyhalf Peter Grant (shoulder) were on Wednesday ruled out of action. Kankowski is set for a two-to-three-week lay-off, whilst Grant will be sidelined for six-to-twelve weeks — ruling him out of the Mandela Challenge, as well as the remainder of the 2008 Tri-Nations.
Star wing Bryan Habana (shoulder) and the recalled duo of centre Jaque Fourie (elbow) and scrumhalf Fourie du Preez (wrist/hand) are the other injury concerns in the Bok camp at this stage.
However, De Villiers said they would be monitored as the team builds towards the encounter with the Pumas and he "will consider them for selection".
