Argentina will be hoping to pick up back-to-back wins over Australia in Salta on Saturday, something they have never done in their history.
They ended a six-game losing streak against Australia with last month’s win on the Gold Coast, which piled more pressure on Michael Cheika. It was also the first time they’d won in Australia since 1983 as they came away with a much-needed shot in their arm for their confidence.
Now they will be keen to return to winning ways after defeat to New Zealand, with a victory securing third place in the Rugby Championship.
The Wallabies meanwhile are on a wretched run of form as, with just one win out of five games in the competition, the knives are sharpening in the Australian media. The coaches and players know this match is must-win to give them breathing space before November’s internationals. However a defeat for Australia in Salta would see them finish bottom of the Rugby Championship pile for the first time since its inception.
At times last Saturday against South Africa it felt like men against boys in terms of physicality, with the Springboks’ relentless defence knocking back the battered and bruised Wallaby carriers. This is one area they must improve but they will be buoyed by the Pumas’ woes at scrum time, with the All Blacks the latest to show that Argentina are struggling in a set-piece that was once renowned as their strength.
The Salta clash will be unfamiliar territory for Australia as they’ve never played at Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena while Argentina have won three and lost three at the venue. Australia’s poor form on the road is hard to ignore as they’ve lost their last four away games, scoring more than 12 points just once in that run; they will be out to avoid losing a fifth-straight away match for the first time since 2005.
The heat is therefore very much on for Cheika and company to turn around this dismal campaign with a big final push. If they play to their potential they should have enough quality to bring much-needed cheer to the camp. However, a fifth defeat in six may leave Rugby Australia with more questions to field, compounded by the fact they’d fall to eighth in the rankings, below the Pumas for the first time in 10 years.
Players to watch:
For Argentina: Nicolas Sanchez has been in the form of his life in recent outings, with his running game causing both the Wallabies and All Blacks plenty of issues. He seems to be full of confidence in that department so Australia must be wary of the threat the 29-year-old poses on Saturday. If Sanchez, who is top of this year’s points chart in the Rugby Championship, can replicate his recent showings it will give the Pumas every chance of improving on their strongest campaign to date, with a possible three wins from six games real progress.
For Australia: It was a quiet first Test start from Taniela Tupou last weekend as he could not impact his powerful game on the Boks. He will be desperate to make amends in Salta and we expect him to have a much busier outing this time around. While Tupou promises to be a handful in possession, the Wallabies will hope he backs that up with a dominant performance at scrum time, which has been a major area of weakness from the Pumas this year. Also keep an eye on Bernard Foley as he returns to the starting jersey, looking to nail down that spot.
Head-to-head: As mentioned, the Wallabies struggled physically against South Africa and need to up their game in that department on Saturday. The Wallaby back-row isn’t known for its brute force, as it’s more of a mobile trio, and this week they yet again come up against a bustling group in Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer and Javier Ortega Desio. One feels that this contest could dictate how the match plays out.
Previous results:
2018: Argentina won 23-19 on Gold Coast
2018: Australia won 37-20 in Mendoza
2017: Australia won 45-20 in Canberra
2016: Australia won 21-33 in London
2016: Australia won 36-20 in Perth
2015: Australia won 29-15 in London (RWC semi-final)
2015: Australia won 34-9 in Mendoza
2014: Argentina won 21-17 in Mendoza
Prediction: We feel all the pressure could actually bring Australia together in this final outing. Wallabies by three.
The teams:
Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Matias Moroni, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustin Creevy (c), 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere
Australia: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Israel Folau, 13 Reece Hodge, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 David Pocock, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Rob Simmons, 20 Rory Arnold, 21 Caleb Timu, 22 Nick Phipps, 23 Matt Toomua, 24 Tom Banks
Date: Saturday, October 6
Venue: Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena, Salta
Kick-off: 19:40 local (23:40 BST, 22:40 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Mathieu Raynal (France), Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)