The Pumas celebrate the last try against Australia. AFP photo
The last one Rugby Championship for Argentina it was painful: they didn’t win any of the games they played. This time it’s different The Cougars they reach the third appointment sharing the first position with Australia and although the antecedents before New Zeland – which they will face at dawn this Saturday and the next one – are not a good omen, the reality of the two teams crosses different realities and puts the locals on the defensive.
True, the Pumas have only beaten the All Blacks once in history. The numbers do not give the Argentine team a chance to be associated with the concept of favorite, but the New Zealanders are not going through their best moment: coach Ian Foster It is confirmed until next year’s World Cup, but it is also questioned. Until their victory 15 days ago, New Zealand were riding an unusual three-game losing streak.
On November 14, 2020, for the third date of the Three Nations Tournament, Los Pumas defeated the All Blacks for the only time: the test ended 25-15, with all the points obtained by the opening half of Tucuman Nicolás Sánchez.
The match will be played at the Oregantheory Stadium in the city of Christchurch from 4.45 in Argentina with broadcast from ESPN and the Star + platform. Previously, from 2.30, Australia will receive the current world champion, South Africa, in a match that will take place in the city of Adelaide.
Cheika’s movements
The epic encounter in San Juan where the Argentina beat Australia 48-17 add the seasonings necessary for the word of possible association to be “feat”. technical director Michele Sheika He has ordered three changes since that last triumph and they correspond to the variants he would like to have tested and to work on for the next World Championship. There is the real horizon, not this tournament.
For the first match against New Zealand, the novelty among the strikers will be the entrance to the Mar del Plata shore Slavic joel in place of Francisco Gómez Kodela, who has undergone surgery for his groin and will be out for at least the next two months.
in three quarters, Tucuman Matías Orlando will be back for the injured Jerónimo De la Fuente, while Lucio Cinti will do it for Juan Imhoff, who did not go to New Zealand.
The match will be special for Marco Kremer which will reach 50 appearances which, at 25, will become the second youngest to reach it: the first was Guido Petti, at 24. The second line – absent in the clashes with Australia – will be on the bench. There will also be Santiago Socino and Eduardo Bello, who have not yet debuted in Los Pumas.
For another four it will be the first time against the All Blacks: Thomas Gallo, Joel Sclavi, Eduardo Bello and Tomás Albornoz have never faced New Zealand.
“We must make history”
“We are facing a situation where we have to make history and we will try to repeat the performance against Australia,” Cheika said at a press conference. Is that the victory over the Wallabies was forged with seven tries, enough for a bulky score and to strengthen the collective spirit in front of a gigantic cuckoo, like New Zealand although it occupies the fourth place in the world rugby ranking.
The story between the two selected shows an overwhelming difference in favor of the oceanic, with 31 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss in 33 games. Last year the All Blacks won both games of the Rugby Championship: first 39-0 and then 36-13.
After Saturday’s meeting, they will meet again on 3 September in Hamilton. In the last two dates of the tournament, Argentina will face South Africa, on the 17th at the Vélez Sarsfield stadium and on the 24th in the city of Durban.
Formations
New Zeland: Jodie Barrett; Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, David Havili and Caleb Clarke; Richie Mo’unga; Aaron Smith and Ardie Savea; Sam Cane (captain) and Shannon Frizell; Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock; Tyrel Lomax, Samisoni Taukei’aho and Ethan de Groot. Coach: Ian Foster.
Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia; Emiliano Boffelli, Matías Moroni, Matías Orlando and Lucio Cinti; Santiago Carreras and Gonzalo Bertranou; Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer and Juan Martin González; Tomas Lavanini and Matías Alemanno; Joel Sclavi, Julián Montoya (captain) and Thomas Gallo Coach: Michael Cheika.
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia).
Assistants: Nic Berry (Australia) and Damon Murphy (Australia).
Stadium: Orangetheory Stadium (Christchurch).
Date, Saturday 27 August (4:45 am in Argentina).
TV: ESPN and Star +.
Source: Clarin
