The Rugby Championship

It'a been some time since I've penned an essay here on The Roar. In fact my last essay was in April 2020 during the…

And to SA and the Bargies… The Wallaby reverted to type and fell into the old consistency of inconsistency being the constant. Now, if you were in Adelaide you couldn’t watch this Test because none of the venues that were now heaving with rugby supporters had bothered to get Stan and piggy back the front-foot marketing and growing the game the RA had envisioned. So on a sunny afternoon playing on a cricket oval, of some renown in the world of cricket types, the Wallaby somehow beat the proud Bok. Over in NZ, Christchurch to be precise, and after the Wallaby had dispatched the proud Bok, the ABs were hosting our little brother Bargies. I didn’t bother to check but I reckon this was a first for the RC. Rugby Australia, ever on the front foot when it comes to marketing and growing our great game, had decided Adelaide was the place. And there was that Slipper slipped a slippery sneaky on the inside that Bertmon recently wrote a five thesis on with matching spreadsheets. I’ll just say the Kiwis seemed to have borrowed the Wallaby 2019 manual on how to self implode – and who do I blame? And the Bargies, our little brothers that were initially invited to join the RC to make-up the numbers, are now absolutely bashing the bejesus outta their older, bigger, more fancied older brothers. Who’d have thunk that prior to the start of the championship? And as fascinating as those tours were, results or otherwise, they gave us a sneak peak of what might be in store come the RC.

Argentina head coach Michael Cheika has revealed his squad for the Pumas' final two Tests of the Rugby Championship.

[Facundo Isa](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/facundo-isa/), [Lucas Mensa](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/lucas-mensa/), [Santiago Socino](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/santiago-socino/) and [Mayco Vivas](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/mayco-vivas/) – dropped for the upcoming matches with South Africa. [Juan Imhoff](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/juan-imhoff/) and prop [Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/nahuel-tetaz-chaparro/) are the other two additions to the squad. [Argentina](https://www.rugbypass.com/teams/argentina/) avoid the wooden spoon for just the second time in their history and might even be enough to grab them a historic second placing. [South Africa](https://www.rugbypass.com/teams/south-africa/) is due to kick off at 9:10pm AST. [Eduardo Bello](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/eduardo-bello/), [Gonzalo Bertranou](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/gonzalo-bertranou/), [Emiliano Boffelli](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/emiliano-boffelli/), [Rodrigo Bruni](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/rodrigo-bruni/), [Santiago Carreras](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/santiago-carreras/), [Lucio Cinti](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/lucio-cinti/), [Santiago Cordero](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/santiago-cordero/), Agustín Creevy, Tomás Cubelli, Jerónimo de la Fuente, [Bautista Delguy](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/bautista-delguy/), Thomas Gallo, Juan Martín González, [Santiago Grondona](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/santiago-grondona/), [Juan Imhoff](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/juan-imhoff/), [Marcos Kremer](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/marcos-kremer/), Tomás Lavanini, Juan Cruz Mallía, [Pablo Matera](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/pablo-matera/), [Santiago Medrano](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/santiago-medrano/), Julián Montoya (captain), Eliseo Morales*, Matías Moroni, Matías Orlando, Joaquín Oviedo, Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo*, [Ignacio Ruiz](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/ignacio-ruiz/), [Joel Sclavi](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/joel-sclavi/), [Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/nahuel-tetaz-chaparro/), Benjamín Urdapilleta. [Rugby Championship](https://www.rugbypass.com/the-rugby-championship/) campaign started on a low note, ceding a 19-10 halftime advantage in Mendoza to fall to a 41-26 defeat at the hands of the Wallabies, they bounced back to record back-to-back victories over Australia and [New Zealand](https://www.rugbypass.com/teams/new-zealand/) and now find themselves on level pegging with their three Southern Hemisphere rivals heading into the final two rounds of the competition. [Australia](https://www.rugbypass.com/teams/australia/) in San Juan on August 13 but missed the 25-18 win over the [All Blacks](https://www.rugbypass.com/teams/new-zealand/) in Christchurch and the 3-53 defeat in Hamilton over the last two weekends. [Agustin Creevy](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/agustin-creevy/) who is one of four regulars restored to the squad and the 37-year-old now has a chance to set a new appearance record for the [Pumas](https://www.rugbypass.com/teams/pumas/) after he missed the two Tests in New Zealand. Two wins against the Springboks – which is certainly not an easy ask – could be enough to secure the Pumas a first-ever Rugby Championship title, while at least one victory from their final two matches would almost guarantee Development players Eliseo Morales and Pedro Rubiolo will also train with the squad with an eye to the future. [1 Vakatawa forced to retire](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/france-centre-virimi-vakatawa-announces-shock-retirement/) [2 'As a raw talent with potential, he's as good as anyone at tighthead'](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/as-a-raw-talent-with-potential-hes-as-good-as-anyone-at-tighthead-sale-harper/) [3 Speculation that Duhan van der Merwe could join Racing has ended](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/speculation-that-duhan-van-der-merwe-could-join-racing-has-ended/) [4 Premiership Rugby statement: Gallagher Premiership round one games](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/premiership-rugby-statement-gallagher-premiership-round-one-games/) [5 Erasmus tweets promise following criticism from Springboks legend](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/erasmus-tweets-promise-following-criticism-from-springboks-legend/) [More News](https://www.rugbypass.com/)

Argentina have made four changes to their 32-man squad ahead of their Rugby Championship Tests against South Africa.

