For the third time in their history Argentina and Australia will meet in a World Cup. On the other two occasions they met in pool games in 1991 and 2003, which were won easily by Australia.
However, the Argentina side of two decades ago and the one with Rugby Championship experience under their belt is a different beast altogether.
Historically, they have played 24 times and Australia have won 18, lost five and drawn once. Since 2000 the record is even worse reading for Argentina being 10-1 in Australia’s favour. The sole win for Argentina being a four-point home victory in 2014.
On the injury front Australia will be missing Scott Sio but they regain two of their key players in David Pocock and Israel Folau. Argentina have injury doubts over their skipper Agustin Creevy and they are missing Mariano Galarza who was rubbed out for the tournament for raking Brodie Retallick’s eyes. This means both teams will be close to full strength with only a couple of regular starters missing.
Form wise Argentina started with a 10-point loss to the All Blacks where they were right in the contest until the final 20 minutes. They then went on to dominate their remaining pool games with impressive victories before cutting loose on Ireland in the quarter-final 43-20 with their backline starring.
Australia had to negotiate their way through the Pool of Death. Routine wins over Fiji and Uruguay started their campaign before a dominant win over England and a hard-fought victory over Wales to go through pool play unbeaten. In what many saw as the easiest quarter-final game they were expected to breeze past Scotland, but found themselves in an 80-minute scrap The final result was decided by a controversial penalty in their favour to escape 35-34.
On form this is a really hard game to tip. Australia were poor against Scotland and escaped with a very lucky win. This was their third tough contest in a row, having bruising encounters with England and Wales beforehand.
Argentina, on the other hand, played their tough pool game in week one and had three much easier pool games and a much easier time in the quarter-final. How much those three tough games would have taken out of Australia could be crucial to their chances. Argentina, with a friendlier run, should be less banged up.
Argentina have the form in their favour and their players should be in better shape after an easier run to the semi-final. Australia have a class edge, great recent record against the Pumas and their 16th man in referee Wayne Barnes, who is far and away the referee they have the best winning percentage with.
One of the keys to this game will be the scrum. While Australia have improved a lot this season, the benchmark in world rugby is Argentina and they do generate a lot of penalties and points off it. They will definitely look to get the ascendancy there.
Australia, on the other hand, will look to use their backline where they have an edge. The big x-factor here will be how Argentina use their backline. Too often against Australia and New Zealand do they revert to their 10-man game, but the explosive form of their backs against Ireland has shown a new weapon in their arsenal.
For Argentina to win they need to get scrum dominance and keep their discipline in place and avoid yellow cards. Their kicker Nicolas Sanchez is almost faultless from anywhere 40 metres out. For Australia they will need Pocock and Michael Hooper at their best, poaching as many balls as they can, and their backline to step up. Bernard Foley will need to be better at the kicking tee as well.
My prediction for this contest is Argentina to get out to an early lead and Australia to claw them back and get over them in the last 20 minutes. There won’t be much in the game and Australia will get up by five points.
tvwatcherintheweehours
Guest
Yehhh in the end the players are playing and make the decision. Don't underestimate the SA team, it has all is needed to beat the ABs on the right day. The ABs too. It will be tight until the 60th mn when bench is on.
tvwatcherintheweehours
Guest
Too soon to be conclusive... paper filling up. We will know Friday. And it is good to let the Argies wonder.
wardad
Guest
If the Argies remain disciplined as Lee says and Sio,Folau and Pocock are out then um crikey I still wouldnt put money on the outcome !
wardad
Guest
Barnes does like the Wallabies doesnt he ? Has he applied for citizensgip or something ? The Argiies should get into his head now about his record with the Wallabies seeing as how he has more bias than grand-dads bowls .........apparently ? .
wardad
Guest
Thats just mean ,mean but true hehehehe....
