SOUTH AFRICA v ARGENTINA:FACING WORLD champions South Africa in Argentina's first Test under the new rugby laws is not ideal, Pumas captain Felipe Contepomi said yesterday.
Argentina take on the Springboks in Johannesburg today in a match that is part of former South African president Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebrations.
It will also be the first time that the Argentinans will be playing under the Experimental Law Variations.
"I believe the Springboks are the best team in the world at the moment, they are the world champions and they have started well in the Tri-nations," the Leinster outhalf said.
"It is an away game for us and you wouldn't choose to play the best team in the world, when most of your players are in the middle of their pre-season, as your first outing under the new rules," he told a news conference.
"But if you are given the opportunity to play against top international teams then you have to take it and hopefully it will pay off."
The Pumas have named 10 of their 2007 World Cup squad, which finished third in France, in their starting line-up, having called them back from their European clubs where they were preparing for the Northern Hemisphere season.
"The new rules suit (South Africa) better and the Springbok tactics suit the new rules," Contepomi said.
"In the World Cup we saw them kick a lot, they had a very solid defence and a lethal counter-attack.
"We are expecting a very physical confrontation, but the Springboks are not just emphasising the physical side. They are also becoming more intelligent and exposing their rivals' deficiencies more."
New South Africa cap Jongikhaya Nokwe, for his part, is expecting an aerial bombardment.
Nokwe has replaced Bryan Habana, who is shaking off the effects of a shoulder injury, on the wing in the world champions' starting line-up.
"It is huge pressure to replace Bryan and Argentina will see the new guy on the wing and will try to test me with kicks. But the last couple of years, I've been working on the high ball and my kicking, so I'm ready," Nokwe said.
Nokwe, who can run 40 metres in 4.62 seconds, is enjoying a renaissance in his career after moving from Boland, in the south-western Cape, to Free State, representing the Cheetahs in the Super 14.
He finished as the second leading try-scorer in the competition even though his team won just one match.
SOUTH AFRICA:C Jantjes; JP Pietersen, A Jacobs, J de Villiers, J Nokwe; B James, E Januarie; T Mtawarira, B du Plessis, CJ van der Linde, B Botha, V Matfield, L Watson, J Smith, P Spies. Replacements: A Strauss, B Mujati, A Bekker, J van Niekerk, F du Preez, J Fourie, P Montgomery.
ARGENTINA:B Stortoni; JM Nunez Piossek, F Martin Aramburu, M Avramovic, H Agulla; F Contepomi (capt), N Vergallo; R Roncero, M Ledesma, P Ledesma, R Alvarez, P Albacete, M Durand, JM Fernandez Lobbe, JM Leguizamon, Replacements: A Vernet Basualdo, M Ayerza, E Lozada, A Galindo, A Lalanne,B Urdapilleta, R Carballo.
Referee:W Barnes (England)
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