Dry and warm forecast lifts expectations for Pumas vs. Wallabies
Argentina’s Los Pumas Thomas Gallo, center, is tackled by Australia’s Matt Faessler, left, and Marika Koroibete, during a rugby championship test match in La Plata, Argentina, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Argentina and Australia expect a livelier, more open match on Saturday in the Rugby Championship than they produced a week ago.
Santa Fe is expected to be dry and warm. Last Saturday, La Plata was buffeted by driving rain and swirling gusts on a near-freezing night.
Those conditions made handling difficult and were a big reason for 27 turnovers, split almost evenly.
Australian won 20-19 on a last-minute penalty. Argentina led for most of the match but couldn’t put the Wallabies out of sight, especially in a dominant first half. Errors let the Wallabies back in, and the visitors took care of the wet ball long enough to end an eight-match, two-year losing streak in the championship.
“We’ll take a result in the last minute by one point any time that’s on offer,” Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt says. “I’m not sure my heart will sustain those, but certainly it was a real fillip for us last week to get the result.”
The Wallabies compensated for dropping four restarts with a superior scrum. The pack should be able to handle the injury loss of lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, but the backline will miss two of their better performers, flyhalf Noah Lolesio and fullback Tom Wright, who were also injured.
Ben Donaldson, who kicked the winning penalty in La Plata, has replaced Lolesio. He had a mixed performance in his last start in July against Georgia. Andrew Kellaway has moved to fullback to give a first test start to wing Max Jorgensen, who turned 20 this week.
One player who won’t bring any question marks will be reserve prop James Slipper, who could equal the Wallabies caps record of 139 that George Gregan has held solo for 17 years.
Slipper missed La Plata to be at the birth of his second child, and has made a timely return after Isaac Kailea was concussed last weekend.
The 35-year-old Slipper debuted in 2010 against England and, able to prop both side, quickly became a mainstay. He didn’t play for the Wallabies in 2017 and 2018 but went to his fourth World Cup last year.
“It’s a proud moment for me,” he tells the Wallabies website. “You set out in your career and you don’t really expect to get that many games so I’m very lucky. I feel like I’ve had a lot of luck and my timing’s been good and a lot of hard work’s gone into it.”
Schmidt adds, “He’s the ultimate team man and I know the whole group will do everything they can to make it a memorable milestone.”
The Pumas also have a milestone to celebrate.
Captain Julian Montoya will become the fourth Puma to play 100 tests. Former captain Agustin Creevy (110) retired last Saturday without the ending he wanted, and Pablo Matera will pass Nicolas Sanchez in his 105th test this weekend.
“The fact that he has played this many games speaks volumes about his personality, his behaviour, his consistency and the player that he is,” coach Felipe Contepomi says of Montoya. ”Beyond being the captain, he is a very important role model.”
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