The parity ought to bode well for the Rugby Championship; however,\u00a0South Africa and New Zealand have broken away from the four country alliance to contest \u201cThe Greatest Rugby Rivalry\u201d in 2026<\/a>. This means that the Rugby Championship will be played on a biennial rather than an annual basis after 2025 and that the next normal Rugby Championship will next be contested in 2029.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 4 15 4 5 6 \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Springboks play their final home test match for 2025. \u00a0<\/p>\n The late afternoon kick-off in Durban will provide differing conditions compared to those from Townsville<\/a> and Sydney<\/a>. The heat will not be overly-influential nor will the breeze from Indian Ocean. Los Pumas are tasked with combating the Springboks\u2019 strength in the set-piece and the collision areas, doing so while maintaining discipline. This will require an 80 minute performance and constant focus to withstand comparative periods to those in which South Africa crossed for multiple tries against both Australia and New Zealand. The world no 1 South Africa are favorites to win in Durban.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Rudolph Gerhardus Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen<\/p>\n Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Francisco Coria Marchetti, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Pedro Rubiolo, 21 Juan Mart\u00edn Gonz\u00e1lez, 22 Sim\u00f3n Ben\u00edtez Cruz, 23 Tom\u00e1s Albornoz<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Date: Saturday, September 27 \u00a0<\/p>\n Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia) \u00a0<\/p>\n RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS<\/p>\n # 1 2 3 4 \u00a0<\/p>\n HISTORY Sep 28, 2024 \u2013 South Africa 48-07 Argentina<\/a> (Nelspruit, ZA) \u00a0<\/p>\n HEAD TO HEAD\u00a0 South Africa Wins 33![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/logo-south-africa-thumbnail.png\"){kind=logo}
Current World Ranking: 1<\/a> (91.62 points)
2025-09-13 \u2013 New Zealand 10-43 South Africa (Wellington, NZ)
2025-09-06 \u2013 New Zealand 24-17 South Africa (Auckland, NZ)
2025-08-23 \u2013 South Africa 30-22 Australia (Cape Town, ZA)
2025-08-16 \u2013 South Africa 22-38 Australia (Johannesburg, ZA)
2025-07-19 \u2013 South Africa 55-10 Georgia (Nelspruit, ZA)
2025-07-12 \u2013 South Africa 45-0 Italy (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
2025-07-05 \u2013 South Africa 42-24 Italy (Pretoria, ZA)
2025-06-28 \u2013 South Africa 54-07 Barbarians (Cape Town, ZA)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/logo-argentina-pumas-thumbnail-2023.png\"){kind=logo}
Current World Ranking: 6<\/a> (84.40 points)
2025-09-13 \u2013 Australia 26-28 Argentina<\/a> (Sydney, AU)
2025-08-23 \u2013 Australia 28-24 Argentina<\/a> (Townsville, AU)
2025-08-23 \u2013 Argentina 29-23 New Zealand<\/a> (Buenos Aires, AR)
2025-08-16 \u2013 Argentina 24-41 New Zealand<\/a> (C\u00f3rdoba, AR)
2025-07-19 \u2013 Argentina 52-17 Uruguay<\/a> (Salta, AR)
2025-07-12 \u2013 Argentina 17-22 England<\/a> (San Juan, AR)
2025-07-05 \u2013 Argentina 12-35 England<\/a> (La Plata, AR)
2025-06-20 \u2013 British & Irish Lions 24-28 Argentina<\/a> (Dublin, IE)<\/p>\n+ STARTING LINEUP CHANGES\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nIN
\nOUT<\/p>\n
\nEben Etzebeth
\nLood de Jager<\/p>\n
\nDamian Willemse
\nAphelele Fassi<\/p>\n
\nIN
\nOUT<\/p>\n
\nFranco Molina
\nGuido Petti<\/p>\n
\nLucas Paulos
\nPedro Rubiolo<\/p>\n
\nPablo Matera
\nJuan Mart\u00edn Gonz\u00e1lez<\/p>\n+ MOST CAPS<\/p>\n \u2013 E Etzebeth (136), S Kolisi (96), PS du Toit (91), D de Allende (91), M Marx (82), K Smith (57), O Nche (45), C Kolbe (44), C Reinach(44), RG Snyman (44), D Willemse (43)<\/p>\n \u2013 P Matera (116), J Montoya (112), G Petti (93), M Kremer (77), S Carreras (59), JM Gonz\u00e1lez (46), JC Mall\u00eda (46), L Cinti (38), M Vivas (35)<\/p>\n+ LEAST CAPS<\/p>\n \u2013 E Hooker (3), M van den Berg (3), B Venter (4), JH Wessels (7), R Nortje (11), S Feinberg-Mngomezulu (13)<\/p>\n \u2013 B Wenger (2), S Ben\u00edtez Cruz (5), F Coria Marchetti (5), R Isgr\u00f3 (11), G Garc\u00eda (15), F Molina (16)<\/p>\n+ NOTABLE ABSENTEES<\/p>\n \u2013 Frans Malherbe (TH), Lood de Jager (LO), Kurt-Lee Arendse (WI), Aphelele Fassi (FB)<\/p>\n \u2013 Ignacio Calles (LH), Thomas Gallo (LO), Eduardo Bello (TH)<\/p>\n Rassie Erasmus<\/a> (Head Coach)
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to play expansive running rugby and try to score more. If it happens, great, but all the teams try and do the same. We\u2019re going to play a test match. This is a very dangerous Argentinian team, and if we worry about when guys got some mental scars, because they beat us before, I think all of us have been involved, with them beating us, so we try not to chat too much about that, but we know it\u2019s a real threat from their side.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcos Kremer\u00a0<\/a>(Pumas Flanker)
\u201cThe truth is that it is a huge joy, first and foremost, having the opportunity to play against the team and with this team too. The joy of going out to measure ourselves against the best team in the world and to challenge them. I believe that this is one of the tightest Rugby Championships. Expectations are for later; we are taking it one game at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/argentina-marcos-kremer-south-africa-buenos-aires-2022.jpg\")
photo credit: Juan Gasparini \/ Gaspafotos \/ UAR<\/p>\n
\nBoth teams are chasing the Rugby Championship Triple Crown of defeating every rival in the same year.
