The three are promoted from the bench in a match-23 that shows six personnel changes from the team that went down 29-28 against the same opposition in Santiago del Estero on Saturday.

In total Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus made nine changes and one positional switch to the staring from last week’s encounter, recalling six double Rugby World Cup winners to the starting XV in Bongi Mbonambi (hooker), Frans Malherbe (prop), Pieter-Steph du Toit (flanker), Cheslin Kolbe (wing), Damian de Allende (centre), and Siya Kolisi (flanker) who resumes as captain after watching from the coaches’ box in Argentina.

The changes meant that Erasmus named the same starting pack that defeated New Zealand 18-12 in Cape Town and the same five forward replacements, while reverting to a five-three split in favour of the forwards on the bench.

The most capped centre pairing in Springbok history in De Allende and Jesse Kriel are reunited, with a back three of Aphelele Fassi (fullback) and wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Kolbe.

On the bench, Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf), Handre Pollard (flyhalf) and Lukhanyo Am (centre) make up a formidably experienced trio, who will provide the necessary impact in the backline.

The Springboks need only a point from the match to guarantee their first Castle Lager Rugby Championship title since the abbreviated version in 2019 and their first full tournament title since 2009, while they will also clinch the title if Argentina win the match without a bonus point based on competition points.

The only permutation that would see Argentina snatch the title from the Boks is if Los Pumas win with a bonus point and deny the hosts a point, which would see them claim the title based on the fact that they would have had two wins over South Africa.

Springboks team to face Argentina in Nelspruit:

15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 8 caps, 20 points (4t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 37 caps, 96 points (15t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 76 caps, 85 points (17t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 84 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 21 caps, 85 points (17t)
10 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 17 caps, 94 pts (1t, 28c, 11p)
9 – Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 17 caps, 12 pts (2t, 1c)

8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 30 caps, 5 points (1t)
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 83 caps, 45 points (9t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 88 caps, 60 points (12t)
5 – Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 5 caps, 0 points
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 127 caps, 30 points (6t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 75 caps, 5 points (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 74 caps, 75 points (15t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 36 caps, 0 points

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 72 caps, 100 points (20t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 7 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 57 caps, 0 points
19 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 9 caps, 0 points
20 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 48 caps, 45 points (9t)
21 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 36 caps, 70 pts (14t)
22 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 76 caps, 749 points (7t, 102c, 165p, 5dg)
23 – Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 39 caps, 35 pts (7t)