JUST IN: Massive boost for Springboks as star player returns

Springboks hooker Bongi Mbonambi joined the national squad in Buenos Aires on Monday after completing the initial stages of his recovery from the knee injury that sidelined him before the second Rugby Championship Test against New Zealand in Johannesburg last month.

Mbonambi returned to the Sharks following the injury and will be assessed by the Springbok medical team this week to as the squad prepare for their penultimate match of the competition against Argentina on Saturday. He joins Malcolm Marx, Joseph Dweba and Deon Fourie as the hookers in the squad.

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Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber said Mbonambi’s recovery would be assessed this week with an eye on possibly getting him ready for contention for selection for the team’s closing Rugby Championship Test against Los Pumas in Durban on Saturday, 24 September.

“It’s great to have Bongi back in the set-up and this week will be a fantastic opportunity to re-integrate him into our systems and for our medical team to assess his recovery,” said Nienaber.

“He is a key player in our structures, and he also has a strong presence off the field, so it is pleasing to welcome him back. Bongi was expected to begin training this week, so it made sense to recall him to the squad, so that our medical team can work closely with him to ensure that we can get him back on the field as soon as possible.”

Nienaber will announce his team to face Argentina this weekend on Tuesday.

The Springboks are unlikely to tinker with their matchday selections against Argentina as they look to stay in the hunt for the Rugby Championship title.

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With everything still to play for in the Rugby Championship, the Springboks are currently preparing for the first of two crucial games against Argentina, with the first clash taking place in Buenos Aires this Saturday (21:10 SA time).

The Springboks, Australia and Argentina are all tied on nine log points after their opening four matches of the tournament, with South Africa in second place due to their favourable points’ difference, while New Zealand top the standings on 10 points.

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The Springboks have been back at training since last Wednesday after enjoying two days off following their 24-8 victory against the Wallabies in Sydney.

Any thoughts of possibly experimenting with player selections have apparently been put on the backburner, and the Bok side will now be going all out to try and achieve Rugby Championship success.

The likes of Lukhanyo Am, Handre Pollard, Bongi Mbonambi and Cheslin Kolbe are all still unavailable due to injuries, but it will be interesting to see whether Pieter-Steph du Toit could possibly be available for selection.

Elrigh Louw is expected to be included on the bench, and he will provide cover in the second row and in the loose trio.

Among the backs, Canan Moodie will have another big opportunity after impressing on debut against Australia the last time out, while Damian Willemse will have a key role to play at flyhalf once again.

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Ultimately I’d expect the Boks to stick with the exact same team that overpowered the Wallabies to achieve a rare victory in Australia.

Coach Jacques Nienaber will name his 23-man squad on Tuesday, 13 September at 17:00 (SA time).

Ahead of him doing so, The South African website’s Craig Lewis and Garrin Lambley have selected the starting XVs they believe the Springboks’ brains trust will read out.

As always, the best place to follow the action LIVE is on The South African website.

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SPRINGBOKS TEAM PREDICTIONS

Craig Lewis’ Springboks team prediction

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff

Garrin Lambley’s Springboks team prediction

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff