Springboks ‘champing’ at the bit ahead of clash with Pumas

YOU can’t help but get the feeling that there’s just a tiny bit more optimism ahead of the Rugby Championships than is usually the case at this time of year.

The performances of both the local Super Rugby Lions and the British and Irish Lions have added to, or been the cause, of it.

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The B & I Lions showed that just perhaps the mighty All Blacks have a few chinks in their armour.

And then the local Lions showed in the Super Rugby competition that perhaps South African teams (or one of them at least) aren’t quite as far behind the New Zealand ones as we might have thought.

Sure, the final against the Crusaders didn’t go as planned, but the Lions were without captain Warren Whiteley and lost a player to a red card with a long way still to go in the match.

So, my prediction is that South Africa will beat Argentina home and away.

I reckon they could do the same against Australia, especially as the away leg is in Perth, therefore less travelling.

It would be somewhat unlikely to win away against the All Blacks, but not impossible if we’re on a run and confidence is high.

The home game against New Zealand is in Cape Town, which unfortunately will suit the All Blacks, as opposed to playing away from the coast.

But still, with a partisan crowd behind the Boks, a win is possible.

Unfortunately, the Boks won’t have injured captain Warren Whiteley available.

It the absence of Whiteley, Eben Etzebeth will captain the team, with Siya Kolisi as vice-captain.

As always, there were some controversial selections, with the omission of Ruan Combrinck and Rohan Janse van Rensburg the biggest surprise.

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They are coming back from injury, but then how do you explain the selection of Handré Pollard as a back-up fly-half?

Two key factors in determining the success of the Boks will be the confidence of fly-half Elton Jantjies, and the strength of the bench.

After a few seasons of gloom, there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

FIXTURES

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19

12pm: Australia vs New Zealand, ANZ Stadium.

5pm: SOUTH AFRICA vs Argentina, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26

9.35am: New Zealand vs Australia, Forsyth Barr Stadium.

11.55pm: Argentina vs SOUTH AFRICA, Estadio Padré Ernesto Martearena, Salta.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

9.35am: New Zealand vs Argentina, Yarrow Stadium.

12pm: Australia vs SOUTH AFRICA, nib Stadium, Perth.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

9.35am: New Zealand vs SOUTH AFRICA, QBE Stadium, Albany.

12pm: Australia vs Argentina, GIO Stadium.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

11.55pm: Argentina vs New Zealand.

5pm: SOUTH AFRICA vs Australia, Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7

11.55pm: Argentina vs Australia.

5pm: SOUTH AFRICA vs New Zealand, Newlands, Cape Town.

SQUAD

FORWARDS

Uzair Cassiem (Cheetahs)

Lood de Jager (Bulls)

Dan du Preez (Sharks)

Jean-Luc du Preez (Sharks)

Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers)

Eben Etzebeth (Stormers)

Lizo Gqoboka (Bulls)

Steven Kitshoff (Stormers)

Siya Kolisi (Stormers)

Jaco Kriel (Lions)

Frans Malherbe (Stormers)

Malcolm Marx (Lions)

Bongi Mbonambi (Stormers)

Oupa Mohoje (Cheetahs)

Franco Mostert (Lions)

Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)

Trevor Nyakane (Bulls)

Coenie Oosthuizen (Sharks)

Chiliboy Ralepelle (Sharks)

BACKS

Curwin Bosch (Sharks)

Andries Coetzee (Lions)

Ross Cronje (Lions)

Damian de Allende (Stormers)

Warrick Gelant (Bulls)

Francois Hougaard (Worcester)

Elton Jantjies (Lions)

Jesse Kriel (Bulls)

Dillyn Leyds (Stormers)

Rudy Paige (Bulls)

Handré Pollard (Bulls)

Raymond Rhule (Cheetahs)

Jan Serfontein (Bulls)

Courtnall Skosan (Lions)

Francois Venter (Cheetahs)

All games on SuperSport

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