Rassie Erasmus has made only twopersonnel changes to his starting XV for tomorrow’s Rugby Championship clash against Argentina in Durban, keeping continuity at the core of his side while reinforcing experience in key positions.

The headline switches see Eben Etzebeth return at lock and Damian Willemse reclaim the No 15 jersey, with both stepping in for the injured Lood de Jager and Aphelele Fassi. Meanwhile Damian de Allende returns to slot into the vacancy left by Willemse returning to fullback. Their inclusion restores heavy Test mileage to the Bok spine, as Etzebeth extends his record to 137 caps and Willemse slots in behind a familiar midfield of de Allende and Canan Moodie. “The make-up of this team not only allows us consistency in selection, but we’ll also have the vast experience of Eben and Damian de Allende in the starting team, who are excited to get back on the field again,” Erasmus said.

The backline blends youth and authority. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu continues at flyhalf outside Cobus Reinach, with Ethan Hooker given another start on the left wing alongside Cheslin Kolbe on the right. De Allende’s recall at inside centre gives structure to a midfield pairing with Moodie that has both power and pace.

Up front, Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, and Thomas du Toit form a formidable front row, while Siya Kolisi captains the side in his 97th Test, supported by Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese in the loose trio. The total caps in the starting lineup stand at 782, underscoring the seniority that Erasmus is banking on for a decisive weekend in the standings.

The bench carries three new tweaks, with Boan Venter at prop, Jan-Hendrik Wessels shifting to hooker cover, and Morne van den Berg replacing the injured Grant Williams. Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith, Manie Libbok, and Andre Esterhuizen round out the replacements, offering heavy artillery for the final quarter.

Erasmus acknowledged the Pumas’ rise under Felipe Contepomi, pointing to recent victories over New Zealand, Australia, and the British & Irish Lions. “This is a vital match for both us and the Pumas, and if one takes into consideration that they beat New Zealand and Australia in the first four rounds of the competition, as well as the British & Irish Lions earlier in the season, there’s no doubt we’ll treat them the respect they deserve,” he said.

With South Africa sitting second on the log with 10 points, one behind the Wallabies and level with New Zealand, Erasmus stressed that precision would matter: “We need to capitalise on the point-scoring chances we create and play for the full 80 minutes if we want to get the desired result.”

The Boks have won 10 of their last 12 against Argentina, but the scars of a 2015 defeat at Kings Park remain. Tomorrow, continuity and caps are the chosen weapons to prevent history from repeating itself.