2024 Rugby Championship – Argentina vs Australia Game 2 – ARN Guide

Argentina and Australia meet for the second time in eight days. Only one point separated the teams at full-time in game one in La Plata and the result was decided by a last-gasp penalty. The second fixture sees the action moving from the Rio de la Plata 500km northwest to Santa Fé. Aside from World Cup years, the teams meet twice annually in the Rugby Championship. They split the results in 2022 with Australia winning the first and Argentina the second.

 

FORM GUIDE

Current World Ranking: 7 (81.57 points)
2024-08-31 – Argentina 19-20 Australia (La Plata, AR)
2024-08-17 – New Zealand 42-10 Argentina (Auckland, NZ)
2024-08-10 – New Zealand 30-38 Argentina (Wellington, NZ)
2024-07-20 – Uruguay 05-79 Argentina (Punta del Este, UY)
2024-07-13 – Argentina 33-25 France (Buenos Aires, AR)
2024-07-06 – Argentina 13-28 France (Mendoza, AR)

Current World Ranking: 8 (80.70 points)

2024-08-31 – Argentina 19-20 Australia (La Plata, AR)
2024-08-17 – Australia 12-30 South Africa (Perth, AU)
2024-08-10 – Australia 07-33 South Africa (Brisbane, AU)
2024-07-20 – Australia 40-29 Georgia (Sydney, AU)
2024-07-13 – Australia 36-28 Wales (Melbourne, AU)
2024-07-06 – Australia 25-16 Wales (Sydney, AU)

STARTING LINEUP CHANGES

4 Guido Petti replaces Franco Molina
5 Tomás Lavanini replaces Pedro Rubiolo (HIA)
10 Tomás Albornoz replaces Santiago Carreras
14 Bautista Delguy replaces Santiago Cordero

5 Jeremy Williams replaces Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
10 Ben Donaldson replaces Noah Lolesio
14 Max Jorgensen replaces Andrew Kellaway
15 Andrew Kellaway moves from 14; replaces Tom Wright

 

30 OR MORE CAPS

–  P Matera (104); J Montoya (99); T Lavanini (89); G Petti (83); M Kremer (70); G Bertranou (63); S Carreras (48); JC Mallía (36)

– J Slipper (138); A Alaalatoa (73); M Koroibiete (61); T Tupou (53); R Valetini (45); L Salakaia-Loto (35); T McDermott (34); A Kellaway (32); L Ikitau (32); A Bell (30)

 

15 OR FEWER CAPS

– G García (5); F Molina (6); J Oviedo (7); T Albornoz (11); I Ruiz (12)

– J Canham (0); H Stewart (1); M Jorgensen (2); T Lynagh (2); J Floook (2); C Tizzano (3); J Nasser (5); J Williams (5); L Gleeson (7); M Faessler (9); B Donaldson (11)

NOTABLE ABSENTEES

– Pedro Rubiolo (LO); Facundo Isa (N8); Emiliano Boffelli (WI); Matías Moroni (CE/WI)

– Rob Leota (FL); Fraser McReight (FL); Kurtley Beale (FB)

NOTES

• Game one was an evening match while game two will be in the afternoon.
• It is the Wallabies first appearance in Santa Fé City and third in the province.
• The 16 prior test matches between the teams in Argentina were played in Buenos Aires, La Plata, Mendoza, Rosario, Salta and San Juan.
• Los Pumas first played in Santa Fé in 2007. A drop-goal from Felipe Contepomi saw Argentina home to a 22-20 win over Ireland.
• Center Santiago Chocobares and replacement Mayco Vivas are from Santa Fé province.
• Tomás Albornoz earns his first start against Tier 1 opponent. He started against Uruguay in July.
• Guido Petti and Tomás Lavanini reform the second-row for the first time since RWC 2023. Lavanini earns his 90th cap.
• Both teams have one win and two losses from three matches in the 2024 Rugby Championship.
• Julián Montoya becomes the 4th Puma to reach 100 test caps. He will skipper Argentina for the 37th time. Agustín Creevy has retired.
• Juan Martín González has a 4 match try scoring streak in tests vs Australia.
• Issac Kailea returned to Australia following his concussion in the La Plata test match.
• Andrew Kellaway starts at fullback for the first time in 2024.
• James Slipper equals George Gregan’s long-standing record of 139 caps for Australia.
• Josh Canham debuts as a replacement; he will be the 987th Wallaby.
• Puma Pedro Rubiolo and Wallabies Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Noah Lolesio, and Tom Wright started in La Plata but are unfit for Santa Fé.

