RC 2021 Match Preview: Australia vs Argentina

Several weeks ago Australia vs Argentina loomed as a battle for third position in the Rugby Championship. This is no longer the case. The Wallabies go in to the contest with back-to-back wins over South Africa. Australia’s victories have elevated them to third in the World Rankings and second place in the Rugby Championship is now Australia’s target. Los Pumas remain in search of their first win of the competition.

Australia go in to the game with plenty of confidence. The line-up named is one very different to the common Australian test team over the years. The scrum is excellent and there are both physical and creative options across the backs.

The line-up named to face Argentina retains 13 of the 15 starters from last weekend. Rob Leota replaces Lachlan Swinton at flanker and fullback Tom Banks is out through injury. Banks’ spot has gone to utility back Reece Hodge. The Wallaby bench will contain two of Australia’s leading names in James O’Connor and Jordan Petaia.

Mario Ledesma knows the Wallabies well. He was an assistant coach for the Wallabies before returning to Argentina to become Los Jaguares head coach om 2018. This weekend’s test match will see a first from Ledesma; his team is unchanged. The same XV that faced New Zealand in Brisbane start again.

Argentina did not play well in the first half but had a solid second half against the All Blacks. This included experimentation with Pablo Matera at N8, Lucio Cinti at center and Santiago Carreras at fly half. Cinti joins fellow Pumas rookies Facundo Gigena and Juan Martín González in the starting lineup.

Five further rookies are on the bench; indeed, Rodrigo Martínez, Joaquín Oviedo and Mateo Carreras are all set to make their test debuts as replacements. Of note is that  Martínez and Oviedo played in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) this year as did fellow replacement Gonzalo García and starting flanker González. In short, the production line continues to give Argentina more youth and veterans are under pressure.

The teams competed to two draws in 2020. Not only was there nothing spearated the teams on the scoresheets, but the games were both low scoring. Both teams defended well. However, matches in 2021 have seen New Zealand split open the defenses of both the Wallabies and Los Pumas.  Not to mention that tht confidence in Wallaby camp ought to suggest an attacking approach in Townsville.

Ledesma’s team attacked better in the second half against New Zealand than in the prior test matches this year. Central to the appraoch against Australia is not only retaining the same players, but stating that Carreras had a better game than Domingo Miotti at fly half.

The style of play looms as make-or-break in terms of a win and the bigger picture; Argentina’s trajetory to RWC 2023 depends heavily on who the players are. The 2021 Rugby Championship has thus far raised doubts over established names. The test match in Townsville sees Ledemsa putting his faith in many newcomers. More expansive play is likely than that shown thus far from Argentina in the 2021 Rugby Championship.

 

AUSTRALIA
1 James Slipper, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 3 Taniela Tupou; 4 Izack Rodda, 5 Matt Philip; 6 Rob Leota, 7 Michael Hooper (capt.), 8 Rob Valetini, 9 Nic White, 10 Quade Cooper, 11 Marika Koroibete, 12 Samu Kerevi, 13 Len Ikitau, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 15 Reece Hodge

Replacements: 16 Feleti Kaitu’u, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Tom Robertson, 19 Darcy Swain, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 James O’Connor, 23 Jordan Petaia

ARGENTINA
1 Facundo Gigena, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Santiago Medrano, 4 Matías Alemanno, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Juan Martín Gonzalez, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Pablo Matera, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Lucio Cinti, 14 Santiago Cordero, 15 Juan Cruz Mallia

Replacements: 16 Santiago Socino, 17 Rodrigo Martínez, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Joaquín Oviedo, 21 Gonzalo García, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Mateo Carreras

Date: Saturday, September 25
Kick-Off: 7:05am (Argentina)
Venue: Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry (Australia); Damon Murphy (Australia)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)

RECENT RESULTS
2020/12/05 Australia 16, Argentina 16 (Sydney, Australia)
2020/11/21 Australia 15, Argentina 15 (Newcastle, Australia)
2019/07/27 Australia 19, Argentina 10 (Brisbane, Australia)
2018/10/06 Argentina 34, Australia 45 (Salta, Argentina)
2018/09/15 Australia 19, Argentina 23 (Gold Coast, Australia)
2017/10/07 Argentina 20, Australia 37 (Mendoza, Argentina)
2017/09/16 Australia 45, Argentina 20 (Canberra, Australia)
2016/10/08 Argentina 21, Australia 33 (London, UK)
2016/09/07 Australia 36, Argentina 20 (Perth, Australia)
2015/10/25 Australia 29, Argentina 15 (London, UK)
2015/07/25 Argentina 9, Australia 34 (Mendoza, Argentina)
2014/10/04 Argentina 21, Australia 17 (Mendoza, Argentina)
2014/09/13 Australia, 32, Argentina 25 (Gold Coast, Australia)

OVERALL RESULTS
Australia Wins 25
Argentina Wins 6
Draws 3