Boks aren't worried about bonus point

THE Springboks were caught in a try-scoring frenzy in last year's Rugby Championship, where they were even able to rattle off six tries in two games in New Zealand and Australia.

While the Springboks will be trying to keep their unbeaten record against Argentina intact, there is the small matter of having to fight to keep their streak alive when the sides clash on Saturday in Salta.

However, Argentina was the one country where the Boks did not go on a try fest, with last year's encounter in Mendoza a tight one. The Boks eventually won 22-17.

Unlike last year, where the Boks came to South America after a 73-13 thrashing of Argentina in Johannesburg, a sodden surface drenched by unseasonal rain in Pretoria put a spanner in Springbok aspirations of a four-try bonus point last weekend.

Springbok backline coach Ricardo Loubscher is not worried about chasing the bonus point this weekend, even though the Boks will be closely watching what New Zealand and Australia get up to at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday morning.

"The focus is to win the game to start off with but tries will be a bonus. This week is all about focusing on our preparation and that has been narrowed in the quest for a win," said Loubscher, the former Sharks and Springbok fullback.

If there is a blessing for the Springboks, it is the unseasonably warm weather predicted for Salta, which is known for chilly winter days.

The Boks could find themselves in conditions they are accustomed to, even though they will only be flying to Salta on Friday morning.

Preparation was the watch word for Loubscher considering the short turnaround period from the Pretoria test match, which was at a higher altitude than Salta's 1100m above sea level.