Argentina vs. South Africa: Live Stream, Preview for Rugby Championship 2017

Argentina will go looking for their first points in the 2017 Rugby Championship on Saturday, as they host South Africa in Salta.

The Pumas lost their opening match in Port Elizabeth 37-15 after a meltdown in the second half, but their first-half showing was cause for optimism. The Springboks are good, but not invincible, especially if the hosts can limit errors.

Date: Saturday, August 26

Time: 8:40 p.m. BST

TV Info: Sky Sports Action (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)

Preview

While South African fans should feel confident about their team after the win in Port Elizabeth, the Springboks took advantage of some sloppy play from the Pumas. As shared by rugby writer Hendrik Cronje, some statistics suggested there won't be a repeat in Match 2:

South Africa have won four matches in a row but haven't won an away match in the Rugby Championship in their last six tries. Their last victory came in Argentina, and the team will be eager to see that streak come to an end.

The Springboks largely won their first match thanks to the performance of their pack, which dominated the Argentinians throughout the contest. Per ESPN Rugby's John Goliath, tighthead Coenie Oosthuizen gave full marks to the group:

“It was a team effort, I think the whole pack of forwards were quite happy about the work we put into scrumming.

“Two weeks' prep is difficult for the tight unit to evolve quickly. But from a scrumming perspective, we achieved what we wanted, but there is so much more we can actually do right to improve our scrumming.

“But, for the first Test for the Rugby Championship, I think we can be happy about that."

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The fine form of their pack should serve them well in Salta, where the narrow pitch favours physical teams, rather than those built around pure athleticism.

Patience will be key in Argentina, where the hosts can get swept up by the vocal crowd and their physicality comes into play even more. Good work with the boot will also be needed, and that has been an area of concern for the hosts at times.