RC 2021 Match Preview: New Zealand vs Argentina

The 2021 Rugby Championship continues on Saturday. New Zealand are officially the host side against Argentina in Gold Coast. The occasion will be the third test match in two years between the All Blacks and Los Pumas in Australia. With memories fresh from Argentina’s historic 25-15 victory, this coming Sunday’s match shapes-up as a must-see contest.

New Zealand are yet to be legitimately challenged for 80 minutes in 2021. The All Blacks defeated Tonga 102-0 and Fiji 60-3 and 57-23 in July. They then defeated Australia three times, doing so by score-lines of 33-25, 57-22, and 38-21. Los Pumas defeated Romania 24-17 and Wales 33-11, plus drew 20-20 with Wales in July but fell 32-12 and 29-10 against South Africa in August.

Confidence is reflected in the team named to face Argentina. Head Coach Ian Foster has made six changes from the side that faced Australia last weekend. This sees starts for Karl Tu’inukuafe and Asafo Aumua in the front-row; Luke Jacobson at flanker; TJ Perenara at scrum-half; and George Bridge and Sevu Reece on the wings.

Notwithstanding, there is also continuity. One instance is that of the centers where Foster continues with David Havili and Anton Lienert-Brown. Such a mid-field combination was highly unlikely twelve or six months ago.

New Zealand will have a new leader for the match; 30-year-old Brodie Retallick captain’s the All Blacks for the first time. He will be the 71st man to skipper New Zealand in a test match.

All 15 of New Zealand’s starting players play in New Zealand. Moreover, all of the replacements are also home-based players. This is in stark contrast to the make-up of Mario Ledesma’s side. It contains eight French Top 14 players, four who play in the English Premiership, one in Wales, one in Super Rugby AU and one on his way to the Crusaders.

The replacements further the spread into Scotland and Italy / Colombia. The Italian-based player, Gonzalo García played SLAR earlier this year for Los Cafeteros Pro. Replacement flanker Juan Martín González is the only Argentine-based player in the 23.

Julián Montoya will lead a side featuring seven changes from the loss against South Africa. He will be joined by new props; Facundo Gigena and Santiago Medrano start up front with Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro and Francisco Gómez Kodela now back in Europe. Marcos Kremer moves from second-row to flanker with Guido Petti locking the scrum alongside Matías Alemanno.

Nicolás Sánchez replaces Domingo Miotti at fly half. He will set an Argentine record. His 90th cap will be one more than Agustín Creevy. Elsewhere in the backs there are starts for Matías Moroni at center and Santiago Cordero and Bautista Delguy on the wings. Emiliano Boffelli may earn his first cap of 2021 while Gonzalo García is in-line for his test debut.

The line-up sees no replacement fly half. As such, Boffelli and García are to be used as cover is required. The All Blacks have targeted this area of Los Pumas in the past; this will likely be a feature of their play on Sunday. Unsettling the fly half has won New Zealand many test matches.

Argentina’s focus needs to be winning individual battles in the contact area. That is to say having a solid scrum and having the big men perform well in the tackle area and in rucks and mauls. There are questions over the scrum with the replacement props arguably being superior in this area.

 

NEW ZEALAND
1 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 2 Asafo Aumua, 3 Nepo Laulala, 4 Brodie Retallick (capt.), 5 Scott Barrett, 6 Akira Ioane, 7 Dalton Papalii, 8 Luke Jacobson, 9 TJ Perenara, 10 Beauden Barrett, 11 George Bridge, 12 David Havili, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 14 Sevu Reece, 15 Jordie Barrett

Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Joe Moody, 18 Tyrel Lomax, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Ethan Blackadder, 21 Brad Weber, 22 Damian McKenzie, 23 Rieko Ioane

ARGENTINA
1 Facundo Gigena, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Santiago Medrano, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Matías Alemanno, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 11 Santiago Cordero, 12 Jerónimo De La Fuente, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía

Replacements: 16 Facundo Bosch, 17 Carlos Muzzio, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Tomás Lavanini, 20 Juan Martín González, 21 Gonzalo García, 22 Santiago Chocobares, 23 Emiliano Boffelli

Date: Sunday, September 12
Kick-Off: 4:05am (Argentina)
Venue: Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa); Graham Cooper (Australia)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)

HISTORICAL RESULTS
2020/11/28 New Zealand 38, Argentina 0 (Newcastle)
2020/11/14 New Zealand 15, Argentina 25 (Sydney)
2019/07/20 Argentina 16, New Zealand 20 (Buenos Aires)
2018/09/29 Argentina 17, New Zealand 35 (Buenos Aires)
2018/09/08 New Zealand 46, New Zealand 24 (Nelson)
2017/09/30 Argentina 10, New Zealand 36 (Buenos Aires)
2017/09/09 New Zealand 39, Argentina 22 (New Plymouth)
2016/10/01 Argentina 17, New Zealand 36 (Buenos Aires)
2016/09/10 New Zealand 57, Argentina 22 (Hamilton)
2015/09/20 New Zealand 26, Argentina 16 (London)
2015/07/17 New Zealand 18, Argentina 39 (Christchurch)
2014/09/27 Argentina 13, New Zealand 34 (La Plata)
2014/09/06 New Zealand 28, Argentina 09 (Napier)
2013/09/28 Argentina 15, New Zealand 33 (La Plata)
2013/09/07 New Zealand 28, Argentina 13 (Hamilton)
2012/09/29 Argentina 15, New Zealand 54 (La Plata)
2012/09/08 New Zealand 21, Argentina 05 (Wellington)
2011/10/09 New Zealand 33, Argentina 10 (Auckland)
2006/06/24 Argentina 19 New Zealand 25 (Buenos Aires)
2004/06/26 New Zealand 41, Argentina 07 (Hamilton)
2001/12/01 Argentina 20, New Zealand 24 (Buenos Aires)
2001/06/22 New Zealand 67, Argentina 19 (Christchurch)
1997/06/28 New Zealand 62, Argentina 10 (Hamilton)
1997/06/21 New Zealand 93, Argentina 08 (Wellington)
1991/07/13 Argentina 06, New Zealand 36 (Buenos Aires)
1991/07/06 Argentina 14, New Zealand 28 (Buenos Aires)
1989/07/29 New Zealand 49, Argentina 12 (Wellington)
1989/07/15 New Zealand 60, Argentina 09 (Dunedin)
1987/06/01 New Zealand 45, Argentina 15 (Wellington)
1985/11//02 Argentina 21, New Zealand 21 (Buenos Aires)
1985/10/26 Argentina 20, New Zealand 23 (Buenos Aires)

OVERALL RESULTS
New Zealand Wins 29
Argentina Wins 1
Draws 1