Flanker Paul de Villiers was one of the outstanding rookies for the Springboks in the three Nations Championship Tests following his debut against England. He came in for injured captain Siya Kolisi, who looks set to return against Argentina in a couple of weeks.
Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager could all be back for the final Test against Argentina in a couple of weeks before the Springboks begin Rugby's Greatest Rivalry against the All Blacks.
With a few rest weekends ahead following an undefeated opening three rounds in the Nations Championship, Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus and his management team will have the opportunity to reflect on a successful campaign while planning for the trip to South America in August.
The Boks defeated Wales 43-0 at Kings Park in Durban as four rookies made their Test debuts, and they all put their hands up for selection ahead of the New Zealand series. However, some stalwarts are expected to return for the Argentine clash, aiming to prove their readiness for international rugby after recovering from injury.
In the absence of Kolisi, Etzebeth, De Jager, Ox Nché, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and a host of other senior players through injury, the world champions still collected victories over England, Scotland and Wales to finish the opening block of the tournament at the top of the Southern Hemisphere log.
