Argentina vs South Africa Predictions - Springboks to seal victory at Twickenham

Ralph Staniforth

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Last updated: 1 hour ago

Ralph Staniforth 1 hour ago

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Argentina lost 3 of their last 5, including a heavy defeat to South Africa.
Springboks have won 3 of 4 games and lead 10-1 in recent meetings.
Prediction: Argentina expected to perform better defensively; SA still favorites, but handicap (+14.5) for Argentina is a good bet.

South Africa beat Argentina by 37 points last weekend. (Getty Images)

Argentina vs South Africa Predictions

Argentina were good in the first half last week, so I don’t want to read too much into the final score. Defensively I expect them to be better, and the Springboks’ level could drop as well. The +14.5 handicap looks good to me.

Argentina vs South Africa Predictions
Head to Head
Argentina Form
Argentina Injuries & Team News
South Africa Form
South Africa Injuries & Team News

Argentina have lost 3 of their last 5 matches.
South Africa have won 3 of their last 4 matches.
South Africa beat Argentina by 37 points last weekend.
South Africa have won 10 of their last 11 matches against Argentina.

Head to Head

South Africa lead 10-1 in their last 11 matches against Argentina. Last week, the Springboks won 67-30 in Durban against Los Pumas.

They have played each other once in London before – that match took place at the Olympic Stadium in the third-place playoff at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. South Africa won that match 24-13.

Argentina Form

Argentina come into the final round of the Rugby Championship with nine points, six off South Africa. They can no longer win their first-ever title, but regardless, it has been a very strong tournament for Los Pumas.

There have been a few disappointing results for Argentina, particularly the opening round when they lost at home to New Zealand and then again in the first game against Australia where they built a big lead but failed to hold on.

That said, Argentina bounced back from both defeats to beat the same opposition a week later. Can they do the same this time around?

Last weekend, Argentina were not actually poor, particularly in the first half. They were seconds away from taking a lead into the break, but in the second half, the Springboks annihilated them, winning the match 67-30.

The question is whether Argentina can bounce back again? Unfortunately, while it is a home game, they have opted to play it in London for financial reasons. That takes the home ground advantage away, which could be their downfall.

Argentina Injuries & Team News

I suspect Argentina may make a few changes this weekend as there are sure to be tired legs after that performance in Durban. However, they will still want to get a victory, so I don’t expect wholesale changes.

South Africa Form

South Africa started the Rugby Championship very slowly and many thought they were on the decline. After losing that opening match in Johannesburg to Australia, South Africa bounced back to beat them a week later, but the hosts were hardly convincing.

It all changed on their tour to New Zealand, though. The Springboks lost the opening match at Eden Park after making a poor start, but their performance in the second half showed they still have much to offer.

This was on display the following weekend as South Africa ran riot in Wellington, winning by a record margin (46-10). That was a sign of things to come from a Springbok side full of younger players.

South Africa took it another level up last weekend, thrashing Argentina 67-30 at Kings Park. While the performance was good and the scoreline suggests just that, there were a few concerning moments, particularly in the first half.

The Boks are conceding more points than usual, and they may largely be down to the change on style, but it needs to be ironed out as Argentina have the quality to bounce back at Twickenham.

South Africa are aiming for their first ever back-to-back Rugby Championship title. If New Zealand win earlier on Saturday, the Springboks will have to win as well, but if the All Blacks go down, the title is pretty much theirs.

South Africa Injuries & Team News

Rassie Erasmus has once again stayed consistent in selection, not something he has become known for. The only change to the starting lineup sees Ox Nche return for Boan Venter in the front row.

Verdict

Argentina v South Africa

Despite last week’s annihilation, Argentina have the quality to challenge. I am backing Los Pumas to get within 14.5 points.

Argentina +14.5

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