New Zealand v Argentina - teams and prediction
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND ONE: All Blacks captain Ardie Savea said he expects a physical "battle" against Argentina as New Zealand seek to snap their six-year winless streak in Wellington.
The All Blacks host the Los Pumas on Saturday in the opening round of the Rugby Championship on Saturday at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
With regular captain Scott Barrett injured, stand-in skipper Savea anticipates a fierce battle of the forwards against an Argentina side packed with strong scrummagers.
"They are powerful men, who can put you in uncomfortable situations. We know Argentina take a lot of pride in their scrums too, so it’s going to be a battle," he told reporters Friday.
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Argentina pulled off a shock 25-18 win in Christchurch two years ago - the Los Pumas' first and only win over All Blacks on New Zealand soil. Savea is keen to avoid a repeat.
"We have seen in the past, they’ve come down to Christchurch and done a job on us. We understand the threats Argentina pose, but if we go out there and do our job, hopefully, it will put us in good stead."
The capital has not been a happy hunting ground in recent years for the All Blacks, who haven't won any of their four games in Wellington since 2018.
New Zealand lost to Ireland on their last Test at the Wellington Regional Stadium two years ago when the Irish romped to a 32-22 victory, which clinched the series 2-1.
Before that New Zealand had drawn against both Australia and South Africa in Wellington, as well as also losing a Test to the Springboks at the same venue.
The last time New Zealand won in Wellington was when they saw off France 26-13 in 2018, with two tries by All Blacks back Jordie Barrett, who will be Savea's vice-captain on Saturday.
Players to watch:
For New Zealand: With regular captain Scott Barrett ruled out of the two Argentina Tests due to a finger injury, all eyes will be on local hero Ardie Savea, who will captain the All Blacks from No.8. There is also a new-look second row in the shape of Sam Darry of Blues and Chiefs forward Tupou Vaa’i. The All Blacks have plenty of options in attack with twice world Player of the Year Beauden Barrett starting at fullback and Damian McKenzie at flyhalf.
For Argentina: Pablo Matera will captain the Los Pumas for the encounter in Wellington. The formidable unit recently joined the centurion list when he ran out for his 100th Test against France in July, and will be out to put in a big shift. He is joined by another prominent figure Marcos Kremer and No.8 Juan Martin Gonzalez as this weekend’s loose trio. Gonzalo Bertranou and Santiago Carreras are the halfback pairing. Juan Cruz Mallia returns to the team after participating in the 2023 World Cup in France and will be at fullback.
Head to head:
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Prediction
@rugby365com: All Blacks by seven points
Teams:
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Mark Tele’a, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Ardie Savea (captain), 7 Dalton Papali’i, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Tupou Vaa’i, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan De Groot.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Josh Lord, 20 Wallace Sititi, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Rieko Ioane, 23 Will Jordan.
Argentina: 15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Matias Moroni, 13 Luio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Franco Molina, 3 Eduardo Bello, 2 Ignacio Ruiz, 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Efrain Elias, 20 Tomas Lavanini, 21 Joaquin Oviedo, 22 Lautaro Bazan Velez, 23 Tomas Albornoz.
Date: Saturday, August 10
Venue: Wellington Regional Stadium
Kick-off: 19.05 (04.05 Argentina time; 07.05 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia) and Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
*Additional source: AFP