Boks won't treat Pumas Test as All Blacks warm-up, says Davids

Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids said on Monday the team was braced for a tough contest against Argentina in Saturday's one-off Test in Buenos Aires, dismissing suggestions that the match is being treated as a warm-up for the forthcoming series against New Zealand.

The Boks touched down in Argentina in the early hours of Sunday and got back into their preparations with a first field session on Monday, SA Rugby reports.

"It's a big Test match for us," Davids said. 

"It has never been easy, especially in Buenos Aires, so it's important that we improve on the areas of our game in which we would like to."

He added that the squad's attention was squarely on the weekend's opponents rather than what lies ahead later in the season. 

"I've been very clear about this, our focus is on Argentina. This week it's all about Argentina, and we don't approach any game as a warm-up. Every Test match is important for our country and what we stand for as a team."

Davids also flagged the threat posed by Los Pumas on home turf, describing them as a passionate side who never make it easy. 

"It's never easy. If you come to Argentina with the mentality of seeing it as a warm-up game, you would make a big mistake," he said, noting the hosts' own ambitions to test their depth against a strong Springbok side.

On the team news front, Davids welcomed back locks Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager from injury, along with several other players who have been sidelined for a stretch, including Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. 

"It's fantastic to have Eben and Lood back. They're experienced players, and they mean a lot in our system," he said, adding that a solid training camp in Johannesburg last week had set the squad up well.

Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg, another player returning from injury, said it was a privilege to be back involved with the squad after a difficult spell out. 

"The injury was obviously tough, especially with the Boks playing, but it gave me a lot of motivation to work hard to be here," he said, crediting the support he received during his recovery.

Asked about the competition for the number nine jersey while he was out, Van den Berg said it had simply been a matter of making the most of the situation. 

"Those things are completely out of my control. The injury afforded me the opportunity to upskill and get fit, so I made the best of the situation," he said.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is due to name his matchday squad on Tuesday. Saturday's Test kicks off at 21:10 (SA time) at Estadio José Amalfitani and will be shown live on SuperSport.

PHOTO CREDIT: SA Rugby