Lock Eben Etzebeth will join Victor Matfield as the most capped Springbok if he plays off the bench this Sunday after being named in the matchday 23 to face Argentina in the Rugby Championship.
Retired lock Matfield made 127 appearances for South Africa and fellow second row forward Etzebeth is set to equal that total in Santiago del Estero.
Assuming he plays, Etzebeth would then be poised to become the most capped Springbok when the teams meet again on September 29 in South Africa.
World champions South Africa need three points from the two Tests against Argentina to win the southern hemisphere championship for only the second time in 12 attempts.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has made 10 changes to the team that started in a 18-12 victory over New Zealand in Cape Town two weeks ago.
The five survivors are centre Jesse Kriel, fly-half Handre Pollard, prop Ox Nche, lock Ruan Nortje and No. 8 Jasper Wiese.
Etzebeth drops to the bench and regular captain Siya Kolisi has not been included despite travelling to South America. His role as skipper is taken by lock Salmaan Moerat.
Kolisi was due to have surgery on a fractured nose after the Cape Town Test, but an SA Rugby official told AFP the procedure had been delayed without giving further details.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels is the replacement hooker despite being only the third choice in that position for the Pretoria franchise the Bulls. He can also operate as a loosehead prop.
The Springboks will meet Argentina at 9am Sunday, while the Wallabies will host the All Blacks at 5.45pm Saturday.
Springboks (15-1): Aphelele Fassi; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi; Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach; Jasper Wiese, Ben-Jason Dixon, Marco van Staden; Ruan Nortje, Salmaan Moerat (capt); Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche
Replacements: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Eben Etzebeth, Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith, Jaden Hendrikse, Manie Libbok.
[Source: Rugby.com.au]
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