Rassie Erasmus Names Springboks Stars Who Are Ruled Out of Argentina Test Match

• Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed 10 players are returning from injury ahead of the Buenos Aires clash against Argentina
• Erasmus revealed during an interview that two South African rugby stars will miss the match due to longer-term injuries
• The Springboks' squad for the Argentina tour is set to be announced on Saturday, with travel split across two groups

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has confirmed that the vast majority of his squad will be available for next weekend's Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires, with only Ox Nche and Franco Mostert ruled out due to long-term injuries.

The Springbok squad assembled in Johannesburg on Sunday and completed two days of training before a scheduled rest day on Wednesday. On-field preparations are due to wrap up on Thursday.

Argentina the immediate focus

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Erasmus addressed the return of 10 players who had been sidelined through injury, stating that while the timing was not ideal, the upcoming clash against Los Pumas presented a genuine opportunity to assess their readiness.

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"There are only two guys who won't be available due to longer-term injuries, and they are Ox Nche and Franco Mostert," said Erasmus. "Apart from them, everyone is ready to play."

Erasmus was direct about the team's priorities, emphasising that the Argentina fixture, and not the forthcoming Rugby's Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series against the All Blacks, was the immediate focus.

"First and foremost, we want to beat Argentina, just like every other team; we want to win every Test match we play," he said. "Then there's the bigger picture, the Rugby World Cup, which is close to a year away, but you also have to respect the team you play next week."

He acknowledged, however, that the match would offer a clearer picture of which returning players were prepared for the four-Test RGR series against New Zealand beginning in August.

"Argentina are a quality team, and you'll quickly see who is ready to play against New Zealand two weeks later," Erasmus said. "That said, this match wasn't planned with that reason in mind; it was always about honouring our relationship with Argentina."

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Squad management before All Blacks series

The touring squad for Argentina will be announced on Saturday, with players travelling to South America in two separate groups. Those not selected will return to Johannesburg to begin preparations for the New Zealand series.

Erasmus outlined a careful approach to squad management, noting that players would not be retained in the group unless they were guaranteed game time.

"We don't want to keep a guy with us and not use him during the All Black series," he said, adding that further releases from the squad remained possible depending on game time received during the Springbok Tests.

The coach is expected to finalise his official RGR squad after the team returns from Argentina. He confirmed he had seen the All Blacks' touring squad announcement but had not yet studied it in depth, insisting Argentina remained the sole priority for the week.

Source: Briefly News