Kolisi urges Boks to stick to their game plan against Los Pumas

Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has emphasised the need to start well in their all-important Rugby Championship clash against Argentina on Saturday.

The Boks will take on Los Pumas, who are also equally desperate for victory, at Estadio Libertadores de América in Buenos Aires in Argentina (9.10pm).

The two sides need to win the match with a bonus point to stay in the race for the title.

Both teams are on nine points each and a bonus-point win will see them move to 14 and level with leaders All Blacks with one game to play in the annual tournament.

Kolisi is confident they can achieve this as long as they stick to the game plan which involves protecting the ball at the breakdowns from Los Pumas’s dangerous loose forwards trio.

“Their loose forwards are all good and off the ball, so we need to look after the ball at the breakdowns and make sure we make use of the opportunities we create in the match,” Kolisi said.

“We are expecting a tough battle against the hosts, and we know we have to bring as much intensity as possible from the outset because they start games strongly.”

Kolisi said though they were playing away from home, the good thing was that they have spent a lot of time preparing for the game in Buenos Aires.

“We had a good week-and-a-half of training and a few days off as well last week, so we are looking forward to the clash,” he said.

“It helped a lot in our preparation that we could adapt to the conditions and time zone in Argentina over an extended time and also to have time to explore and experience the similarities between SA and Argentina.”

After this match, the two teams will pack their bags and head to SA where they will play their last match of the championship in Durban’s Kings Park Stadium on September 24.