TEST RUGBY RESULTS: 18 August

18.08.2012
New Zealand 27, Australia 19 in Sydney (Bledisloe Cup; Rugby Championship)South Africa 27, Argentina 6 in Capetown (Rugby Championship)

Briefly
Is it me? I felt that the NZ-Australia test match was a very ho-hum affair. Was it that there were mistakes aplenty from both sides but from Australia in particular? Was it that the game was very predictable-New Zealand in control but not putting in the knife? Was it that we see these two teams playing each other so often that..well..it’s getting boring? Is it that I have the Post-World Cup blues-a test match with not the same intensity? Or is it just me and you all thoroughly enjoyed yourselves?

New Zealand did enough to win. Australia shot themselves in the foot. That’s it.

Argentina could not muscle themselves anywhere near the Springbox in their opening Rugby Championship match. Although most punters were hoping that either Argentina would win or at least run them close. This was not to be. South Africa were in control throughout and would be disappointed that they didn’t double that score with the possession they had. Argentina will need to rethink their game plans if they are going to be competitive at this level. Next week they are in Mendoza and that could be a different story.

By the way, grizzle number two. Whose idea was it to play the same teams second week in the competition?

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP: New Zealand v Australia

18.08.2012
New Zealand v Australia in Sydney (Bledisloe Cup)

Venue: ANZ Stadium

Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)

Preview
Whilst much of the world rugby attention is focused on South Africa where Argentina debuts in this competition, the other big guns of the Southern Hemisphere square off in Sydney.

Australia has a shaky time in their test series against Wales in June. They just won each of the three tests with the results just as easily going in Wale’s favour. New Zealander Robbie Dean’s job is under threat as Australia has not produced the goods since before the 2011 Rugby World Cup. A disappointing Rugby Championship series could see him ousted.

New Zealand are riding high. They won the 2011 Rugby World Cup and went on to dispatch Ireland, 2nd test excluded, with considerable ease. They are the favourites to win this competition.

Last Five Encounters
16.10.2011 New Zealand 20-6 in Auckland (World Cup, Semi-final)
27.08.2011 Australia 25-20 in Brisbane (Bledisloe Cup, Tri-Nations)
06.08.2011 New Zealand 30-14 in Auckland (Bledisloe Cup, Tri-Nations)
30.10.2010 Australia 26-24 in Hong Kong (Bledisloe Cup)
11.09.2010 New Zealand 23-22 in Sydney (Bledisloe Cup, Tri-Nations)

Australia last defeated New Zealand in Sydney in 2008. Australia won 34-19.

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-New Zealand 1st, Australia 3rd
Oceania Table-New Zealand 1st, Australia 2nd

IRB Ranking Points
New Zealand 91.43, Australia 87.05

Prediction: New Zealand by 12 points

TEAMS

New Zealand

15		Israel Dagg	Hawkes Bay
14		Corey Jane	Wellington
13		Ma'a Nonu	Auckland
12		Sonny Bill Williams	Canterbury
11		Hosea Gear	Wellington
10		Daniel Carter	Canterbury
9		Aaron Smith	Manawatu
8		Kieran Read	Canterbury
7		Richard McCaw (Capt.)	Canterbury
6		Liam Meesam	Waikato
5		Samuel Whitelock	Canterbury
4		Luke Romano	Canterbury
3		Owen Franks	Canterbury
2		Keven Mealamu	Auckland
1		Tony Woodcock	North Harbour
16		Andrew Hore	Taranaki
17		Benjamin Franks	Tasman
18		Brodie Retallick	Bay of Plenty
19		Victor Vito	Wellington
20		Piri Weepu	Auckland
21		Aaron Cruden	Manawatu
22		Benjamin Smith	Otago
		HEAD COACH: Steven Hansen

