The Springboks are stepping up preparations for a huge Rugby Championship clash against Argentina this Saturday, with Rassie Erasmus sending a powerful 26-man squad to Buenos Aires for the battle against Los Pumas.

The Test, scheduled for 8 August at Estadio José Amalfitani, will see the world champions welcome back several of their biggest stars. Captain Siya Kolisi, lock giants Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and scrumhalf Morné van den Berg all return from injury.

The selected squad is: Thomas du Toit, Wilco Louw, Ox Nche, Zachary Porthen, Carlu Sadie, Gerhard Steenekamp, Boan Venter, Johan Grobbelaar, Malcolm Marx, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Ruan Nortje, Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon, Cameron Hanekom, Siya Kolisi, Elrigh Louw, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Franco Mostert, Vincent Tshituka, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Cobus Wiese, Cobus Reinach, Morné van den Berg, Grant Williams, Manie Libbok, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Vusi Moyo, Handré Pollard, Damian de Allende, André Esterhuizen, Jesse Kriel, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Aphelele Fassi, Ethan Hooker, Quan Horn, Cheslin Kolbe, Canan Moodie, Edwill van der Merwe and Damian Willemse.

Erasmus has carefully managed workloads, splitting his wider group ahead of the upcoming four-Test series against New Zealand. But against Argentina, the Boks will be desperate to lay down another marker before their next major challenge.