\nDurban plays host to South Africa vs Argentina for the 4th time. The first time was in 2015 with Argentina defeating South Africa 37-25 to write history<\/a>. The Springboks won in Durban in 2018 and 2022.
\nJuli\u00e1n Montoya, Guido Petti and Pablo Matera are survivors from the 2015 win in Durban. Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Cobus Reinach and Damian de Allende played for South Africa that day.
\nSatiurday\u2019s match is the first of two between the teams in 2025. The two 2024 results were one win and one loss each. Argentina won 29-28<\/a> in Santiago del Estero and South Africa won 48-7<\/a> in Nelspruit.
\nAndre Esterhuizen, Eben Etzebeth, Ethan Hooker, Siya Kolisi, and Ox Nche all play for the Durban-based Sharks in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
\nSouth Africa\u2019s backline has a far lower cap average than do the forwards. The average caps per starting back is 37 compared to 66 per starting forward. The replacements average 24 caps each.
\nLos Pumas have fewer overall caps and fewer on average in the starting XV. The average caps per starting forward is 52 and per starting back is 32. However, Argentina\u2019s replacements average 27 caps.
\nEben Etzebeth is the most capped Springbok of all-time with 136 caps going into the test match.
\nPablo Matera is the most capped Puma with 116 caps.
\nThomas du Toit and Santiago Carreras will be teammates at Bath<\/a> in the English Premiership.
\nRassie Erasmus has gone for the standard replacement arrangement of five forwards and three backs. Notwithstanding, reserve center Andre Esterhuizen played flanker as a replacement<\/a> earlier this year.
\nFelipe Contepomi has opted for six replacement forwards and two backs. This sees two second-rowers on the bench. In addition, Contepomi said that replacement flanker Juan Mart\u00edn Gonz\u00e1lez is also covering wing<\/a>.
\nContepomi has rotated his back-rowers with one change each match throughout the tournament.
\nLucas Paulos earns his first cap of the 2025 Rugby Championship. It is his first Rugby Championship cap since locking the scrum with Tom\u00e1s Lavanini in the 22-21<\/a> loss vs South Africa in Johannesburg in 2023.
\nJuli\u00e1n Montoya leads Argentina for the 51st time in a rugby test match. This sees him tying the all-time Argentine record of 51 caps as captain together with Agust\u00edn Creevy.
