Prop Boan Venter still needs to 'pinch myself' every time he puts on the Springboks' jersey

The Springboks know the job is far from finished, and their emphatic 67-30 demolition of Argentina in Durban was a statement of intent — but the Rugby Championship title is not yet secured.

One last hurdle awaits at Twickenham, where South Africa will look to put the finishing touches on their campaign and retain the crown. The Boks face Los Pumas in the second and final Test of the tournament in London this Saturday, and a victory should be enough to ensure the trophy remains with the world champions.

They currently top the Championship standings on 15 points, with New Zealand a point behind in second. Australia (11) is third, while Los Pumas (9) find themselves in last place. The All Blacks and Wallabies face each other in Perth on Saturday morning, and after this game, the Boks will know exactly what they must do to be crowned winners.

A Wallabies victory with the Kiwis failing to register any points could even make the final Test a dead rubber for South Africa.

Yesterday was a travel day for the Springboks, and they will start their preparations on Monday.

After being drafted into the starting XV due to an injury to veteran prop Ox Nché, rookie Boan Venter stood his ground firmly against the more experienced Argentines. He won the first scrum penalty and impressed with his strong ball carrying and tackling.

While he was chuffed with the victory in only his second Test start and fifth match, Venter cautioned that they still have a job to do this Saturday.

“The competition is not yet won; there is still work to do,” the burly loosehead said about this weekend’s duel. “We will just keep our heads down, keep doing the hard work, and hopefully get the result on the weekend and have something to celebrate.”

Venter is looking to add to the experience he is picking up on the international stage and will be ready to step in again should Nché not be available this weekend. However, the experience he is gaining is invaluable to him.

He says the speed and physicality in Test matches are on another level, but being in a team with world-class players and having the backing of the coaches made the step up a lot easier.

“It means a lot to me to know that there is faith in me from our coaches when they put me in that starting role," said Venter.

However, it is easy slotting into a world-class pack. That allows you to focus on your own job because everyone around you will do their task and pull their weight. Then it becomes easier to express yourself. The vibe in the camp has been brilliant the entire week. I still need to pinch myself every time to realise I am here. I am very grateful for the opportunity to start and to know that they back me.”