PREDICTION

Game one in La Plata was highly influenced by rain. Game two in Santa Fé will be a hot day and the match will be a late afternoon kick-off rather than an evening fixture. Argentina were bitterly disappointed with their last-gasp defeat and are anxious to right the wrongs of La Plata. The Wallabies had the edge at the scrum; can they repeat this time with the number of scrums expected to be notably less? Los Pumas are favorites to win at home.

 

LINE-UPS

ARGENTINA
1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Joel Sclavi, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera (vice-capt.), 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Juan Martín González, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 11 Mateo Carreras, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Lucio Cinti, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía (vice-capt.)

Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Joaquín Oviedo, 21 Santiago Grondona, 22 Gonzalo García, 23 Santiago Carreras

AUSTRALIA
1 Angus Bell, 2 Matt Faessler, 3 Taniela Tupou, 4 Nick Frost, 5 Jeremy Williams, 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.), 9 Jake Gordon, 10 Ben Donaldson, 11 Marika Koroibete, 12 Hamish Stewart, 13 Len Ikitau, 14 Max Jorgensen, 15 Andrew Kellaway

Replacements: 16 Josh Nasser, 17 James Slipper, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Josh Canham, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Tom Lynagh, Josh Flook

MATCH INFO

Date: Saturday, September 07
Kickoff: 4pm (Buenos Aires); 5am (Sydney, AU)
Venue: Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao López, Santa Fé (AR)
Broadcasts: ESPN, Disney + (Argentina)
Weather Forecast: Sunny and Hot, 27°C, wind 16 km/h

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant Referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand); James Doleman (New Zealand)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

HISTORY vs (1979-2023)

2024/08/31 – Argentina 19-20 Australia (La Plata, AR)
2023/07/15 – Australia 31-34 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
2022/08/13 – Argentina 48-17 Australia (San Juan, AR)
2022/08/06 – Argentina 26-41 Australia (Mendoza, AR)
2021/10/02 – Australia 32-17 Argentina (Gold Coast, AU)
2021/09/25 – Australia 27-08 Argentina (Townsville, AU)
2020/12/05 – Australia 16-16 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
2020/11/21 – Australia 15-15 Argentina (Newcastle, AU)
2019/07/27 – Australia 19-10 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
2018/10/06 – Argentina 34-45 Australia (Salta, AR)
2018/09/15 – Australia 19-23 Argentina (Gold Coast, AU)
2017/10/07 – Argentina 20-37 Australia (Mendoza, AR)
2017/09/16 – Australia 45-20 Argentina (Canberra, AU)
2016/10/08 – Argentina 21-33 Australia (London, UK)
2016/09/17 – Australia 36-20 Argentina (Perth, AU)
2015/10/25 – Australia 29-15 Argentina (London, UK)
2015/07/25 – Argentina 9-34 Australia (Mendoza, AR)
2014/10/04 – Argentina 21-17 Australia (Mendoza, AR)
2014/09/13 – Australia 32-25 Argentina (Gold Coast, AU)
2013/10/05 – Argentina 17-54 Australia (Rosario, AR)
2013/09/14 – Australia 14-13 Argentina (Perth, AU)
2012/10/06 – Argentina 19-25 Australia (Rosario, AR)
2012/09/15 – Australia 23-19 Argentina (Gold Coast, AU)
2003/10/10 – Australia 24-8 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
2002/11/02 – Argentina 06-17 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
2000/06/24 – Australia 32-25 Argentina (Canberra, AU)
2000/06/17 – Australia 53-06 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
1983/11/08 – Argentina 18-16 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
1997/11/01 – Argentina 15-23 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
1995/05/06 – Australia 30-13 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
1995/04/30 – Australia 53-07 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
1991/10/04 – Australia 32-19 Argentina (Llanelli, UK)
1987/11/07 – Argentina 27-19 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
1987/10/31 – Argentina 19-19 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
1986/07/12 – Australia 26-0 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
1986/07/06 – Australia 39-19 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
1983/08/07 – Australia 29-13 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
1983/07/31 – Australia 03-18 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
1979/11/03 – Argentina 12-27 Australia (Buenos Aires (AR)
1979/10/27 – Argentina 24-13 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)

HEAD TO HEAD vs

Wins 29
Wins 8
Draws 3