Preview: Argentina vs Ireland
The theory is that Argentina should win this one more comfortably than they did the first when Felipe Contepomi’s dropped goal was what did it for the Pumas by two points.
This time the Pumas have a few extra players released by French clubs no longer active in the Top 14. But then the hand that gave took back.
Biarritz, having scraped into the Top 14 semi-finals, recalled Marcelo Bosch, Manuel Carizza and Martin Gaitan. There was still no Agustin Pichot or Juan Martin Hernandez or Ignacio Corleto – who may be injured.
They are all on Stade Francais’ books. But perhaps above all there is no Felipe Contepomi who has hastened back to Dublin for his medical degree. He was the Pumas’ captain and inspiration for the first Test, the Puma who knows the Irish inside out.
But back came Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, Eusebio Gui?azu, Pablo Henn, Federico Todeschini, Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, Manuel Contepomi and Martin Schusterman. Those are substantial gains, though no Felipe is a big, big blow.
In all Marcelo Loffreda has changed the hooker, a lock, both half-backs, both centres and the full-back in the starting XV and has made five changes to the bench – and they say you should not change a winning team!
The Irish have changed twelve of their beaten team and the new side looks even more experimental as one goes through the litany of the absent Girvan Dempsey, Denis Hickie, Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer – a whole first-choice backline.
And things look much the same in the pack without Marcus Horan, John Hayes, Donnach O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Simon Easterby, Denis Leamy and David Wallace.
Still that is the Irish choice; the Argentineans had absenteeism foisted upon them. The Irish have not made an effort to choose their best team.
The Argentineans would like an opportunity to choose their best side but they will also be well below strength which means there should be no gripes about being the weakened side.
Ireland in fact had a better opportunity to pick their best side than the Argentinians did.
We could have a little game: “We’re missing more than you’re missing.”
But to return to our muttons – those expendable lambs who will be playing.
In the first Test, Ireland had the bonus of an intercept try and also a penalty try – a thoroughly deserved penalty try. That gave them 14 of their 20 points.
They may find Buenos Aires a more sophisticated place to be and the Estadio Jose Amalfitani a lusher ground to play on, the headquarters of Club Atletico Velez Sarsfield and named for the club’s greatest servant. (Capacity just under 50 000, not all seated.)
It’s still hard to see Ireland winning.
It’s not that several changes to a team make all that much of a difference but it is the absence of the real pressure points – the great players – that make a telling difference.
They are the ones who score or make the scores. Both sides are without those pressure points. Now it is a battle of the ordinary. The Pumas look less ordinary. For one thing they could turn out to be physically stronger.
Players to Watch:
For Argentina: Remember Federico Todeschini‘s display at Twickenham? Will the stand-in pivot able to do that again as he replaces icon Felipe Contepomi?
For Ireland: At full-back, Geordan Murphy is always able to turn a small investment into profit. Will he provide the spark so desperately needed this Saturday?
Head to Head: Juan Manuel Leguizamon, who has promised so much from the time he came on the scene, and Shane Jennings, who has promised so much and only just got onto the scene.
Previous Results:
2006: Argentina won 22-20 in Santa Fe
2004:Ireland won 21-19 in Dublin
2003:Ireland won 16-15 in Adelaide
2002: Ireland won 16-7 in Dublin
2000: Argentina won 34-23 in Buenos Aires
1999: Argentina won 28-24 in Lens
1999: Ireland won 32-24 in Dublin
1990: Ireland won in Dublin
1973: Ireland won 21-8 in Dublin
1970: Argentina won 6-3 in Buenos Aires
1970: Argentina won 8-3 in Buenos Aires
1952: Ireland won 6-0 in Buenos Aires
1952: Draw 3-3 in Buenos Aires
Prediction: It’s hard because there are so many little-knowns. But let’s stick a neck out and say the Pumas by ten points or more.
Teams:
Argentina: 15 Federico Serra, 14 Tomas De Vedia, 13 Hernan Senillosa, 12 Manuel Contepomi, 11 Francisco Leonelli, 10 Federico Todeschini, 9 Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, 8 Juan Fernandez Lobbe, 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 6 Martin Durand (captain), 5 Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, 4 Esteban Lozada, 3 Santiago Gonzalez Bonorino, 2 Pablo Gambarini, 1 Marcos Ayerza
Replacements: 16 Eusebio Gui?azu, 17 Pablo Henn, 18 Pablo Bouza, 19 Martin Schusterman, 20 Nicolas Vergallo, 21 Juan Fernandez Miranda, 22 Horacio Agulla
Ireland: 15 Geordan Murphy, 14 Brian Carney, 13 Barry Murphy, 12 Gavin Duffy, 11 Rob Kearney, 10 Jeremy Staunton, 9 Eoin Reddan 8 Stephen Ferris, 7 Shane Jennings, 6 Alan Quinlan, 5 Mick O’Driscoll, 4 Leo Cullen, 3 Simon Best (captain), 2 Frankie Sheahan, 1 Bryan Young
Replacements: 16 Bernard Jackman, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Malcolm O’Kelly, 19 Neil Best, 20 Isaac Boss, 21 Kieran Lewis, 22 Luke Fitzgerald
Date: Saturday 2 June
Kick-off: 16.10 (19.10 GMT)
Venue: Jose Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires
Expected weather conditions: Clear with a high of 15?C, dropping to 9?C and a westerly of 14 km/h good weather for rugby
Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand), Phillip Bosch (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
