- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
It was a close affair between the Wallabies and Argentina for much of the match, but a late charge by the Wallabies has seen them come away the winners by 17 points.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Argentina 20
Wallabies 37
The Wallabies and Argentina are set to clash in the final match of this year’s Rugby Championship on Sunday morning at Estadio Malvinas in Argentina. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 9:30am (AEDT).
Neither team has had an especially successful campaign in this year’s Championship and both will be wanting to wrap things up with a win and a good performance. With both teams touring the Northern Hemisphere this Spring, it’s important to kick off the momentum now before they head north.
Argentine rugby is going through a tough time at the moment. The Jaguares have developed a reputation of all style and no substance in Super Rugby, and the previously feared national side has really lost its way since their semi-final appearance in the 2015 World Cup.
There is much debate about the causes of the rot and the ways to turn things around but that’s a subject for another article. Today the Argentinians will need to focus on regaining the power of their set piece that seems to have abandoned them and maintain control and focus for the full 80 minutes.
For the Wallabies, it’s a case of so close but so far this Championship.
In three of their five matches, they have been in positions to win in the final five minutes of the game and yet not walked away with the victory.
Two draws and an emotional loss to the All Blacks from these three games, coupled with the spanking the Wallabies received in game one, see them on just ten points and having only won one game.
At the same time, there are Australian legends such as Nick Farr-Jones calling into doubt the mental toughness of the current team and the skill level of the top players.
A good win in a hostile Mendoza will help to quieten these voices and build on what many others are seeing as reassuring improvements from the Wallabies.
The fact that this is the first time coach Michael Cheika has picked the same starting 15 for two matches in a row since he took on the job should not be overlooked. While the results have not been as good as desired, arguably the performances by many of the men in gold are getting better.
Players to watch
Israel Folau will be hungry to continue his incredible scoring run and is chasing down the world record for most tries in a calendar year.
Marika Koroibete will be excited about getting more match time, and with an arguably weaker opposition than last week, he will be looking to make a big impact.
Jack Dempsey and Izack Rodda will also be keen to lock down their first team spot especially with the upcoming tour.
For the Argentinians, it’s critical that Agustin Creevy lead by example both in terms of high-quality performance and controlled discipline.
In fact the entire Pumas front row needs to set the tone creating a solid platform for the rest of the team to build from.
Prediction
Australia might be away from home but there’s little reason to think they won’t come away with a victory and take second place in the Championship.
Australia to win by 12 points
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting at 9:30am AEDT on Sunday morning.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.