Eben Etzebeth bracing for 'angry' Los Pumas backlash in London

There have been many firsts since Rassie Erasmus came in as coach. The team has won back-to-back World Cups either side of a successful Lions series and handed the All Blacks their two biggest-ever defeats.

Now, the Boks look to add another feather to their already colourful cap. Since the Rugby Championship (formerly Tri Nations) started in 1996, the Boks have won the title just five times. If Erasmus' charges win on Saturday, they would have defended the title for the first time in its storied history.

This fact is not lost on Etzebeth.

"As a team, we have achieved a lot under coach Rassie, but one thing we have never done is to win this competition back-to-back," the most-capped Springbok told the press.

"It is a huge challenge for us; one that will be exceptional should we manage to do it.

"But it's easier said than done. Argentina will be angry on Saturday. They will come with a lot of hate if I can state it like that, given the result last weekend."

The Boks enjoy playing at Twickenham. Last time out, they defeated England 20-29. Then, in a 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up fixture, the Boks trounced the All blacks 37-5 in what was a record win at the time until their Wellington masterclass last month.

It's no secret that the Boks are well supported in London given the 200 000-plus South Africans living in England. However, Etzebeth says the team remains grounded despite the support.

"The last time we played here against a mutual team, it was the All Blacks, and there were quite a few South Africans," he recalled.

"We don't talk about how much support there will be or not, we just focus on the task at hand, and hopefully we can get a great result this weekend.

"If there are a lot of supporters this weekend, then it will be a bonus, but it is not something we talk about."

READ MORE: Former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers hails Boks' flyhalf depth