RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP: South Africa v Argentina

25.08.2012
South Africa v Argentina in Mendoza

Venue: Malvinas Argentinas Stadium

Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)

Preview

Images of Mendoza City. Thanks to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mendoza_Ciudad.jpg

On thing we can be sure of Mendoza is an ideal place as a base for an Argentinean team. This is a beautiful city near the foot of the Andes Mountains, the backbone of South America. It is not your usual place for test rugby but it most certainly will do.

Malvinas Argentinas Stadium. Capacity 45,000 but not, according to Wikipedia, with seating for all. Image thanks to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estadio_Malvinas_Argentinas

Back to the rugby. So where are we up to with Argentina? What has last week’s 6-27 loss to South Africa meant to ‘Los Pumas’? That result may not be a disaster after all. Argentina will have picked the bones of that match clean, done their homework, changed their team, though about their approach and will most certainly be a formidable foe on some home turf.

South Africa on the other hand have plenty to think about. So dominant were they a score double the 27 last week was what should have been. It wasn’t and so they also had homework to do, team changes to make and thinking to do.

Both teams have done the thinking and made the changes. Argentina will need to play out of their skins, dominate up front and score tries. Even on a poor day I’d expect South Africa to win. Argentina’s time is not yet.

Whatever the result methinks Mendoza will be a city the visitors will be reluctant to leave.

Last Five Encounters
18.08.2012 South Africa 27-6 in Capetown (Rugby Championship)
09.08.2008 South Africa 63-7 in Johannesburg
14.10.2007 South Africa 37-13 in Paris (World Cup, Semi-Final)
05.11.2005 South Africa 34-23 in Buenos Aires
04.12.2004 South Africa 39-7 in Buenos Aires

South Africa Last Five P 5, W 3, D 1, L 1
18.08.2012 v Argentina W 27-6 in Capetwon (Rugby Championship)
23.06.2012 v England D 14-14 in Port Elizabeth
16.06.2012 v England W 36-27 in Johannesburg
09.06.2012 v England W 22-17 in Durban
09.10.2011 v Australia L 9-11 in Wellington (World Cup, Quarter-final)

Argentina Last Five P 5, W 3, L 2
18.08.2012 v South Africa L 6-27 in Capetown (Rugby Champ.)
23.06.2012 v France L 10-49 in Tucuman
16.06.2012 v France W 23-20 in Cordoba
09.06.2012 v Italy W 37-22 in San Juan
26.05.2012 v Chile W 59-6 in Santiago (CONSUR A)

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-South Africa 4th, Argentina 8th

IRB Ranking Points
South Africa 85.08, Argentina 79.04

Prediction: South Africa by 11 points

Teams

Argentina

15		Martín Rodríguez	Stade Français, France
14		Gonzalo Camacho	Exeter Chiefs, England
13		Marcelo Bosch	Biarritz, France
12		Santiago Fernández	Montpellier, France
11		Horacio Agulla	Bath Rugby, England
10		Nicolás Sánchez	Bordeaux, France
9		Nicolás Vergallo	Stade Français, France
8		Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Capt.)	Toulon, France
7		Alvaro Galindo	Racing Metro, France
6		Julio Farías Cabello	Tucuman Rugby
5		Patricio Albacete	Toulouse, France
4		Manuel Carizza	Biarritz, France
3		Juan Figallo	Montpellier, France
2		Eusebio Guinazu	Biarritz, France
1		Rodrigo Roncero	Stade Français, France
16		Bruno Postiglioni	La Plata
17		Marcos Ayerza	Leicester Tigers, England
18		Leonardo Senatore	Los Pampas XV
19		Thomas Leonardi	Los Pampas XV
20		Martin Landajo	Los Pampas XV
21		Lucas González Amorosino	Montpellier, France
22		Juan José Imhoff	Racing Metro, France
		HEAD COACH: Santiago Phelan

South Africa

15		Zane Kirchner	Blue Bulls
14		Bryan Habana	Western Province Stormers
13		Jean de Villiers (capt.)	Western Province Stormers
12		Frans Steyn	Natal Sharks
11		Lwazi Mvovo	Natal Sharks
10		Morné Steyn	Blue Bulls
9		Francois Hougaard	Blue Bulls
8		Willem Alberts	Natal Sharks
7		Jacques Poitgieter	Blue Bulls
6		Marcell Coetzee	Natal Sharks
5		Andreas Bekker	Western Province Stormers
4		Eben Etzebeth	Western Province Stormers
3		Jannie du Plessis	Natal Sharks
2		Adriaan Strauss	Cheetahs
1		Tendai Mtawarira	Natal Sharks
16		Tiaan Liebenburg *	Western Province Stormers
17		Patrick Cilliers	Golden Lions
18		Flip van der Merwe	Blue Bulls
19		Keegan Daniel	Natal Sharks
20		Ruan Pienaar	Ulster, Ireland
21		Patrick Lambie	Natal Sharks
22		JJ Engelbrecht	Blue Bulls
		HEAD COACH: Heyneke Meyer

* New test cap if called upon.