Roar Guru
Australia will meet New Zealand in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final. The Bledisloe rivals take each other on for the first time in tournament history! Both going for their third Word Cup win.
Final score:
Australia 29
Argentina 15
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>> MATCH REPORT
The Wallabies tussle with the Pumas with a spot in their fourth World Cup final up for grabs. Join The Roar from 3:00am (AEDT) for live scores of all the action from Twickenham.
After the climatic, controversial win over Scotland in the quarter-finals, the Wallabies are still alive. They meet Rugby Championship rivals Argentina for a berth in the final, in what is their sixth World Cup semi-final appearance.
The Pumas finished second in Pool C and pushed the All Blacks hard in their tournament opener. They have improved as the World Cup has gone on and they have a nice blend of youth and experience.
Strong in the set-piece, hard in the breakdown, Argentina have added an impressive running game and the ability to mix their play up. They are no longer just a forward-based, tight-five dominated team. Having beaten Australia on home soil in 2014, they won’t fear the green and gold.
The Wallabies had a scare against Scotland but will have refocused for this game and worked hard in training. Their World Cup, with five straight victories, hinges on this match. There’s unlikely to be the savour of a referee’s whistle this time around.
David Pocock and Israel Folau are back in a big plus for the Aussies. Scott Sio is out with injury and has been replaced by James Slipper, with Toby Smith on the bench. The Wallabies will need to be at their best to defeat the Pumas.
The scrum, lineout and breakdown will all be hotly contested areas. There will also be pressure on Bernard Foley to improve his goal-kicking. The Australian defence will also need to tighten up after leaking three soft tries, one a charge down and one an intercept, against Scotland.
Argentina pumped Ireland in their quarter-final and will look for width and holes around the ruck. They have big forwards who can offload and a pair of nifty halves, and are riding high on a wave of naional pride.
The Pumas have made just one starting change with Marcelo Bosch back in for centre Matiss Moroni. Agustin Creevy will captain the side.
This is both team’s World Cup moment of truth. Either New Zealand or South Africa await in the decider. It should be an absolute cracker.
My prediction: Wallabies by five points.
Join The Roar from 3:00am (AEDT) for the semi-final showpiece from Twickenham.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson