Boks must go on as they began

The Springboks began their Rugby Championship campaign with an impressive performance against Argentina in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. The Boks, with four consecutive Test wins this term, employed a well-balanced game plan against the Pumas. South Africa operated in the right areas of the field, asked incisive questions on attack and were resilient in defence.

While the collective effort of the team was outstanding - there is something really special brewing in this Springbok side - Elton Jantjies' performance against the South Americans was a masterclass in flyhalf play. The 27-year-old pivot, who is the fulcrum of the side, dictated terms and contributed 17 points from the boot.

I hope the public can now acknowledge that in Jantjies we possess a world-class flyhalf. In the forward pack, Franco Mostert was absolutely sublime, and the back-row comprising Uzair Cassiem, Jaco Kriel and Siya Kolisi worked well in tandem during their first Test as a loose trio combination.

The Springboks scored four tries against the Pumas, but the foundations of the home side's victory were based on a solid defence. Brendan Venter has had a telling effect on the side's defence and exits. The men in green and gold are well organised and are aware of their roles and responsibilities.

Comparatively, the Wallabies' defensive system from one lineout to the next was non-existent against the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday.

The Springboks have now leapfrogged the Wallabies into fourth place on the World Rugby rankings. Allister Coetzee will be relatively satisfied having parachuted to fourth position, but on Saturday in Salta, Argentina, the Springbok class of 2017 face their sternest test so far. The Springboks are unbeaten in Coetzee's second season in charge, but all four victories have come on home turf.

Playing against the Pumas away from home is going to prove a tough assignment for Coetzee's relatively young charges in the Test arena. It's not that they haven't played Super Rugby in Argentina, but Test-level pressure is more intense. Eben Etzebeth has deputised well for Warren Whiteley, but I would be more confident if the latter was still skipper because captaining away from home is uncharted territory for the former.

Meanwhile, the injury to Ross Cronjé opens the door for Francois Hougaard to start at scrumhalf. I'm sorry Cronjé is injured, but Hougaard's inclusion is a boost for the Springboks.

Hougaard is a really cool customer and he won't be at all fazed about playing the Pumas away and will instil confidence in those around him. A real strength of character from South Africa is going to have to shine through against Argentina in front of a partisan home crowd.

If the Boks win on Saturday it will be a proper victory because the Pumas are most definitely a different animal on home soil. I believe the outcome will be informed by how the Springboks cope with pressure.

When the pressure intensifies and the crowd is vocal, are the Boks going to stick to their game plan? The Boks did well playing in the right areas in the first round. They need to keep that up to frustrate Argentina.

It's not about playing pretty rugby. If you put the Pumas under enough pressure in their own half, they tend to run the wrong ball back.