Key events
Pumas on the hunt for revenge
Argentina need a response and they need one now. They’ll have to find one without their most-capped player in their history as Agustin Creevy took his 110 Test caps with him into retirement.
Also missing from the squad is the lock Pedro Rubiolo and scrumhalf Lautaro Bazan Velez. Oh, there’s also loose forward Bautista Pedemonte on the injury table. Not ideal, I’d say.
Like Australia there’s a big change at flyhalf as Santiago Carreras – more of a fullback if you’re asking me – has been replaced by Tomos Albornoz.
Argentina: Mallia; Delguy, Cinti, Chocobares, M Carreras; Albornoz, Betranou; Gallo, Montoya (cap), Sclavi, Petti, Lavanini, Matera, Kremer, Gonzalez.
Replacements: Ruiz, Vivas, Bello, Molina, Oviedo, Grondona, Garcia, S Carreras.
Donaldson handed the keys to No10
Ben Donaldson starts at fly-half in the most prominent of the four changes to the side from last week.
Max Jorgensen gets his first start on the right wing, and there’s a new-look second row Jeremy Williams and Nick Frost combining.
Joining the heavies from the bench will beames Slipper who equals George Gregan’s record as the most-capped Wallaby of all-time with 139 appaearnces for te gold and green.
Australia: Kellaway; Jorgensen, Ikitau, Stewart, Koroibete; Donaldson, Gordan; Bell, Faessler, Tupou, Frost, Williams, Valetini, Tizzano, Wilson (cap)
Replacements: Nasser, Slipper, Alaalatoa, Canham, Gleeson, McDermott, Lynagh, Flook.
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
Are we allowed to ask if the Wallabies have turned a corner? Look, I know it’s early days. I know that Joe Schmidt has only been in the job for a hot minute. I know that the twin wins against Wales and the solitary – and sketchy – win over Georgia barely proved anything given the weakness of the opposition. I know that they got spanked twice at home by the Springboks. And I know that some might argue that last week’s win in Argentine rain was a scrappy, ugly, unconvincing affair.
But my goodness, when last did so much positivity swirl around rugby union in Australia? If we can’t allow ourselves to see the sliver of light that bursts through the gloom, then what is the point of all this head bashing and bone crunching?
As I said, last week’s triumph over the Pumas, procured after trailing once by 10 points and again by nine points, wasn’t exactly a humdinger. But as Angus Fontaine noted, it showed a lot of heart.
They’ll know that a win here at the ominously named Brigadier General Estanislao López Stadium, popularly known as The Elephant Graveyard, would catapult them to second place on the Rugby Championship log. Of course there’s still the small matter of two games against the All Blacks over the horizon, but that is a problem for another day. For now, another morale-boosting win is within touching distance.
Not if Argentina have anything to say about that. They’ll be smarting after that narrow loss that many suggested was little more than a consequence of some dodgy time-keeping at the death.
This should be a good ‘un with some scores to settle and cases to make. Hope you’re as amped as I am.
Kick-off at 8pm BST/5am AEST/ 4pm local time.
Teams and more updates to come.
