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Australia host Argentina in a fourth round Rugby Championship match on Saturday. For viewers in the Americas it is to be an early-morning start. Kick-off is scheduled for 7am, Argentine time.
For the fixture Australia are set to add a Fijian to their ranks. Marika Koroibete will make his test debut as a replacement. He steps in for Curtis Rona.
Missing is veteran hooker and former captain, Stephen Moore. Head Coach Michael Cheika has named rookie Jordan Uelese to start. This continues changes in the position with Tatafu Polota-Nau having also started this year.
In the second-row Cheika has left Rory Arnold out. This sees Rob Simmons joining Adam Coleman in the engine room.
Argentine Head Coach, Daniel Hourcade has changed five. With Joaquín Tuculet unavailable, Emiliano Boffelli moves from wing to fullback. It sees an all-new back-three selected with Boffelli being joined by Matías Moroni and Ramiro Moyano.
Moroni moves from outside center to the right wing with Matías Orlando returning to start in the mid-field. A further change in the backs sees Martín Landajo starting in place of Tomás Cubelli, a mystifying selection given last Saturday’s match against New Zealand.
In the forwards there is one change. It sees a fourth player named to start at the back of the scrum in as many matches. Leonardo Senatore, Juan Manuel Leguizamón and Benjamín Macome each have one start thus far in the Rugby Championship. Flanker Tomás Lezana gets an opportunity in Canberra.
In the reserves there is a first test cap for Manuel Montero in more than a year. He is preferred to Santiago Cordero. Despite being fit Juan Martín Hernández misses out with Santiago González Iglesias named as the replacement fly half.
Saturday’s match will be the 28th time Australia and Argentina have played in test rugby. The Wallabies have won 19 compared to Argentina’s record of five wins. The also teams competed to a draw in 1987.
The match will be the 14th played in Australia. Argentina has one victory in the country. It was a history making 18-3 triumph in 1983. Hugo Porta kicked 10 points while forwards Tomás Peterson and Buenaventura Minguez scored tries.
In the Wallabies have a 4-0 record at home against Argentina in the Rugby Championship. However both Australia and Argentina enter the match looking for the first win of the campaign. Australia lost at home and away against New Zealand before competing to a draw against South Africa. Argentina lost twice to South Africa and then fell to New Zealand in round three.
The vastly improved performance of Los Pumas gives them added confidence in Canberra. It is the most winnable match thus far for the South Americans though questions remain unanswered as to why Hourcade has made the changes that he has. Australia enter as favorites to win by 7 or more points.
AUSTRALIA
15 Israel Folau, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Reece Hodge, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 Sean McMahon, 7 Michael Hooper (Capt.), 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Jordan Uelese, 17 Tom Robertson, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Izack Rodda, 20 Jack Dempsey, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Samu Kerevi, 23 Marika Koroibete
ARGENTINA
15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Matías Moroni, 13 Matías Orlando, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Martín Landajo, 8 Tomás Lezana, 7 Javier Ortega Desio, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matías Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustín Creevy (Capt.), 1 Lucas Noguera Paz
Replacements: 16 Julían Montoya, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Marcos Kremer, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 21 Tomás Cubelli, 22 Santiago González Iglesias, 23 Manuel Montero
Date: Saturday September 16
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra, Australia
Kick-off: 8:00pm Local (7:00am Argentina)
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistants: Glen Jackson (New Zealand) and Paul Williams (New Zealand)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
