Marcos Kremer Out of Decisive Rugby Championship Clash Due to Injury

Influential Argentine loose forward Marcos Kremer will miss the decisive Rugby Championship match against South Africa this weekend due to a knee injury. His absence is a significant blow for Argentina, who need a bonus point victory to claim the championship. The final round sees Argentina trailing by five points.

Influential Argentine loose forward Marcos Kremer is set to miss his country's crucial Rugby Championship match against South Africa this weekend due to a knee injury sustained in last Saturday's win over the Springboks, according to the Argentine Rugby Union.

Kremer exited midway through the second half of Argentina's 29-28 home victory over the World Cup champions in Santiago del Estero. His omission from the 28-man squad for the return match in Nelspruit deals a heavy blow to the Pumas, who need a bonus point victory at Mbombela Stadium to snatch the Rugby Championship from table-toppers South Africa.

The Springboks lead Argentina by five points entering this final round of the southern hemisphere competition. Kremer, with 72 caps, is the only forward missing from the squad, but backs Ignacio Mendy, Matias Orlando, and Justo Piccardo have also been left out as the squad size is reduced to 28.

(With inputs from agencies.)