KiwiDave
Roar Guru
Just as many South Africans in london too lol
KiwiDave
Roar Guru
Heard also Folau only went 10 minutes before icing up his foot again. Conflicting reports. Some site saying they are right to go and others saying they will miss. I think the lack of work done by both on the training pitch is a real bad sign
vic rugby
Guest
Australia would be closer to sth Africa's population if they counted the aussies in london
Kiwi in US
Guest
Lee, I agree with what you said and will add concerning drop kicking talent. On the roar someone has done an analysis of dropkickers in the last four teams and Argentina has quite an advantage there. It will be epic.
marto
Guest
4 million in new zulland?? That cant be right.. Half of that total live in sydneys western suburbs...
Lindsay Amner
Roar Guru
Pocock didn't train today, he was on an exercise bike only, so I'd say it's looking less and less likely for him.
Lindsay Amner
Roar Guru
or maybe "hear hear"?
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes I've always thought the coach of the year should be the world cup winner- and we can see now why that is. Its easily the hardest thing to take a team through and win. Previous winners all have so far. I'd say Nonu is up there as well with Eden park and France- he was awesome in those two. Perhaps Ben and/ or Aaron Smith. Pocock might miss the chance for his injuries if hes out again. Folaus probably gone for the same reason. The Argentine Hooker as well. davies of Wales has been a superb replacement for Webb- he looks a better player! Dunno
Rt
Guest
I may live to regret this but I'm not sure the Argentinian scrum is as good as it used to be. I thought Argentina looked great for the first 20 last week. A severely depleted Ireland clawed their way back into the game but it was a bridge to far. I suspect the game took a lot out of the argies but I was thoroughly impressed with their commitment to defence even after they had the game sewn up. NZ and Pumas are definitely the form teams heading into the weekend but I'm tipping boks by 1 and Australia by 10.
Rt
Guest
Fiji 881065 Samoa 190372 Japan 126,999,808 Your point?
John
Guest
I dunno why , but i thought i would just throw this is random stat in.. Population 55. 279, 654 (2015) SOUTH AFRICA 42. 782, 320 ( 2015) Argentina 23. 813, 564 (2015) Australia 4. 621, 303 ( 2015 ) New Zealand
ohtani's jacket
Guest
All teams go through lulls during games. The Wallabies are just as prone to a bad 20 minute patch as the Pumas. If Argentina can maintain their intensity and attack with the same precision and accuracy that they've shown so far, they're going to be more than a handful against Australia because frankly England, Wales and Scotland all made in roads against the Wallabies but lack the finishing skills that Argentina now possess.
Nobrain
Guest
I am pretty sure that only the ABs are ready for the 80 minutes show at this stge of the tournment, it depends on the pace. Of the game. If you expect them to lay 80 minutes the way they played the first 20 minutes against Ireland , forget it. But I think the WBs are going to get tired first because they faced a difficult pool and a down to the wire game in the 1/4s. They have not been able to rotate that much and The Pumas have been using different players according to individulal playing time since the begining of the RCH. So I spect that the AUS team will have to go the bench earlier, specially the three on the front.
Paul from Melbourne
Guest
No brain, Are the Pumas fit enough to last 80? they weren't against AB and they looked tired at around 60 against Ireland until the trys lifted their spirit.
Nobrain
Guest
Hi guys, relax and enjoy. For Hourcade and the argentinian staff the Wallabies play the style of rugby that they try to persue. They think it is an expansive, quieckball rugby with many different combinations that is very difficult to defend according to their own words. Ii take a different approach and will say that if both teams with all their players available , Argentina has better front five man to man , in the other hand the Australian have an edge on the loose fowards. At scrum half I think Genia is better player than Landajo and Cubelli, but at scrum half Sanchez is a better player than the usual Foley ( not the one that played against England , by the way, what a beuty was that first try against England). At centers there is not much difference between Gitau and Hernandez , Kuridani vs Bosch. And in the back three imo Folau or Beale over Tuculet, Imoff much better than Horne and AAC has to much experience for a 20 years old Cordero. So the starting 15 are pretty much even and if we have a close match the difference will be made by the bench that I also think that is even, the bench of Argentina has improved a lot since the RCH. If it is a close game if was an Australian fan I will worry about a drop goal where Argentina has a big edge with Sanches, Hernandez, or Bosch capable of kiking one at any time and from anywhere.