OFFICIAL MATCH PROGRAMME RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 21 AUGUST 2021 NELSON MANDELA BAY 17H05 CONTENTS ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS SATURDAY 21 AUGUST 2021 / NELSON MANDELA BAY / 17H05 Message from the Chairman of SANZAAR 7 Message from the president of SA Rugby 9 Boks take first Test 11 Boks happy to be back in Nelson Mandela Bay 16 MATCH DAY DETAILS PAGE 22 Nelson Mandela Bay - always full of gees 24 Argentina Player Profiles 29 Springbok Player Profiles 35 First time in two years 41 National Anthems 46 Images: Gallo Images / Design: The Manning Equation (themanningequation.com) ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS 21 August 2021 / Nelson Mandela Bay 5 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF SANZAAR I am very happy to welcome you to the Castle Lager Rugby Championship (TRC), one of the best rugby tournaments in the world, and one that has continually prepared our teams to challenge for World Champions status. These are difficult SANZAAR would times but in 2021 also like to recog- SANZAAR will hope- nise Los Pumas fully deliver a full for playing, for the four-team, 12-match second consecutive TRC – albeit in a year, all their games modified form in away from home: terms of its match that contribution to schedule locations. the tournament is The normal home recognized by all and and away format has we are sure that they been affected by the will represent their pandemic but I would country with the pas- like to thank all our sion that characteriz- member unions for es them. all their hard work in We now look for- ensuring we can now ward to the matches kick-off the latest in South Africa, edition of TRC. Australia and New For this season, Zealand. Welcome to we are very happy to welcome the the best rugby in the world. Springboks back. We missed them so Marcelo Rodríguez much in 2020! Chairman, SANZAAR ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS 21 August 2021 / Nelson Mandela Bay 7 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF SA RUGBY It’s amazing to think the Castle Lager Lions Series wrapped up just a few days ago, and we’re already back in action in with Argentina goes Rassie Erasmus, back many years and Mark Alexander and Jacques Nienaber. the Castle Lager Rugby it’s great that we can get Championship. together again and build on it. The journey to this point has been a long and complicated one; filled with I’d like to congratulate the Springboks for scenario planning, COVID contingencies winning a very tough series against the and great uncertainty. But it is a tribute British & Irish Lions, but that is in the past to the spirit of rugby that the teams are now and we’re looking forward to rekin- on the field today – unfortunately with- dling our relationship with our friends from out our supporters. Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. I would like to welcome to our friends Last year, we missed out on defend- from Argentina here in South Africa for ing our Castle Lager Rugby Cham- the two Tests, and wish them well for the pionship crown, but I know Jacques rest of the Castle Lager Rugby Cham- Nienaber, Siya Kolisi and the rest of the pionship. We honour and thank you for players and members of management your determination to be here today. are ready for a big series against the I’d also like to thank our sponsors Pumas, Wallabies and All Blacks. and in particular welcome aboard today Good luck for what promises to be a Thirsti, Betway, Switch and Hyperice who challenging few weeks ahead until the all joined the family this week. final match against the All Blacks in New Thank you also to everyone who has Zealand in October. worked hard behind the scenes to make We kick off with two tough Tests these matches happen, the players and against the Pumas in Nelson Mandela staff and all other important stakeholders. Bay and I would like to wish both teams Mark Alexander well for this mini-series. Our relationship President, SA Rugby ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS 21 August 2021 / Nelson Mandela Bay 9 BOKS TAKE FIRST TEST The Springboks scored three tries to nil in their 32-12 win in the opening Test of the 2021 Castle Lager Rugby Championship last weekend at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, with Cobus Reinach, Aphelele Fassi and Jaden Hendrikse crossed the Puma try-line. We look back at the action from last Saturday’s typically tough Test. ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS 21 August 2021 / Nelson Mandela Bay 11 ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS 12 21 August 2021 / Nelson Mandela Bay Jaden ..... ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS 21 August 2021 / Nelson Mandela Bay 15 BOKS HAPPY TO BE BACK IN NELSON MANDELA BAY It’s been 28 years since South Africa and Argentina played their first Test – in November 1993 in Buenos Aires – but when the Springboks and Los Pumas clash in Nelson Mandela Bay in the opening two rounds of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, they will be back in the South African city where they first crossed swords on local soil. BOKS HAPPY THE Pumas’ first Test in South Africa was at the erstwhile Boet Erasmus Stadium on 8 TO BE BACK T October 1994, a Test the Boks won by 42-22 under the captaincy of Francois Pienaar. They returned to the Friendly City in 2003 when IN NELSON 1994 the Boks sneaked home by the tiniest of margins (26-25), courtesy of a late penalty goal by Louis Koen also at Boet Erasmus, and in 2017 the MANDELA Pumas last played here, their first match at the impressive new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, BAY where SA won 37-15. ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS 21 August 2021 / Nelson Mandela Bay 17 “Argentina are very physical, so we need Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, to stand up to that Trevor Nyakane, Steven Kitshoff, Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi, challenge in every Elton Jantjies, Jesse Kriel and Damian de contenst.” Allende all featured on that day, with the Springbok captain scoring one of their JACQUES NIENABER four tries in the match. SPRINGBOK COACH And although the Boks are unbeaten against the Pumas in Nelson Mandela Bay, they realise that no Test against the need to stand up to that challenge in Argentineans are ever an easy affair. every contest,” said Nienaber. Springbok head coach Jacques Nien- “Their forward pack is renowned for aber said being physical and accurate in making their presence felt, so our set their execution were key factors going pieces need to be spot-on and it will be im- into these matches against Los Pumas. portant to dominate at the contact points. “Argentina are very physical, so we “All-in-all we need to deliver an accu- rate performance all around 2017 and it is vital that we capitalise on the opportunities we have to score points.” Nienaber said the Boks will try and manage the players’ workloads during their time in Nelson Mandela Bay, with seven more Tests scheduled until the end of the season, including four on the road against the Walla- bies and All Blacks. “It is a long season, so it’s important that we manage the players well and rotate our squad to ensure that everyone gets sufficient game time and rest,” said Nienaber. “We have a talented squad, Elton Jantjies and Malcolm Marx in action against and we are excited to see some of Argentina in 2017. the players get a chance to show what they ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS 18 21 August 2021 / Nelson Mandela Bay can do against Metro we are fast a tough Argen- becoming known tinean outfit. as a sporting “Most of destination of the players in choice. this matchday 2003 “We have in squad have been recent months with us since our hosted many incident free conditioning camp sports fixtures at our world-class Nelson in Bloemfontein in Mandela Bay Stadium, and look forward June, and they’ve been working hard at to doing so again. The hosting of these training and deserve this opportunity to matches is especially bitter-sweet as we take the field. mourn the recent loss of EPRU President “This is a big game for us, and we are Andre Rademan, a stalwart of rugby in looking forward to seeing what these our Metro and Province.” player combinations will deliver as we The Springboks have a very good re- begin our Castle Lager Rugby Champion- cord at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, ship campaign.” having won six and drawn one from their The Boks have always been very well seven matches at the venue. received in the Eastern Cape and this The referees for the two Tests against time is no different. Cllr. Nqaba Bhanga, Los Pumas are Andrew Brace from Executive Mayor, said: “Nelson Mandela Ireland, and England’s Karl Dickson, while Bay is proud to host the Springboks Tom Foley (England) was appointed as and Argentina for these matches. As a the television match official (TMO). ARGENTINA v SPRINGBOKS 21 August 2021 / Nelson Mandela Bay 21 ARGENTINA Saturday 14 August 2021 / 17h05 / Nelson Mandela Bay Juan Cruz Mallía 15 Ignacio Mendy* 14 Santiago Chocobares 13 Jeronimo de la Fuente 12 Santiago Carreras 11 Domingo Miotti 10 Gonzalo Bertranou 9 Rodrigo Bruni 8 Guido Petti 7 Pablo Matera 6 Tomas Lavanini 5 Matias Alemanno 4 FranciscoFrancisco Gomez Kodela 3 Julian Montoya (c) 2 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro 1 Facundo Bosch 16 Facundo Gigena 17 Santiago Medrano 18 Marcos Kremer 19 Juan Martin Gonzalez 20 Felipe Ezcurra 21 Nicolas Sanchez 22 Lucio Cinti* 23 On debut today * HEAD COACH: Mario Ledesma ASSISTANT COACHES: Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Juan Fernandez Miranda and Jose Pellicena.