Rugby Championship
Matfield misses trip to Buenos Aires
ESPN Staff
August 19, 2014
Matfield will be unavailable until the Wallabies Test in Perth © Getty Images
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The Springboks' hopes of Victor Matfield making a return for their Test match in Argentina have been dashed after he failed to make the trip to Beunos Aires on Monday.

Matfield was spotted at Loftus Versfeld doing rehabilitation on the cartilage tear that kept him out of the opening Rugby Championship Test last weekend, and it seems the Springboks' veteran may make his return from a knee injury when the Boks make their trip to Perth to face the Wallabies in a fortnight's time.

This means the three locks from last week, Bakkies Botha, Lood de Jager and Eben Etzebeth, will be given another chance to prove themselves after the lineout suffered last week with Argentina constantly disrupting the Boks normally solid lineouts, especially at the front.

With Matfield out for the second Test Jager looks set to get another run at five, with Etzebeth likely to make his return to the starting line-up and Botha to start on the bench. It is likely the Boks will have more lineout options as they are set to return to their more traditional line-up with a blindside flank slotting in, and not two opensides as was the case at Loftus.

This means that if Juan Smith overcomes a hamstring strain he cold be used at blindside.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

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