South Africa v Argentina Rugby Championship betting tips & odds

The Rugby Championship title race is wide open as world champions South Africa welcome Los Pumas to Kings Park Stadium in Durban for Round 5 on Saturday, September 27.

The Springboks are coming off a statement 43–10 victory over New Zealand in Wellington and sit just one point off the top of the standings. The top sports betting sites have them as heavy -833.33 favorites. Argentina stayed in the hunt with a gutsy 28–26 win over the Wallabies in Sydney and have already beaten both Australia and New Zealand in this year’s competition.

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has stuck with the core of his winning side, recalling Eben Etzebeth in the second row and moving Damian Willemse to fullback. Damian de Allende and Canan Moodie form the midfield, while Ethan Hooker retains his spot on the wing.

Argentina boss Felipe Contepomi has doubled down on a physical forward pack, bringing in Franco Molina, Lucas Paulos and Pablo Matera. Juan Cruz Mallía captains from fullback with Rodrigo Isgró lining up on the opposite wing to Mateo Carreras.

South Africa v Argentina Round 5 lineups

South Africa starting XV

15 Damian Willemse
14 Cheslin Kolbe
13 Canan Moodie
12 Damian de Allende
11 Ethan Hooker
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
9 Cobus Reinach
8 Jasper Wiese
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit
6 Siya Kolisi (c)
5 Ruan Nortje
4 Eben Etzebeth
3 Thomas du Toit
2 Malcolm Marx
1 Ox Nche

Bench: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Boan Venter, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith, Morne van den Berg, Manie Libbok, Andre Esterhuizen

Argentina starting XV

15 Juan Cruz Mallía (vc)
14 Rodrigo Isgró
13 Lucio Cinti
12 Santiago Chocobares
11 Mateo Carreras
10 Santiago Carreras
9 Gonzalo García
8 Joaquín Oviedo
7 Marcos Kremer
6 Pablo Matera (vc)
5 Lucas Paulos
4 Franco Molina
3 Joel Sclavi
2 Julián Montoya (c)
1 Mayco Vivas

Bench: Ignacio Ruiz, Boris Wenger, Francisco Coria Marchetti, Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo, Juan Martín González, Simón Benítez Cruz, Tomás Albornoz

• 

  Fast Payouts

Springboks v Pumas betting predictions

Argentina +16.5

Argentina have a history of covering big handicaps in South Africa, and their physical pack plus better discipline make them dangerous underdogs again. The +16.5 line at -111.11 with BetOnline gives Los Pumas a solid cushion.

Ethan Hooker anytime tryscorer

Ethan Hooker’s speed and finishing ability on the wing complements South Africa’s bruising midfield. With Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu running the show at fly-half, Hooker should see plenty of scoring chances. At +105 with BetOnline, the anytime tryscorer price is appealing.

Over 54 total points

Both sides have shown a willingness to run the ball in 2025, and Kings Park has produced high-scoring games in recent years. The over 54 total points at -114.94 with BetOnline offers value for bettors expecting end-to-end rugby.