Former Springbok number eight Duane Vermeulen has downplayed the significance of New Zealand’s loss to Argentina in their opening Rugby Championship match.

The All Blacks suffered a surprise defeat to Argentina in Wellington, marking only the third time the South American side has beaten them in 38 encounters. This was a rematch of the 2023 Rugby World Cup semifinal, where New Zealand cruised to a 44-6 victory.

However, Vermeulen attributed the defeat to the All Blacks’ experimentation with new players and suggested that they would likely make adjustments for their next game.

“It’s early days, it’s a first game of the competition,” said Vermeulen, who was appointed as the SA Rugby Mobi-Unit coach earlier this year, when asked by Sportswire on Monday. 

“New Zealand tried a couple of young guns and it was a different side that played in the Rugby World Cup final and they will probably make few changes (in the next game) and we will wait and see.”

The Springboks, on the other hand, enjoyed a successful start to their campaign, securing a victory over Australia in Brisbane which was the first time since 2013. Vermeulen acknowledged the importance of this win but emphasized the need to remain focused on the task at hand.

“The win against Australia puts us in a good position, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves,” he stated. “Our goal is to win the Rugby Championship, but we’re taking it one game at a time.”

The Springboks will look to build on their momentum when they face Australia again in Perth on Saturday. Meanwhile, New Zealand will host Argentina for their second match of the tournament.

After these matches, the Boks will host New Zealand in South Africa, with the games taking place at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg and DHL Stadium in Cape Town respectively, in the next coming weeks.