Physical, emotional test awaits Boks in BA, says Franco Mostert

Springboks utility forward Franco Mostert says they are expecting a physical battle from Argentina when they meet on Saturday in a Rugby World Cup warm-up game in Buenos Aires.

The two nations went to war at Ellis Park last weekend where the Boks won 22-21. The Boks were required to do a lot of work without the ball; they had plenty defending to do as Los Pumas put them under tons of pressure, particularly in the second half.

The Argentinians, like the Springboks, are known for their physicality and they have also been working on their defensive structures under coach Michael Cheika.

This weekend is the first of three warm-up matches the Boks will play ahead of their opening World Cup encounter with Scotland on September 10.

‘Guns blazing’

Looking ahead to the match against Los Pumas, Mostert believes their South American counterparts will come out guns blazing and be physical.

“It’s always a very physical match against Argentina; I think with the game we played in Joburg, they knew they came so close. I think this weekend they will come out guns blazing, so hopefully we can match that and give a good performance,” Mostert told the media in a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

“I’ve played here a lot, I must say, it’s another ball game. There’s lots of emotion in it for them at home, especially now with Agustin Creevy getting 100 Tests. The first 20 to 30 minutes will be hard, but the young guys we have here with us know what’s coming, we’re trying to tell them what to expect, but I believe we have the right men here to take them on,” he said.

World Cup hopes

Mostert has become an integral part of the Boks squad, his versatility in the forward pack makes him an ace in the sleeves of the management. However, his form has not been at its best recently, and that’s brought up questions about his role in the team.

The Honda Heat man is looking to put on an impressive showing this weekend to secure his place in the team that will go try defend the Webb Ellis Cup in France.

“I need a good game,” he said.

“(It’s the) last chance to show coaches you want to be in the squad. But in our team, we’re not going out to prove ourselves, we still have a game plan, we need to win together, and play as a team.

“You can’t be individualistic against Argentina in Argentina, you won’t get a win, our plan is to play as a team, and do what we want to do,” said the 32-year-old.