Argentina still dream of maiden Rugby Championship title

DURBAN, South Africa :Argentina will hope to make it a hat-trick of wins against their southern hemisphere rivals for the second year in a row when they face defending champions South Africa in their penultimate Rugby Championship fixture at King’s Park on Saturday.

The Argentines have already defeated New Zealand and Australia in this year’s championship, results that have left the table finely balanced with two rounds to play.

Australia sit on top with 11 points, followed by South Africa and New Zealand on 10, while Argentina have nine.

But they have not beaten South Africa outside of Argentina in their last 10 meetings and face a Springboks side still bristling from an underwhelming campaign that was saved by their record 43-10 victory over New Zealand in Wellington.

Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi has beefed up his pack for what is expected to be a bruising contest in Durban with Pablo Matera returning at flank and Franco Molina and Lucas Paulos coming into the second row.

They have also gone with a 6-2 split between forwards and backs on the bench, a rare selection for Contepomi.

"We know about physical power, especially in the forwards, from South Africa," he told reporters in Durban on Thursday.

"It is not the first time we go 6-2 against South Africa and it is a strategic plan that may or may not go well, but it is what we have chosen to do."

The Springboks have moved away from a 6-2 split this season, defusing their Bomb Squad to a degree, as they try and play a more expansive game.

They have selected much the same team that scored six tries in inflicting New Zealand's heaviest ever test defeat.

The experienced duo of centre Damian de Allende and lock Eben Etzebeth come into the team after injuries to Aphelele Fassi