Bookies back Springboks for Rugby World Cup bronze

Bookmakers have installed the Springboks as firm favourites for victory in the match no one really cares about...

The Boks and Argentina, beaten semi-finalists over the past weekend, will go head-to-head in the bronze medal match at The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Friday at 22:00 SA time.

The Boks were narrow 20-18 losers to the All Blacks at Twickenham on Saturday, while Australia put the Pumas to the sword 29-15 at the same venue on Sunday.

Leading SA bookies Sportingbet have installed the Boks as 8-point favourites for the match that New Zealand coach Steve Hansen has called to be scrapped.

The Boks can be backed at 4/11 for the outright win, while Argentina are on offer at 9/4.

Of far more interest than the meaningless match itself will be the match-day 23 that coach Heyneke Meyer selects.

Will he give his fringe players at this year's tournament - Morne Steyn, Rudy Paige, Coenie Oosthuizen, Siya Kolisi, Zane Kirchner among others - a chance or will the under fire Bok mentor see it as a 'can't lose another match' scenario?

The Pumas for their part were decimated by injuries in their defeat to the Wallabies and have already lost three key players for the match.

Source: Sport24