All in at Twickenham: Springboks lock in for Rugby Championship finale against Argentina

The Springboks have approached their last two Rugby Championship clashes with a knockout mindset — and Saturday’s decider against Argentina at Twickenham will be no different.

With back-to-back titles on the line, the Boks are treating the London showdown as a must-win in their pursuit of southern hemisphere dominance.

By kick-off (3pm), the world champions will know exactly what they must do at Twickenham to win the tournament for a second consecutive season — a feat they’ve never achieved before.

Currently leading the standings by one point, the Boks can seal the title with a bonus-point victory, should New Zealand — second on 13 points — beat the Wallabies in their match in Perth.

However, just as they’ve approached their previous fixtures, the South Africans won’t be too concerned with results beyond their control. Their focus remains firmly on staying in finals mode against the Pumas as they look to make history.

Much of the discourse this week has centred on the Springboks’ success under head coach Rassie Erasmus, who has led them to two Rugby World Cup titles — first as head coach, then as part of the coaching staff. They’ve also won a British and Irish Lions series and handed the All Blacks record defeats on multiple occasions.

Yet, despite those achievements, they’ve never managed to go back-to-back in the Rugby Championship. Now, they’re on the cusp of ticking off another milestone under Erasmus and his management team.

Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said yesterday that the team has been treating every match as a knockout since their loss to the All Blacks in Auckland. Today, he said, will be no different — it’s effectively a final.

“After losing at Eden Park, for us to stay in the competition, we had to win every game from there on, and our mindset was in that World Cup playoff space,” Stick explained.

“So, in Wellington we had to ensure we played well to win and to give ourselves a chance. Last weekend in Durban, it was the same — if we didn’t get a good result, New Zealand or Australia had the potential to pull away from us. We’ve managed to stay in the fight.

“We’ve been in that playoff mindset for the last three weeks, and that is something that can assist us on Saturday.”

The Boks are expecting a rejuvenated Argentina side, boosted by fresh energy and new personnel. While some of the visitors' experienced players are sidelined through injury, the world champions know better than to underestimate their opponents.

Stick confirmed that the team has done their homework on Argentina’s new halfback pairing — scrumhalf Simón Benítez Cruz and flyhalf Gerónimo Prisciantelli — an unfamiliar combination compared to what the Boks have faced in recent years. But the assistant coach also warned of other threats throughout the Argentine backline that need close attention.

The Springboks expect Argentina to come out with fire and intensity — and plan to match it, or better it.

“We understand our game and the pressure points where we want to target Argentina,” Stick said.

“Looking at last week and that first half — there were plenty of turning points where we’d score, and they’d hit back immediately. There were a few disciplinary lapses where we allowed them to stay in the game with soft penalties.

“Those are the things we want to clean up and control. If you look at their season, they lost against the All Blacks, then beat them the next week. The same happened against Australia. If we don’t learn from those games and from the other teams, we’d be stupid not to. The key thing is to pitch up mentally. Argentina will be desperate, and they take great pride in how they play. They will come hard.

“We need a good foundation from our set piece, strong attacking platforms, and a balanced kicking game. It’s going to be a tough, very different game.”