A postcard of New Zealand’s historic victory over the All Blacks. AP photo
The rugby championship entered its last stretch and after two sensational victories, first against Australia in Saint John and then before All black in New Zelandthe Argentina rugby team faces on the Independiente field the first of the last two matches against South Africa.
Kick-off is scheduled for 4:10 pm on Saturday at the Libertadores de América-Ricardo Bochini stadium, who will replace José Amalfitani of Vélez Sarsfield, whose pitch is not in good condition. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN and Star Plus and will be refereed by James Doleman (New Zealand)
The fifth round of the race began with the All Blacks’ victory against the Wallabies, in Australia, for 37 to 39, which allows the New Zealand team to climb to the top of the standings. The Pumas will go against the world champions with the premise of winning to keep the chances in the last round, next week in South Africa. The match will be played from 16:10
For the first time since playing this tournament in 2012, Los Pumas come with a chance to become champions, which they will achieve if they manage to defeat the current world champions in both games or if there is a combination of results.
Australian Los Pumas coach Michael Cheika confirmed the starting team with seven changes compared to the one he flatly lost in the fourth round against the powerful All Blacks 53-3, played in the New Zealand city of Hamilton.
In the starting formation there will be three changes between the three quarters, in place of Tomás Cubelli will enter the scrum-half of Mendoza Gonzalo Bertranou; Rosario centro Jerónimo de la Fuente, recovered from an injury, by Matías Moroni; and winger Lucio Cinti for Santiago Cordero.
Four changes between the forwards: the pillars Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro and Eduardo Bello will be present from the beginning, in place of Joel Sclavi and Thomas Gallo; and in the second line will enter Matías Alemanno for Guido Petti. In the third row Juan Martín González for Santiago Grondona together with Marcos Kremer and the eighth Pablo Matera
formations
Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia; Lucio Cinti, Matías Orlando, Jerónimo de la Fuente and Emiliano Boffelli; Santiago Carreras and Gonzalo Bertranou; Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer and Juan González; Tomás Lavanini and Matías Alemanno; Eduardo Bello, Julián Montoya (captain) and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro. Coach: Michael Cheika
South Africa: Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager; Siya Kolisi (captain), Franco Mostert and Jasper Wiese; Jaden Hendrikse and Damian Willemnse; Makazole Mapimpi, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel and Canan Moodie; Willie le Roux. Coach: Jacques Nienaber
The Argentine bench will be composed of: Agustín Creevy, Thomas Gallo, Joel Sclavi, Guido Petti, Rodrigo Bruni, Tomás Cubelli, Benjamín Urdapilleta, Matías Moroni. In case of entry, the hooker and former Los Pumas captain Creevy will play his 95th. test and will become the player with the Los Pumas jersey with the most appearances in history.
South African coach Jacques Nienaber has nominated the following substitutes for tomorrow: Fourie, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Louw, Kwagga Smith, de Klerk, Esterhuizen and Frans Steyn.
Cheika’s word
“The championship is still open on the penultimate date and this is good as it is up to us to keep it open. We have the opportunity to do so,” Cheika said at a press conference ahead of time.
Cheika underlined that “The Pumas have improved a lot in their level of play, we are on the right path and we will have to recover the image of the previous games”.
“We must not lose sight of the fact that the main goal is to get to the 2023 World Cup in the best possible way. By playing the next few games we will reach our best level of play. South Africa is a very different rival than the game that teams play. national teams of Australia and New Zealand and it will be a different dynamic. “
The positions are led by New Zealand with 14 points, Australia adds 10 and South Africa and Argentina have 9.
After tomorrow’s game with South Africa, the Argentine team will travel to Johannesburg on Sunday to close the rugby championship, which will be played a week later in Durban.
The Argentine national team will close the international season in November with a tour in the United Kingdom: on the 6th they will face England at Twickenham stadium in London; on the 12th they will face Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff; and on the 19th he will play against Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.
Location and accesses to Avellaneda
On Monday, after an inspection that verified the state of the pitch, the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) announced the modification of the test-match scenario: the requirements set by SANZAAR for a show of these characteristics have not been met.
After 15 days without improvements to the field, the UAR has defined the Independiente stadium as a new stage and has schematized the equivalences with the seats prepared for the Fort.
The preferential low silver, from R to J that entered Vélez through door 9, are equivalent in Independiente to the Erico Baja. The preferential South which had entrances B, C and D, are used for Bochini Baja, while the same tickets, but with accesses A and E, are distributed respectively in Gorges 1 – 2 and 3 -4.
General Este de Vélez is admitted to the Popular Norte del Rojo, while the public who went south will be distributed in Popular Sur and Sur Alta. Meanwhile, the innumerable Norte Alta de Vélez has its equivalent in Bochini Alta and Sur Alta; the Alta Nord to the Erico Alta and the Pumas For Life sector goes to the Bochini Baja.
Source: Clarin
