Elrigh Louw earns his first Springbok start of the season against Argentina at Estadio José Amalfitani on Saturday, having spent the bulk of the year rebuilding from one of the most serious injuries of the 2025 campaign.
Louw tore ligaments in his left knee and broke his leg during the Bulls' URC win over the Lions in late January, with the severity prompting genuine concern that his career could be over. He returned to action ahead of schedule and made a single appearance off the bench against Scotland in the Nations Championship before earning his place in the starting XV this weekend.
"Just the motivation to be back in the Springbok squad was more than enough for me to continue working hard and play rugby to the best of my ability," Louw said. "To forget about the injury, also mentally, was a big part for me."
The 26-year-old, who has 14 Test caps since his 2022 debut, was part of the squad that lost narrowly to Los Pumas in Argentina in 2024 and knows what to expect from the home side's forward pack. With the recent law changes increasing the prominence of the maul, Louw says that area has been a specific focus in preparation this week.
"We're starting to see a lot more mauls across the game, so it's definitely an area we continue to work hard on. It's something we've always focused on, and we'll need to be ready for that challenge."