South Africa will enjoy their triumph in the Rugby Championship, but Springbok captain Duane Vermeulen said these moments are all stepping stones towards the big goal of the year, the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

The Boks smashed Argentina 46-13 in Salta on Saturday to clinch the Southern Hemisphere crown for the first time since 2009.

But Vermeulen was quick to emphasise that their work is far from done as the Boks continue to fine tune their game before the start of the RWC next month in Japan.

“I think for us the most important thing was to work on our consistency. We started the Rugby Championship working on executing our plans, and in a way, we are happy with our performance but there are still a few things to work on. It’s a great feeling for us to walk away with the title, but in the end it’s a stepping stone for us going into the World Cup,” said Vermeulen.

The Springboks delivered a clinical attacking performance and a powerful forward display to outsmart and outmuscle their South American hosts at the high-altitude venue in Salta. But on Saturday in Pretoria the Springboks will take on the South Americans with a different team.

Rassie Erasmus unleashed a new-look team for the test at Loftus Versfeld. This team is packed with players looking to secure a place in South Africa’s Rugby World Cup squad.

Eighteen of the team featured in the Rugby Championship-winning campaign but also included are five “newcomers” in the returning Siya Kolisi, Thomas du Toit and Wilco Louw (prop), Marco van Staden (looseforward) and potential debutant Scarra Ntubeni (hooker).

Saturday’s match against Argentina kicks off at 17:05 and tickets are available from www.ticketpro.co.za and the Loftus Versfeld ticket office.

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