Argentina squad: Matias Alemanno, Eduardo Bello, Rodrigo Bruni, Agustin Creevy, Thomas Gallo, Juan Martin Gonzalez. Argentina have made four changes to their 32-man squad ahead of their Rugby Championship Tests against South Africa. Argentina and South Africa are in contention to win the Rugby Championship, with the tournament finely poised going into the final round of matches; Argentina face South Africa at 8.10pm on Saturday, September 17

The South Africans are second on the log just two points behind the All Blacks, tied with the Wallabies and Argentina on nine points. Springbok's wing, Makazole ...

“It is kind of very important if I have a chance to score in terms of the tries there are a lot of guys that can create so as a wing I must finish proper especially when we have tough games like against Australia five points is very important it’s important that we focus it was another opportunity in the second game I tried to take all of the things that happened in the first game and focus on the next game it was a good opportunity, I am glad I finished and the Boks did better in the second game,” Mapimpi says. The South Africans are second on the log just two points behind the All Blacks, tied with the Wallabies and Argentina on nine points. The equation is pretty simple if the Springboks have designs on winning this year’s Rugby Championship, they have to beat the Argentinians in their final two matches with bonus points and hope the All Blacks don’t do the same against the Wallabies.

Sport24 goes down memory lane. 2012: Pumas 16-16 Springboks, Mendoza. South Africas Springboks centre Frans Steyn (L) ru. Fielding a pack light on experience - ...

This was arguably the first time in the history of their travels to South America in the tournament that the Boks went behind against the run of play. But the pivot brushed that off with a splendid chip in midfield that set up a marauding Siya Kolisi for the first of two tries on the day for the flanker. Paralysed by shocking tackling and inaccuracy, the Pumas looked like a million bucks in racing to a 27-7 lead at half-time, a spectacle of attacking rugby that had a passionate crowd in raptures. The Springboks were nowhere in the first half, seemingly hampered by the hangover of a lucky win in Nelspruit the previous week. Marcelo Bosch then exploited some terrible tackling again to put the Pumas ahead, but in the second half the Boks had a pivot in Morne Steyn who, unlike 2012, was on song. A week after hammering the South Americans 73-13 at the FNB Stadium, the Springboks found a week is a long time in rugby.

Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber wants two victories against Michael Cheika's Argentina as his side looks to win the 2022 Rugby Championship.

They also beat New Zealand 25-18 away from home, so we are under no illusions about the challenge ahead.” “We looked back at our match against Australia in Sydney this morning and we are now ready to turn our attention to the next match against Argentina,” he added. [Springboks](https://www.planetrugby.com/team/south-africa/) travel to Argentina from Australia, where they lost and won Tests against the Wallabies in a gruelling tour.

As the Springboks prepare for their crucial Rugby Championship match against Argentina, SA's try wizard Makazole Mapimpi has urged teammates not to focus ...

Log leaders New Zealand will face the third-placed Wallabies on Saturday, September 17 and on September 24. The Boks, who are second-placed on the log table, will play the South Americans in Argentina next week and host them at Kings Park Stadium in Durban a week later. New Zealand are leading the standings by 11 points, while SA, Australia and the Pumas are all on nine points each.

(Reuters) - Wing Makazole Mapimpi says South Africa must be more precise in the opponents' 22 as they hope an early arrival in Buenos Aires will help with ...

"There is a lot (of opportunities) that we create, so as wings we need to finish. "It is important when we have chances to score (that we do so)," Mapimpi said. "Argentina is a very good team with experienced players who have been together for a long time," Mapimpi told reporters on Friday.

Wing Makazole Mapimpi says South Africa must be more precise in the opponents' 22 as they hope an early arrival in Buenos Aires will help with preparations ...

"There is a lot (of opportunities) that we create, so as wings we need to finish. "Argentina is a very good team with experienced players who have been together for a long time," Mapimpi told reporters on Friday. "It is important when we have chances to score (that we do so)," Mapimpi said.

Wing Makazole Mapimpi says South Africa must be more precise in the opponents' 22 as they hope an early arrival in Buenos Aires will help with preparations ...

"There is a lot (of opportunities) that we create, so as wings we need to finish. "It is important when we have chances to score (that we do so)," Mapimpi said. "Argentina is a very good team with experienced players who have been together for a long time," Mapimpi told reporters on Friday.