Argentina's lock Guido Petti vies for the ball against South Africa's lock Eben Etzebeth and wing Edwill van der Merwe during a Rugby Union one-off test match at the Jose Amalfitani stadium in Buenos Aires.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus predicted that Saturday night’s friendly with the Pumas in Buenos Aires would be an ugly arm wrestle, and he was spot on.
An out-of-sync Springbok side eventually inched over the line 17-10, but only after having to tackle for their lives in the closing minutes to secure the spoils.
Before Bok fans hit the panic button, however, this was arguably the exact game the world champions needed on the eve of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks. It was a sobering reminder that the Boks are vulnerable when they are not at their best.
The match was primarily about Erasmus bringing several injured players back into the fold, but there was major concern when captain Siya Kolisi limped off after just 15 minutes with what appeared to be a recurrence of the hamstring injury that had kept him out of the Nations Championship.
