Pressure is an odd concept.
It has no physical presence, but when it’s there you feel it more than a
slap in the face. Even though it should
have no physical affect on the task you’re undertaking, for some reason it can
make certain individuals soil themselves with nerves when completing a routine
activity they’ve rehearsed countless times in practice. Some, of course, handle it better than
others, and some places breed pressure situations more than others. And Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, playing to
avoid a wooden spoon against a home side hungry for a first win, could be
described as a pressure situation.
The Pumas should be fed up of the patronising back-patting
and “ooh, haven’t they improved” mentality that’s held by the rest of the rugby
world when watching Argentina in the Rugby Championship. At home they are a formidable force, and they
need to start changing their mentality from feeling unlucky to lose against the
South Africans a couple of rounds ago, to feeling like they should have won. The time has come to start expecting
victories; trying hard is not enough anymore. Of course, coach Santiago Phelan doesn’t have
the weight of expectation of a nation on his shoulders.
Ewan Mackenzie, on the other hand, probably didn’t expect
his first tournament in charge of the Wallabies to end in a wooden spoon
playoff against Argentina at Estadio Gigante de Arroyito. Neither did the fans. The feeling of hope has been displaced by a ‘same
old, same old’ mentality and the problems left behind by the Robbie Deans era
appear to be more deep-rooted than originally thought. There is no doubting the quality of the
individuals – just look at the success of the clubs in this year’s Super Rugby
tournament – but for some reason they can’t seem to gel or fit into the systems
that Mackenzie wants to run, especially when under pressure.
And if there’s one thing that there will be in abundance at Estadio
Gigante de Arroyito, it’s pressure.
Argentina Team
News
Argentina have lost Juan Figallo for their Rugby
Championship Test against Australia in Rosario on Saturday, the heavy-hitting
tight-head prop absent with neck and back problems. Juan Pablo Orlandi replaces
him in the run-on side with under-20s prop Matias Diaz moving on to the bench.
Starting Line
up: Juan Martin Hernandez; Horacio
Agulla, Marcelo Bosch, Felipe Contepomi, Juan Imhoff; Nicolas Sanchez, Martin
Landajo; Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe
(captain); Patricio Albacete, Julio Farias Cabello; Juan Pablo Orlandi, Eusebio
Guinazu, Marcos Ayerza.
Subs: Agustin
Creevy, Nahuel Lobo, Matias Diaz, Manuel Carizza, Benjamin Macome, Tomas
Cubelli, Santiago Fernandez, Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.
Key Player
Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.
The flanker is a genuinely world-class operator and an inspirational
captain, and he’s going to have quite a job on his hands on Saturday
evening. He has to get his side to find
the perfect balance between playing with the passion needed to break their
tournament duck and maintaining control and structure. He knows that if his side maintain the
intensity and discipline they showed for the first 40 against the All Blacks
last week, they will come away with a win.
Australia Team
News
Will Genia has been rewarded for his rousing second-half
performance against the Springboks, the scrum-half recalled by Ewen Mckenzie to
the Wallabies' starting side for The Rugby Championship Test against Argentina
in Rosario on Saturday. Genia, a
replacement in Australia's past two Tests, has relegated Nic White to the
bench. White is joined on the bench by New South Wales Waratahs playmaker
Bernard Foley, who is in line to make his Test debut after replacing winger
Chris Feauai-Sautia as the only other change to the squad.
Starting Line
up: Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper,
Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealiifano, Joe Tomane; Quade Cooper, Will Genia;
Ben Mowen, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy; James Horwill (captain), Rob Simmons;
Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, James Slipper.
Subs: Saia
Faingaa, Benn Robinson, Sekope Kepu, Sitaleki Timani, Ben McCalman, Nic White
Matt Toomua, Bernard Foley.
Key Player
Will Genia. The scrum
half looked like a man with a point to prove when he came on against South
Africa and was largely the reason why his side played with much improved tempo
in the second half. He may not be the official
captain but the 9 commands the respect of his teammates and is a shrewd
decision maker. When the heat of the
battle is on, and Pumas come out firing, the Queenslander will need to show a
cool head and keep talking to his pack to ensure they don’t crumble.
Key Battle
Nicholas Sanchez v Quade Cooper. Sanchez has impressed me this tournament with
his unfussy displays, kicking well and distributing smoothly. Points accumulation will be the key for his
side though on Saturday, and if they can build up a lead via accurate goal
kicking, then that hope for a win will become a genuine belief. Quade, on the other hand, has to get his
talented backline attacking and threatening like we know they can. It means playing with mojo – which should be
helped by the presence of his old mucker, Genia – and playing flat to the
gainline, bringing in runners off his shoulder.
Keep an eye out, too, for Bernard Foley on the bench – the Waratahs man
was in sparkling form all season.
Prediction
It’s an odd sort of game, this one. It’s after the main event, so it can’t be
called an undercard, and there’s a chance it may slip by without notice, but
you can’t underestimate the pressure on these two sides. The Pumas are now expected to win their first
match and get the monkey off their backs, whilst the Wallabies are desperate to
avoid the wooden spoon. It means it
could be a scrappy game – but a close one.
I’m going to lean towards a Wallaby win to ensure they go into the end
of year tour with at least something to smile about. Wallabies
by 2.
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