Louw aims to help Bok scrum dominate in Durban

Springbok prop Wilco Louw has his sights set firmly on trying to do everything he can to assist the Boks earn scrum dominance in their Castle Lager Rugby Championship clash against the Pumas in Durban on Saturday and similarly to his teammates, he is gearing up for a battle of attrition.

With the Wallabies, All Blacks, Boks, and Pumas involved in a tight scramble to clinch the title with only two points separating all four teams with two rounds remaining, Louw said the mindset among all the players was to do their respective jobs as well as possible to bolster the team’s chances of defending the title.

The powerful Bok prop spoke highly of the Pumas scrum: “They won a few scrum penalties against the All Blacks and Wallabies this year and the set-piece is an area they are very focused on. They’ve also improved there quite a bit, so it will be a tight battle on Saturday.”

Louw, who is one of the replacements this weekend, was not concerned about whether he played off the bench or started, especially after making his Test debut back in 2017 and having to work his way back into the squad in the last few seasons to the point of preparing to play his 23rd cap on Saturday.

“We all have a role to play as long as we can help the team go forward,” he said.

“It’s a massive privilege to just play, so it doesn’t matter if I can serve the team better by wearing the No 18 or No 3 jerseys. For me, it’s all about wearing that green jersey and serving the team wherever they need you.

“Obviously, coming off the bench, I have a certain role to play and my first job is to scrum and maul. We want to get dominance in the set-piece and that will be my main role and of course, to enjoy it and play some good rugby. So, making sure all our systems are in place and being in a position to go is important.”

Commenting on what triggered the mind shift that saw him become a regular player in the Bok set-up this season, Louw said: “I came back to the Vodacom Bulls from Harlequins and I’ve been enjoying my rugby. The Bulls have an incredible pack. I’m playing with amazing players like Gerhard Steenekamp, Grobbies (Johan Grobbelaar) and Jannie (Jan-Hendrik Wessels) and everyone has the same mentality – to try to dominate in the scrums.

“It’s been a good and enjoyable season, and when you do something you enjoy, it definitely motivates you more. It’s a massive honour to be in the Springbok squad and get to test yourself against the best in the world. You simply have to learn and get better all the time.”

Meanwhile, Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi has revealed his team to face the Springboks in Saturday’s Rugby Championship Round Five clash in Durban.

There are three changes to the starting line-up that edged Australia 28-26 in Round Four, all in the pack.

Pablo Matera returns to the No 6 position after playing off the bench in Sydney while the other changes are in the second row, with Lucas Paulos and Franco Molina coming in for Pedro Rubiolo and Guido Petti.

Contepomi has also opted for a six-two bench split between forwards and backs on the bench, which sees flyhalf Tomás Albornoz returning to the matchday squad.

Locks Rubiolo and Petti and loose forward Juan Martín González will also provide cover off the bench.

South Africa v Argentina at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban - 5.10pm

Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)

Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Angus Mabey (NZR)

Television Match Official: Brett Cronan (RA)

Split Screen/FPRO: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)

Springbok starting XV: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker; 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach; 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt); 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth; 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen.

Los Pumas starting XV: 15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras; 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo García; 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera; 5 Lucas Paulos, 4 Franco Molina: 3 Joel Sclavi, 2 Julián Montoya (capt), 1 Mayco Vivas. Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Francisco Coria Marchetti, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Pedro Rubiolo, 21 Juan Martín González, 22 Simón Benítez Cruz, 23 Tomás Albornoz.