Eben Etzebeth says the Springboks are determined to write a new chapter in South African rugby history when they face Argentina at Twickenham on Saturday.

The world champions have never retained the Rugby Championship title, but a win in London would make Rassie Erasmus’ side the first Bok team to clinch the southern-hemisphere crown two years in a row.

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Etzebeth, who will again lock the scrum alongside Ruan Nortje despite the presence of long-time partner Lood de Jager in the squad, underlined the significance of the moment.

“It’ll be unbelievable for us as a group,” Etzebeth said.

“I think under coach Rassie, we’ve achieved many great things but one thing we haven’t yet in the country’s rugby history, is win the Rugby Championship two years in a row. Naturally, it’s a big challenge for us and would mean so much if we’re able to pull it off – but that’s easier said than done.

“We know Argentina are going to play angry and they’ll come back with lots of heart, but we’ve also said internally that we won’t be standing back and we’ll also aim to play better in order to win this thing for two consecutive years.”

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The Boks are in the midst of a purple patch after two massive wins over the All Blacks and Los Pumas, but even despite that, Etzebeth says the focus at Twickenham is on improvement – not the crowd or the venue.

“The last time we played here against a neutral team, was the All Blacks and there were quite a few South Africans,” he said.

“But in the week, we don’t talk about how much support there’s likely to be for us, or not for us. We just want to stay focused on the task at hand because we know what’s at stake. And if there are a lot of South African supporters, then that’s a bonus.”

Etzebeth will run out for his 138th Test this weekend, with the Boks chasing a slice of history to crown what has already been a golden era under Erasmus.

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