Lood de Jager has stepped in for Franco Mostert in the only change to the Springbok squad ahead of their match against Argentina in London.
Experienced lock Lood de Jager will link back up with the Springboks in London on Monday as cover for Franco Mostert, who remained behind in South Africa on Sunday due to a family bereavement, ahead of their Rugby Championship defining clash against Argentina at Twickenham on Saturday.
The Boks are top of the Rugby Championship table and just a win away from clinching back to back titles for the first time in their history, and have kept faith with the same squad that was available for their thumping win in Durban over the past weekend, with the exception of Mostert.
De Jager suffered a niggle in the team’s record 43-10 victory against the All Blacks in Wellington, but fortunately for Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, he has made a full recovery and is available for selection.
The Boks departed for the UK on Sunday night and touched down early on Monday morning, enthusiastic and excited about the prospect of defending the title they won last year for the first time since 2019.
South Africa currently hold a one point lead at the top of the standings over the second-placed All Blacks, who are on 14 points, while the Wallabies are in third place with 11 points and Argentina are at the bottom of the log with nine points.
The Boks will have a recovery day on Monday and return to the training field on Tuesday to begin their preparations for Saturday’s competition decider.
Rested players
“The journey to London was good, and with it being an overnight flight, the players rested well on the plane and look fresh and ready to get back into the swing of things tomorrow,” said Erasmus after their arrival in England.
“Fortunately, the time zone is similar to South Africa, so the players can jump straight back into action without any challenges. We’ll obviously manage them carefully this week to ensure we get the best out of them on the field on Saturday.”
Speaking about the challenge that Los Pumas will produce, especially after a heavy defeat, Erasmus added: “This is a massive game, and we have no doubt Argentina will come out guns blazing to finish their campaign on a high note.
“But at the same time, we have a chance to win the competition back-to-back for the first time in history, so we have all the motivation we need this week.”
Commenting on De Jager being called up to fill the void left by Mostert, Erasmus said: “We all feel deeply for Franco and wish him strength during this challenging time, and we’ll support him as well as we can.
“Fortunately, Lood has recovered from his injury, and his experience and leadership will be valuable in such an important week for the team.”
Erasmus will announce his matchday squad for the game on Tuesday.
