Springbok Watch: Players in the Spotlight v Argentina at Twickenham

Ox Nche

A late withdrawal from the team last week in Durban after he pulled up with a niggle, the mighty Ox is back and ready to get stuck into some prime Puma beef.

Boan Venter did a solid job filling the void as the Boks annihilated the Argentinians 67-10, but Nche’s a different beast altogether.

Ultra-compact, immensely powerful, highly technical, surprisingly mobile, and seasoned. Those are all the reasons why he’s not only the Boks’ first-choice loosehead but also the No. 1 No. 1 in the world at the moment.

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Jasper Wiese

A weapon of destruction, Wiese has been colossal since returning from suspension, following up his tour de force in Wellington with a commanding display in Durban.

With the human pain train now set to roll through Twickenham, you’d hate to be on the tracks tasked with having to stop him.

What his ban and performances since have shown is that while the Boks are blessed with the most depth of any Test team at present, even they don’t have a like-for-like backup for the fiercely physical Wiese.

Thus, enjoy his show of dominance.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

Sacha’s name is on everyone’s lips, and rightfully so, after his unbelievable record-breaking performance in Durban last weekend.

Scoring no less than 37 points, he broke the all-time Bok record for the most points scored by a player in a single Test and left himself on the brink of another personal milestone as he’s just five shy of 100 Test points.

That masterclass is an impossible act to follow, so it’ll be interesting to see how he goes about it.

He’s only 23, but he’s wise for his age, and while it’s best for a prodigy like him to play his natural game, it’ll also be important not to chase the dragon, so to speak.

By all indications, he’ll keep it cool and classy in the English cauldron.

Ethan Hooker

When you talk about a natural, Hooker is it. He’s had no issue whatsoever making the step up to Test rugby and is relishing the opportunity to showcase his skills at one of the game’s most iconic grounds for the first time.

At Sky Stadium, he went on a barnstorming run from inside his 22, which resulted in a try for Kwagga Smith. At Kings Park, he expertly played Pieter-Steph du Toit in for the first of his two tries.

What will the 23-year-old get up to at Twickenham? Bok fans can’t wait to find out.

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Bongi Mbonambi

The veteran hooker will look to turn the corner of what has been one of his most challenging seasons when he replaces Malcolm Marx in the second half.

Mbonambi has struggled with form for quite some time and carried the issues he had playing at the Sharks over to the Boks. He’s made only three appearances for South Africa so far this season, all three off the bench, with the last being in the shock 38-23 loss to the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship opener.

The 34-year-old was initially selected for the New Zealand leg of the Southern Hemisphere showpiece but remained in South Africa “to attend to family matters”. Many thought he’d be reintroduced in the familiar surroundings of Durban last weekend, but he gets to earn his 81st Test cap at Twickenham.

We know the quality of the man; it’s just time for him to show it again, especially considering the heavy workload Marx has carried this year.