The Springboks completed an unbeaten four-match buildup to the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series with a hard-fought 17-10 win over Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday, but the victory was overshadowed by a hamstring injury to captain Siya Kolisi that now puts his availability for the first Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park in serious doubt.
Kolisi went off in the first half and confirmed the setback in his post-match television interview. "I hurt my hamstring again and I will have to go for a scan to see how bad it is," he said. "It is really tough, but I can't be sad about it. I will just have to go for my scan and see how long I will be out for." He was replaced by Marco van Staden. Given that Kolisi had played just one match since June — the non-cap game against the Barbarians — the Buenos Aires outing was meant to establish his readiness for Johannesburg. It did not go to plan.
Andre Esterhuizen added to the injury concerns, leaving the field with a concussion for the second match in succession.
On the field, the Boks were scrappy throughout the first half, struggling with their kicking game and lacking cohesion — precisely the conditions Rassie Erasmus had flagged when he predicted a grind. Argentina flanker Benjamin Grodona crossed in the eighth minute, and after Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Santiago Carreras had exchanged penalties to make it 10-3 to the hosts, the Boks looked in trouble. They were hauled level on the stroke of halftime by a well-constructed try: good hands from Aphelele Fassi and Canan Moodie created the space for Edwill van der Merwe to finish on the wing.
The second half belonged to the replacements. The bomb squad shifted the contest decisively in the Boks' favour to secure the seven-point winning margin.
Cameron Hanekom was among the standout performers, turning in a strong display at No 8 in what was his first full Test start in his preferred position. Paul de Villiers wore the No 6 jersey, and the combination of the two loose forwards — who had previously played together on the flank against England — will give the coaching staff genuine options ahead of the All Blacks series.