Australia

15		Kurtley Beale	Melbourne Rebels
14		Adam Ashley-Cooper	NSW Waratahs
13		Robert Horne	NSW Waratahs
12		Anthony Fainga’a	Queensland Reds
11		Digby Ioane	Queensland Reds
10		Berrick Barnes	NSW Waratahs
9		William Genia	Queensland Reds
8		Scott Higginbotham	Queensland Reds
7		David Pocock (Capt.)	WA Western Force
6		David Dennis	NSW Waratahs
5		Nathan Sharpe	WA Western Force
4		Sitaleki Timani	NSW Waratahs
3		Sekope Kepu	NSW Waratahs
2		Tatafu Polota Nau	NSW Waratahs
1		Ben Robinson	NSW Waratahs
16		Stephan Moore	ACT Brumbies
17		James Slipper	Queensland Reds
18		Robert Simmons	Queensland Reds
19		Radiki Samo	NSW Waratahs
20		Michael Hooper	ACT Brumbies
21		Nicholas Phipps	Melbourne Rebels
22		Drew Mitchell	NSW Waratahs
		HEAD COACH: Robbie Deans

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP: Argentina v South Africa

18.08.2012
Argentina v South Africa in Capetown

Venue: Newlands Rugby Ground

Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)

Preview
Argentina enters a new and exciting era in its rugby history. The Tri-Nations has been expanded to allow Argentina to enter a top level test tournament. It has been a long wait for Argentina to receive the recognition they deserve. Although unplaced in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Argentina stunned the rugby world in 2007 when they defeated home nation France to take 3rd place.

Argentina enters this test match with a strong team. Under their new captain Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe they will be formidable up front as always, especially in the front row. The backline, especially the back three, can be reliable if not explosive. Nearly all the squad ply their rugby trade in France or England.

South Africa were very inconsistent in the test series against England.New coach Heyneke Meyer will be looking for a top performance for eighty minutes. Criticism has been levelled at their inside back combination with Morne Steyn being out of sorts both in his play and his goal kicking.

This will certainly be a most interesting game of test rugby. Can’t wait!

Last Five Encounters
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
28.06.2003 South Africa 26-25 in Port Elizabeth

The first official test between these two nations was in 1993. South Africa won 29-26 in a close game in Buenos Aires. This was the first of a two-test series in Buenos Aires. In 1980 a South American side toured South Africa during the apartheid period. This side played tests against South Africa in which all the players were from Argentina. In 1932 South Africa sent a Junior side to Argentina in the first of a number of similar exchanges. The most famous being a win by Argentina against the South Africa Gazelles in 1965. This win firmly placed Argentina on the world rugby map.

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

IRB Ranking Points
South Africa 84.87, Argentina 79.25

Prediction: Argentina has not been able to put their top side together this season. I expect them to be rusty. South Africa by 16

TEAMS

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		Keegan Daniel	Natal Sharks
7		Willem Alberts	Natal Sharks
6		Marcell Coetzee	Natal Sharks
5		Andreas Bekker	Western Province Stormers
4		Eben Etzebeth	Western Province Stormers
3		Jannie du Plessis	Natal Sharks
2		Bismarck du Plessis	Natal Sharks
1		Tendai Mtawarira	Natal Sharks
16		Adriaan Strauss	Cheetahs
17		Patrick Cilliers (New Cap)	Golden Lions
18		Flip van der Merwe	Blue Bulls
19		Jacques Poitgieter	Blue Bulls
20		Ruan Pienaar	Ulster, Ireland
21		Patrick Lambie	Natal Sharks
22		JJ Engelbrecht	Blue Bulls
		HEAD COACH: Heyneke Meyer

Argentina

15		Lucas González Amorosino	Montpellier, France
14		Gonzalo Camacho	Exeter Chiefs, England
13		Marcelo Bosch	Biarritz, France
12		Santiago Fernández	Montpellier, France
11		Horacio Agulla	Bath Rugby, England
10		Juan Martín Hernández	Racing Metro, 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		Juan Pablo Orlandi	Racing Metro, France
19		Thomas Leonardi	Los Pampas XV
20		Leonardo Senatore	Los Pampas XV
21		Martin Landajo	Los Pampas XV
22		Martín Rodríguez	Stade Français, France
		HEAD COACH: Santiago Phelan