Rugby Championship round 5: preview and predictions

v
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan has named the same starting XV that narrowly lost to two weeks ago.
The Pumas came close to win their first ever game against the when they were leading by 13 points but conceded two tries in the late stages of the game to eventually lose 23-19.
prop Marcos Ayerza and former Harlequins lock Tomas Vallejos come on the bench in the only changes made to the matchday 22.
Meanwhile, the see the return of star fly-half Dan Carter who spent the last two games on the sidelined with a calf injury.
He replaces Aaron Cruden and will partner the impressive Aaron Smith while Aaron Cruden and Piri Weepu drop to the bench.
Talented openside flanker Sam Cane and utility back Ben Smith will be joining them on the bench taking the place of Victor Vito and Tamati Ellison.
Argentina: Gonzalez-Amorosino; Camacho, Bosch, Fernandez, Agulla; Hernandez, Landajo; Roncero, Guinazu, Figallo; Carizza, Albacete; Farias-Cabello, Leguizamon, Fernandez-Lobbe (capt.).
Replacements: Creevy, Ayerza, Vallejos, Leonardi, Vergallo, Rodriguez, Imhoff.
New Zealand:  Dagg; Jane, C. Smith, Nonu, Savea; Carter, A. Smith; Woodcock, Hore, Franks; Romano, Whitelock; Messam, McCaw (capt.), Read.
Replacements: Mealamu, Faumuina, Retallick, Cane, Weepu, Cruden, B. Smith.
Prediction: The Pumas will be fired up as usual looking to upset the odds but the All Balcks are not the kind of team to crumble under pressure and they will go the distance to win it late again.
v Australia
Cheetahs fly-half sensation Johan Goosen will make his first Test start for the replacing the out-of-from Morne Steyn in the No.10 jersey for the reception of Australia tomorrow.
There are two other changes to the starting XV from the Springbok team that played New Zealand in Dunedin two weeks ago.
The pair of Eben Etzebeth (ban) and Andries Bekker (injury) come back in the second row . Etzebeth is back in the Springbok team after missing the previous Test because of a suspension.
Coenie Oosthuizen, Flip van der Merwe, Elton Jantjies and Jaco Taute have been included on the bench.
Frans Steyn, who has been struggling with an ankle injury, is replaced by Taute in the midfield with Juan de Jongh coming on the bench.
It is also a tale of the fly-halves for the Wallabies who see Kurtley Beale named as playmaker for the first time at Test level.
Beale replaces the outspoken Quade Cooper who is out with a knee injury while Berrick carries on at full-back to accommodate Beale.
Sharpe retains the captaincy and will be playing in his 110th Test, equaling former flanker George Smith's impressive record for a Wallaby forward.
South Africa: Kirchner; Habana, De Villiers (capt.), Taute, Hougaard; Goosen, Pienaar; Mtawarira, Strauss, Du Plessis; Etzebeth, Bekker; Louw, Alberts, Vermeulen.
Replacements: Liebenberg, Oosthuizen, Van der Merwe, Coetzee, Jantjies, De Jongh, Lambie.
Australia: Barnes; Shipperley, Ashley-Cooper, McCabe, Ioane; Beale, Phipps; Robinson, Polota-Nau, Alexander; Douglas, Sharpe (capt.); Dennis, Hooper, Samo.
Replacements: S. Fainga'a, Slipper, Simmons, Higginbotham, Gill, Sheehan, A. Fainga'a.
Prediction: The Wallabies dug deep to clinch the win when they met three weeks ago but this time it's in Pretoria. The Springboks' pack will want to get the upper-hand early to let Goosen run the show. Could it be the start of a new era for South African rugby? I think so.

One Comment

  1. The Pumas were robbed by the appalling decisions of two of the worst officals ever seen in the southern hemisphere. First Owens missed a Puma foot on the sideline and then he and Barnes appeared to conspire to counter his incompetence through patently partial calls in favour of the Wobblies.
    Officials from the Bleatingish Isles are neither fit nor competent enough to referee in this competition, which is vastly superior to any other competition, including the IRB RWC Lottery.

Leave a Comment