Bongi Mbonambi has cautioned the Springboks against complacency as they prepare for Saturday’s Rugby Championship decider against Argentina at Twickenham.

The veteran hooker returns to the squad after missing the last few Tests due to family reasons, and while the Boks are coming off a convincing win in Durban, Mbonambi insists that result counts for little in London.

“Once you think you’re at the top, you can quickly get humbled, so you can never count the Pumas out,” said Mbonambi.

“They’ll bring something and we’ve got to respect our opponents. The way they play rugby, the way they train – their coaches are excellent and you can see they have plans they want to execute and we’re expecting a proper challenge from them.”

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Mbonambi expects Argentina’s passion and physicality to test the Boks again, regardless of what happened last week.

“Argentina is quite a passionate team and they’re quite tough. It wasn’t easy in Durban and it won’t be easy here either. That game is in the past now, and we need to prepare for this weekend. In rugby, a lot can happen in a week so we’ve got to focus on ourselves, focus on the plan, make sure all the players buy into the plan and that we’re all aligned on Saturday.”

The 34-year-old, who has played 80 Tests for South Africa, also welcomed the competition within the Bok squad – particularly in his own position.

“There’s good competition in this team. There has to be competition in order to become a better player. Seeing their growth and development in the side has been great. They bring a lot of energy and they enjoy being here. It’s obviously tough out there on the field – we really push each other – but we’re all aligned into one plan which is to see the Springboks succeed at the end of the day.”

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Mbonambi’s return strengthens the Boks’ front-row depth for what is shaping up as a high-stakes encounter at Twickenham, with both sides desperate to finish their campaign on a high.

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