\nMayco Vivas, Juli\u00e1n Montoya, Pedro Rubiolo and Pablo Matera have played in all 8 Pumas\u2019 matches in 2025.<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA
1 Ox Nche, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Thomas du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Ruan Nortje, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt.), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese, 9 Cobus Reinach, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 11 Ethan Hooker, 12 Damian de Allende, 13 Canan Moodie, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 15 Damian Willemse<\/p>\n
ARGENTINA
1 Mayco Vivas, 2 Juli\u00e1n Montoya (capt.), 3 Joel Sclavi, 4 Franco Molina, 5 Lucas Paulos, 6 Pablo Matera (vice-capt.), 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Joaqu\u00edn Oviedo, 9 Gonzalo Garc\u00eda, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Mateo Carreras, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 12 Lucio Cinti, 14 Rodrigo Isgr\u00f3, 15 Juan Cruz Mall\u00eda (vice-capt.)<\/p>\n
Kickoff: 5:10pm (South Africa); 12:10pm (Argentina)
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Broadcasts: ESPN, Disney + (Argentina)
Weather Forecast: Mostly Cloudy; 23\u00b0C; Wind 26 km\/h<\/p>\n
Assistant Referees: Angus Mabey (New Zealand); Pierre Brousset (France)
Television Match Official: Brett Cronan (Australia)
Split Screen\/FPRO: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)<\/p>\n
\nTEAM
\nWIN
\nLOSS
\nPOINTS<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/logo-australia-thumbnail.png\"){kind=logo}
AUSTRALIA
\n2
\n2
\n11<\/p>\n
\nSOUTH AFRICA
\n2
\n2
\n10<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/logo-new-zealand-thumbnail.png\"){kind=logo}
NEW ZEALAND
\n2
\n2
\n10<\/p>\n
\nARGENTINA
\n2
\n2
\n9<\/p>\n vs (1993-2024)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sep 21, 2024 \u2013 Argentina 29-28 South Africa<\/a> (Santiago del Estero, AR)
Aug 05, 2023 \u2013\u00a0Argentina 13-24 South Africa<\/a> (Buenos Aires, AR)
Jul 29, 2023 \u2013 South Africa 22-21 Argentina<\/a> (Johannesburg, ZA)
Sep 24, 2022 \u2013 South Africa 38-21 Argentina<\/a> (Durban, ZA)
Sep 17, 2022 \u2013 Argentina 20-36 South Africa<\/a> (Buenos Aires, AR)
Aug 21, 2021 \u2013 South Africa 29-10 Argentina<\/a>\u00a0(Port Elizabeth, ZA)
Aug 14, 2021 \u2013 South Africa 32-12 Argentina<\/a>\u00a0(Port Elizabeth, ZA)
Aug 17, 2019 \u2013 South Africa 24-18 Argentina<\/a>\u00a0(Pretoria, ZA)
Aug 10, 2019 \u2013 Argentina 13-46 South Africa<\/a>\u00a0(Salta, AR)
Aug 25, 2018 \u2013 Argentina 32-19 South Africa<\/a>\u00a0(Mendoza, AR)
Aug 18, 2018 \u2013 South Africa 34-21 Argentina<\/a>\u00a0(Durban, ZA)
Aug 26, 2017 \u2013 Argentina 23-41 South Africa<\/a>\u00a0(Salta, AR)
Aug 19, 2017 \u2013 South Africa 37-15 Argentina<\/a>\u00a0(Port Elizabeth, AR)
Aug 27, 2016 \u2013 Argentina 26-24 South Africa<\/a>\u00a0(Salta, AR)
Oct 20, 2016 \u2013 South Africa 30-23 Argentina<\/a>\u00a0(Nelspruit, ZA)
Oct 30, 2015 \u2013 South Africa 24-14 Argentina<\/a>\u00a0(London, UK)
Aug 15, 2015 \u2013 Argentina 12-26 South Africa<\/a>\u00a0(Buenos Aires, AR)
Aug 08, 2015 \u2013 South Africa 25-37 Argentina<\/a>\u00a0(Durban, ZA)
Aug 23, 2014 \u2013 Argentina 31-33 South Africa (Salta, AR)
Aug 16, 2014 \u2013 South Africa 13-06 Argentina (Pretoria, ZA)
Aug 24, 2013 \u2013 Argentina 17-22 South Africa (Mendoza, AR)
Aug 17, 2013 \u2013 South Africa 73-13 Argentina (Johannesburg, ZA)
Aug 25, 2012 \u2013 Argentina 16-16 South Africa (Mendoza, AR)
Aug 18, 2012 \u2013 South Africa 27-06 Argentina (Cape Town, ZA)
Aug 19, 2008 \u2013 South Africa 63-09 Argentina (Johannesburg, ZA)
Oct 14, 2007 \u2013 South Africa 37-13 Argentina (Paris, FR)
Nov 05, 2005 \u2013 Argentina 23-34 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Dec 04, 2004 \u2013 Argentina 07-39 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
June 28, 2003 \u2013 South Africa 26-25 Argentina (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
June 29, 2002 \u2013 South Africa 49-29 Argentina (Springs, ZA)
Dec 12, 2000 \u2013 Argentina 33-37 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Nov 16, 1996 \u2013 Argentina 21-44 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Nov 09, 1996 \u2013 Argentina 15-46 South Africa\u00a0(Buenos Aires, AR)
Oct 15, 1994 \u2013 South Africa 46-26 Argentina (Johannesburg, ZA)
Oct 08, 1994 \u2013 South Africa 42-22 Argentina (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
Nov 13, 1993 \u2013 Argentina 23-52 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)
Nov 06, 1993 \u2013 Argentina 26-29 South Africa (Buenos Aires, AR)<\/p>\nvs<\/p>\n
Argentina Wins 4
Draws 1<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Argentina-South-Africa-2023-Pablo-Matera-1024x683.jpeg\")
Cr\u00e9dito Foto: Los Pumas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"South Africa have home advantage against Argentina in the fifth round of the 2025 Rugby Championship. The winning…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":168615,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":["post-168614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}