Argentina v South Africa LIVE: Latest updates as Springboks clash with Pumas

A brass band provide entertaining accompaniment to the two anthems. There’s not quite the atmosphere that England faced in Santiago del Estero, for obvious reasons, but the Argentine crowd give full-throated backing to their team.

Out the Springboks come, striding up the steps and out into the Buenos Aires air. Siya Kolisi, as always, has hugs and backslaps for his squad as he welcomes each of them into the line.

The vastly-experienced Pablo Matera leads Argentina out. He’ll be a vital figure today, you’d think, with a few other older heads missing.

Argentina have a Jenga tower in their dressing room. No better way to relax pre-match? A strange one.

The Estadio Jose Amalfitani isn’t particularly near full, though it is a pleasant enough evening in Buenos Aires – 13 degrees and the sun shining.

Despite the players they are missing – Marcos Kremer, Santiago Grondona, Joaquin Oviedo and co. – this is still a strong starting back row for the Pumas. We’ll see how Juan Penoucos and Juan Martin Scelzo go off the bench. I’ve seen a bit of the latter in the Top 14 with Stade Francais, and he looks very much in the Argentina back five forward mould, able to flit between the second and back rows with a real physical edge.

Referee: Christophe Ridley (Eng)

ARs: Luc Ramos (Fra) & Craig Evans (Wal)

TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)

The temptation is to write this off as little more than a warm-up game for the Springboks ahead of their Tests against New Zealand, but these two have shared some corking contests over the last few years. I was at Twickenham last year to watch a proper belter, settled by only two points:

It is pretty scary that South Africa managed to look so superior during the Nations Championship without any of Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu playing a minute. Close chums Etzebeth and Kolisi were due to line up against England before late withdrawals, but get a belated first international outing of the year tonight – Lood de Jager’s return is welcome, too, after a bitty campaign with injury.

I’m excited to see Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu go again, too. So outstanding in 2025, the fly half had his Stormers season curtailed by injury and will want to provide a reminder of his exceptional talent.

This is a fixture that comes with tricky timing for a primarily Europe-based Argentina squad, with Felipe Contepomi always admirably eager to provide enough rest to some of his stars. It’s still a good Pumas side, though perhaps lacking in a bit of gristle up front particularly.

Bringing through new props has been a key goal of this regime, and Francisco Moreno joins Tomas Rapetti as a youngster being thrown in at the deep end. Rapetti is clearly a player of real promise on Toulouse’s books, while we will learn plenty about Moreno today.

South Africa welcome back Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu after injury, a handy trio of returnees to strengthen a fearsome-looking side. Cameron Hanekom and Elrigh Louw join captain Kolisi in the back row, with six more forwards readied on the bench.

South Africa XV: 1 Boan Venter, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 3 Thomas du Toit; 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Lood de Jager; 6 Siya Kolisi (capt.), 7 Elrigh Louw, 8 Cameron Hanekom; 9 Cobus Reinach, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu; 11 Ethan Hooker, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 13 Canan Moodie, 14 Edwill van der Merwe; 15 Aphelele Fassi.

Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Cobus Wiese, 21 Marco van Staden; 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Handre Pollard.