Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus refuted suggestions that Argentina is an unsportsmanlike team, despite the scandal that surrounded the Los Pumas after their defeat to England in the Rugby World Cup.
Los Pumas faced heavy criticism following the match, which ended 34:21 in July. This tense match resulted in seven yellow cards, an accusation of improper conduct by World Rugby against winger Tomás Albornoz for physical contact with referee Angus Gardner, and the sudden departure of head coach Felipe Contepomi from the post-match press conference because he perceived it as disrespect from England.
Before the upcoming match in Buenos Aires against the Springboks, Los Pumas legend Federico Mendes urged the current generation to 'behave and control themselves.'
However, Erasmus emphasized that South Africa anticipates a very intense confrontation, not one plagued by disciplinary issues. He noted that the team knows Argentina well, as they play each other twice a year, apart from the current year.
'We know Argentina well. We play them twice a year, except this year, so we know their players, and they know us,' Erasmus stated on Tuesday. He added that some Springboks players have played with Argentinians in French or Japanese clubs, which allowed them to build good relationships with those players.
Regarding the officiating incident in the previous game, Erasmus said it was not up for comment, as referee Christoph Ridley would be working in the upcoming match. He acknowledged that new protocols make communication with the referee before the game difficult but stressed that he has never encountered Argentina being a negative or overly aggressive team. He concluded that while they are tough and physically strong players, he has never considered them unsportsmanlike.
The match against England was marred by numerous controversial moments: seven yellow cards between the teams and several scuffles on the field. Following this, Albornoz was sanctioned by World Rugby after clashing with Gardner when a late try that could have equalized the score was disallowed.
Contepomi also cut short his media conference just four minutes after the match, accusing England of 'disrespect' due to loud celebrations and music coming from the adjacent dressing room. Similar to Erasmus, Contepomi used this game to expand the squad, releasing ten new players, most of whom are young, in preparation for next year's World Cup.
Erasmus is also balancing the need to win with the opportunity to integrate players returning from injury, as well as giving chances to less experienced team members. He stated: 'Primarily, we want to win. If we win, the margin of victory is not that important. We have many key players returning from injuries, as well as some who are not yet settled in the team, such as Cameron Hanekom, Elryeg Lou, and Boan Winter, players with few matches.' He added that this means the game will not be perfect, but if they improve, develop in the game, and synchronize, the game will be in their favor, provided the playing time is set for the players returning from injury.
