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Argentina and Scotland square-off in the winner-takes-all series decider on Saturday. The match will be historic; never before has the city of Santiago del Estero hosted a rugby test match. The city’s modern Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades will be be a sight to behold. After years of producing Pumas back-rowers, Facundo Isa will have the honor of playing in his home town.
Argentina were convincing 26-18 winners in the first test match. Los Pumas played well in general play and scored good tries. The people at the venue in Jujuy were treated to a good game and they went home happy. A much improved Scotland won the second test match 29-6 in Salta. The Northern British side did not concede a try though Argentina knocked-on while over the line and had a second try disallowed for a forward pass.
The deciding test match will determine who lifts the trophy. It will put one side in a good position as the European season officially finishers. Argentina’s players will go on to prepare and play in the Rugby Championship. They need confidence to do so; a schedule of two test matches in New Zealand is among the offering.
Argentina’s preparations for the Santiago del Estero test match have been problematic. Captain and hooker Julián Montoya is out as are fly halves Nicolás Sánchez and Benjamín Urdapilleta and winger Santiago Cordero. Micheal Cheika has also decided to add Argentina XV players to drop Domingo Miotti and Felipe Ezcurra.
Cheika is not afraid of selecting an experimental side. The names at 9, 10 and 12 are instances a coach with vision and willing to find the required formula. The Italian-bound Lautaro Bazán Vélez will make his test debut at scrum-half, doing so inside Gloucester fullback Santiago Carreras who is retained at fly half. In a career first, Matías Moroni will play inside center. He will be inside Matías Orlando who will earn his 50th cap.
Juan Cruz Mallía returns at fullback in a back-three seeing Bautista Delguy playing for the first time under Cheika and Lucio Cinti providing cover from the bench. Emiliano Boffelli moves to the left wing and will retain the goal-kicking duties.
Up front there is a return to fitness of loose head Thomas Gallo. He joins Agustín Creevy, and Joel Sclavi, both of whom are elevated from the replacements. Tomás Lavanini and Santiago Grondona are other starting forwards who will earn their first caps under Cheika while Facundo Isa will play in his home town in his natural position of N8 and Pablo Matera will lead the team from flanker.
Scotland will also have a change in leadership; the grandparent-qualified Hamish Watson will captain Scotland for the first time. Watson will earn his 51st cap while tight head Zander Fagerson will earn his 50th. They join scrum-half Ali Price and second-rower Jonny Gray in starting players with 50 or more caps.
On the flip side, the test match will see the debut of Ollie Smith. The 21-year-old will play in the position of regular captain Stuart Hogg who starts at full-back. The Canadian-born Ewan Ashman will make his first start for Scotland as will the USA-born Rufus McLean will will play on the right wing.
The series winner will be penciled in by some as a team to watch for at RWC 2023. Both teams missed out on the Quarter Finals in Japan 2019 and will be desperate to rectify this in France.
TEAMS
ARGENTINA
1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Agustín Creevy, 3 Joel Sclavi, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera (capt.), 7 Santiago Grondona, 8 Facundo Isa, 9 Lautaro Bazán Vélez, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Matías Moroni, 13 Matías Orlando, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Francisco Gómez Kodela, 19 Marcos Kremer, 20 Juan Martín González, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Tomás Albornoz, 23 Lucio Cinti
SCOTLAND
1 Rory Sutherland, 2 Ewan Ashman, 3 Zander Fagerson, 4 Scott Cummings, 5 Jonny Gray, 6 Rory Darge, 7 Hamish Watson (capt.), 8 Matt Fagerson, 9 Ali Price, 10 Blair Kinghorn, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 13 Mark Bennett, 14 Rufus McLean, 15 Ollie Smith
Replacements: 16 Dave Cherry, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Glen Young, 20 Andy Christie, 21 George Horne, 22 Ross Thompson, 23 Sam Johnson
Date: Saturday, July 16
Kick-Off: 4:00pm (Argentina)
Venue: Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, Santiago de Estero (AR)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Mathieu Raynal (France); Tual Trainini (France)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
HISTORICAL RESULTS
July 09, 2022 – Argentina 06-29 Scotland (Salta, AR)
July 02, 2022 – Argentina 26-18 Scotland (Jujuy, AR)
November 24, 2018 – Scotland 14-09 Argentina (Edinburgh, UK)
June 23, 2018 – Argentina 15-44 Scotland (Resistencia, AR)
November 19, 2016 – Scotland 19-16 Argentina (Edinburgh, UK)
November 08, 2014 – Scotland 41-31 Argentina (Edinburgh, UK)
June 21, 2014 – Argentina 19-21 Scotland (Córdoba, AR)
September 25, 2011 – Argentina 13-12 (Wellington, NZ)
June 19, 2010 – Argentina 09-13 Scotland (Mar del Plata, AR)
June 12, 2010 – Argentina 16-24 Scotland (Tucumán, AR)
November 28, 2009 – Scotland 06-09 Argentina (Edinburgh, UK)
June 14, 2008 – Argentina 14-26 Scotland (Buenos Aires, AR)
June 07, 2008 – Argentina 21-15 Scotland (Rosario, AR)
October 07, 2007 – Argentina 19-13 Scotland (Paris, FR)
November 12, 2005 – Scotland 19-23 Argentina (Edinburgh, UK)
November 18, 2001 – Scotland 16-25 Argentina (Edinburgh, UK)
August 21, 1999 – Scotland 22-31 Argentina (Edinburgh, UK)
June 11, 1994 – Argentina 19-17 Scotland (Buenos Aires, AR)
June 04, 1994 – Argentina 16-15 Scotland (Buenos Aires, AR)
November 10, 1990 – Scotland 49-03 Argentina (Edinburgh, UK)
