Arendse recalled as Springboks make nine changes for Pumas
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Arendse recalled as Springboks make nine changes for Pumas
Johannesburg (AFP) – Star winger Kurt-Lee Arendse has been recalled as South Africa make nine changes to the starting line-up for a Rugby Championship match against Argentina in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Arendse scored three tries -- raising his total to 10 in eight appearances for the Springboks -- in a 43-12 win over Australia in the first round of the southern hemisphere competition in July.
But the former sevens star was omitted from the matchday 23 the following weekend, and the world champions crashed 35-20 away to greatest rivals New Zealand.
Makazole Mapimpi, a 2019 World Cup winner who replaced Arendse for the second-round game, performed poorly against the All Blacks, especially in aerial contests.
Arendse replacing Mapimpi is one of four changes in the backline with veteran outside centre Jesse Kriel, fly-half Manie Libbok and scrum-half Grant Williams also promoted.
Centre Lukhanyo Am, fly-half Damian Willemse and scrum-half Faf de Klerk drop to the bench and there is no place for Mapimpi, scorer of a try in the 2019 World Cup final triumph over England.
South Africa will field a new back row for the clash with the Pumas as captain and No.8 Duane Vermeulen and flankers Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marco van Staden are selected.
Vermeulen is standing in as skipper for Siya Kolisi, who is recovering from a knee injury he suffered last April.
The Springboks camp is hoping that World Cup-winning captain Kolisi will be fit to face Wales and or New Zealand during August in warm-up matches for the global showpiece.
Fly-half Handre Pollard, who kicked 22 points in the last World Cup final, and prop Ox Nche are also injured.
Of the loose trio that started in Auckland, Kwagga Smith is on the bench but there is no room for Jasper Wiese and Franco Mostert.
'Quality team'
Lock Marvin Orie replaces Lood de Jager and Malcolm Marx starts as hooker with Bongi Mbonambi now on the bench.
Entering the third and final round of the Rugby Championship this weekend, title-holders New Zealand have nine points, South Africa five, Argentina four and Australia one.
"This is a quality team that will offer us the skills we need against Argentina," said head coach Jacques Nienaber.
"It also contains a good balance of experience and youth, which is vital as we build toward the Rugby World Cup.
"There are only four more matches before we kick off our World Cup campaign so it is a fine balancing act to give all the players a chance to stake a claim for places.
"We also want to select teams that we believe are best equipped for the opposition we will face, and are pleased with the way we have managed that process up to now.
"The result in New Zealand was bitterly disappointing, but we came into the season with a plan that will hopefully allow us to select the best possible squad for the World Cup and peak at the right time."
Seeking a record fourth World Cup title in the September 8-October 28 tournament in France, South Africa are in Pool B with Scotland, Romania, Ireland and Tonga.
Pool winners and runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals and South Africa and Ireland, currently the top-ranked Test team, are favoured to qualify for the knockout stages.
Team (15-1)
Willie le Roux; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Manie Libbok, Grant Williams; Duane Vermeulen (capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marco van Staden; Marvin Orie, Eben Etzebeth; Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Trevor Nyakane, Vincent Koch, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Faf de Klerk, Lukhanyo Am, Damian Willemse
Coach: Jacques Nienaber (RSA)
