| No. | ARGENTINA | Rating | AUSTRALIA | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Marcos Ayerza – Hasn’t been overly dominant in recent weeks but he very rarely finds himself on the back foot. Will want a big display this weekend after the Wallabies had the nerve to hold their own in the previous fixture. | 8.5 | James Slipper – Any prop who likes a good sidestep is alright by my book. But, in fairness, his work in the set piece has improved markedly – he’ll be offering his own threats as well on Saturday. | 7.5 |
| 2. | Augustin Creevy – The captaincy has made him. He’s like a Duracell bunny and does not stop working – he deserves a win for his efforts and this is his big chance. | 7.5 | Saia Faiga’a – Despite looking like Harley Davidson enthusiast, he often gets bullied in the tight and – although he is plenty aggressive – his over-enthusiasm often leads to plenty of penalties for the opposition. | 5.5 |
| 3. | Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro – Making his first start of the Championship, he’s a solid scrummager and will be expected to provide a better platform than Herrera did in the first test. Doesn’t offer a huge amount around the park, though. | 6 | Sekope Kepu – His last display against the Pumas was probably his best performance in a Wallaby shirt for a couple of years. Needs to hold Ayerza and get his hands on the ball as much as he did last time out. | 7 |
| 4. | Mariano Galarza – He’s been solid rather than spectacular so far this season. He’s a decent defender and hits rucks, but is he as mobile as he needs to be to handle the quick Wallaby pack? | 6 | Sam Carter – He continued his rugby education with a tough lesson against the Springboks and is only going to get better with every game. An absolute workhorse. | 7 |
| 5. | Tomas Lavanini – At just 21 years old, he already has 14 caps for his country, but that inexperience showed when he was penalised for clumsy clearout on Richie McCaw in his last appearance. If he can control that enthusiasm, he can be a dominant figure. | 6.5 | James Horwill – The former skipper is clawing his way back into the big time after some time out of the limelight, and with Rob Simmons out he has a big chance to make a statement. Needs to improve his discipline and ball handling, though. | 6 |
| 6. | Rodrigo Baez – Has big boots to fill with Leguizamon suffering from a calf injury. He’s a muscular presence on the blindside but he will need to find an extra gear to disrupt the Wallaby back row. | 6 | Scott Fardy – Despite having a beard, Fardy is decidedly un-sexy in the way he goes about his rugby. He won’t break through walls but he does get through a tonne of work and has a sharp rugby brain, too. | 6.5 |
| 7. | Benjamin Macome – He’s a bit of a physical specimen, this guy, and will certainly not take a backward step at the breakdown. But does he have the nous and/or technique to really challenge the Wallabies’ ball? | 6 | Michael Hooper – I often ask how many Hoopers there are on the field. The bloke is everywhere, carrying, tackling, stealing the ball, scoring tries. He’s in great nick at the moment and he may well be the key difference between the sides. | 9 |
| 8. | Leonardo Senatore – He’s a powerful carrier and a smart footballer, but he has an unfortunate habit of going missing when the going gets tough, when he should be the rallying point. He needs to improve. | 5.5 | Scott Higginbotham – I’m a huge fan of Higginbotham and there’s no doubting his vision and skillset, but can he put in the graft against a side as physical as the Pumas? | 6.5 |
| 9. | Martin Landajo – He’s got an eye for a gap and can cause fringe defences all sorts of problems. Needs to make sure he keeps his head – and the quality of his service – when the pressure comes on though. | 6.5 | Nick Phipps – He’s a fantastic defensive scrum half and has decent service, but his decision making under pressure is questionable and his kicking game is still a little wobbly, despite lots of work. | 6 |
| 10. | Nicholas Sanchez – I reckon Sanchez is the fly half that Argentina have needed over the last 6 years and he’s making the most of a regular starting berth. Has the tactical kicking game the Pumas love, but attacks the line with venom too. | 8 | Bernard Foley – Anyone who reads anything I write will know I think Bernard is king. Immensely cool under pressure and creates gaps for those around him. A perfect mix of invention and control for this Wallaby backline. | 8.5 |
| 11. | Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino – A shame not to see Montero strutting his stuff again, but anyone who’s watched Amorosino play will know that, when he’s on form, tackling him is like trying to catch air. A wonderfully gifted runner. | 7 | Joe Tomane – Back on the test scene for the first time in a year, Tomane is a good athlete but – for me – he doesn’t offer enough of a threat off his wing, meaning he tends to fade out of games. | 5.5 |
| 12. | Juan Martin Hernandez – His kicking game will be crucial to pinning the Wallabies back and frustrating their pack. I’d like to see his smooth distribution come more into play, though. | 7 | Matt Toomua – Has a good physical presence and a sound rugby brain, but we haven’t seen him really spark like he does for the Brumbies at 10. | 6.5 |
| 13. | Horacio Agulla – The Bath winger finds himself in the centres this weekend, a position he only really filled in in emergencies at Leicester before. He has the physical attributes to be a dangerous runner, but his defensive positioning will be tested. | 6 | Tevita Kuridrani – Kuridrani probably had his best game in a gold jersey against the Sprinboks, with his direct approach making plenty of yards in the midfield. He’ll need to get his hands on the ball early to test out Agulla. | 6.5 |
| 14. | Juan Imhoff – Like Amorosino on the other wing, Imhoff is an elusive runner and will punish any side that gives him space. It will be up to him to find it though. | 7 | Adam Ashley-Cooper – Very much the grand-daddy of the midfield these days, he still seems to read a play half a second before anyone else which is a useful trait for any winger. | 7 |
| 15. | Joaquin Tuculet – Tuculet has probably been the Pumas’ discovery of the tournament – he loves counter-attacking and has a knack of finding gaps. He’ll be waiting to punish any errant kicks. | 7.5 | Israel Folau – He may have had a quiet tournament by his standards, but he can still create something out of nothing and ghost through gaps that simply don’t exist. The Wallabies need to work him into the game. | 8.5 |
| TOTAL | 101 | 103.5 |
PREDICTION
All the attention before this one has been on the Wallaby build up – or lack there of. Transport issues, injuries, Kurtley Beale going bonkers on a plane, it’s all added up to a less than ideal match preparation. But keep in mind that the Pumas are missing the likes of Leguizamon, Lobbe, Matera, Bosch and Montero, meaning there’s a bit of a “make-do” feel to their line-up too. This one will go down to the wire between two teams playing desperately for some pride in a difficult tournament, but I’m going to go with the Wallabies to snatch a narrow win and break the hosts’ hearts. Australia by 3.
By Mike Cooper (@RuckedOver)
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
