Rebuilding Springboks still fancied to get across Argentina

Damian de Allende gets a chance to impress for South Africa. Getty Images

South Africans Damian de Allende, Handre Pollard and Lood de Jager will be the centre of attention today in their opening Rugby Championship Test against Argentina with an air of inevitability hanging over it.

The two-time world champions have run up 100 points at home against the Pumas while conceding just 19 in two previous southern hemisphere championship matches.

The margin of victory in the first-round game seems the only issue to be resolved when the second and eighth-ranked rugby nations clash at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria.

Coach Heyneke Meyer will send into battle on the South African high veld a mix of young and old with the 2015 Rugby World Cup in their sights.

An injury to 2007 World Cup winner Jaque Fourie offers De Allende, a 22-year-old Western Stormer, a chance in the unfamiliar role of outside centre.

“I like his mental toughness,” said Meyer of De Allende. “He is a big guy who runs beautiful lines and has soft touches and skilful attributes.”

The Springbok coach said he knows all about deadly goal-kicker but often unadventurous fly-half Morne Steyn and needs depth in the crucial position.

That is why he is giving Pollard, 20, who made his debut against Scotland two months ago, the starting spot.

When Bakkies Botha moved to France after an unsuccessful World Cup defence in 2011 and Victor Matfield temporarily retired, South Africa went from having the best locks in the world to a search for replacements.

Eben Etzebeth emerged as a young front-of-the-line-out enforcer in place of Botha, but filling the shoes of Matfield proved more problematic.

De Jager, a two-metre-plus 21-year-old from the unfashionable Central Cheetahs, got his chance against Scotland and Meyer loved what he saw. “Lood is a very intelligent player and probably one of the most improved Springboks I have coached this season. I think he has got an unbelievable future.”

Although Argentina said they are rebuilding, only full-back Joaquin Tuculet, left-wing Manuel Montero and tight-head prop Ramiro Herrera have no Rugby Championship experience.

They are seeking a first Championship victory after a draw and 11 losses over two seasons.

Those results cost coach Santiago Phelan his job. His replacement Daniel Hourcade has acknowledged the tough challenge awaiting his side.

“We had a very good build-up,” he said referring to squad training at high performance centres in Florida and Pretoria.

“The key is not to let the Springboks get comfortable. Defence will also be crucial, but when we have opportunities to attack, we intend doing so.

“Our biggest challenge is to impose our offensive system,” he said of a nation that has scored only 14 tries in 12 Rugby Championship tests.

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