Preview: Argentina v England
If a novice saw Argentina v England in a TV glossy they might assume soccer – but what these two would give for a 1-0 equivalent.
If a novice saw Argentina v England in a TV glossy they might well assume soccer – but what these two would give for a 1-0 equivalent on Saturday.
Yes folks, unfortunately if you were expecting a running spectacle you will be disappointed. The term 'winning at all costs' has already been used – by Jonny Wilkinson no less – as the importance of starting with a 'W' will be the mindset ahead of Dunedin students' biggest night of 2011 – so far.
It could get messy, both on and off the pitch.
1995 was this duo's last and only RWC clash until now and memories of that game remain, with the English holding on to prevail by six points in Durban. Martin Johnson's outfit (then captain) did not score a try in that game and had to rely on Rob Andrew's boot. So, Wilkinson to do the same?
Jump sixteen years and see how players have changed since we went professional. One facet doesn't alter though, two teams going at each other hammer and tongs for 80 minutes.
Make no bones about it, there'll be less than ten or so points separating these two.
Argentina have a knack of limiting options – along with the scoreboard – for opponents and we all saw what happened to France (twice) four years ago. The hosting nation could not handle how their rivals came at them in Paris, with les bleus' mental fragility plain to see.
England should – and I stress the word should – be streetwise enough to get through this in what will be something of a planned mission. Get in, get out. You will have to excuse me as I recently watched 'The Hurt Locker'. If you haven't seen the film then I apologise but for those who have, there is some semblance of England planning and selecting for the job at hand. In comes Steve Thompson while the territorial apt Richard Wigglesworth keeps his place.
Thompson has been brought in for what looks like two reasons which are: he adds size and strength to both the scrum and open field while he's unlikely to become rattled by the Pumas front-row as Dylan Hartley could be. Yes we all know the Saints hooker has matured in the past year but we challenge any hot head not to be riled during an on-field evening with Rodrigo Roncero. Martin Johnson obviously had one eye on not losing a player to the bin.
Now we come to Wigglesworth, who has not yet won over all the pundits. Some see him as just a passer (he does have the best service in England) but it's his rugby knowledge and calmness that keeps an as yet fully-fit Ben Youngs benched. The Saracens nine will be tasked with keeping his side in the right areas. In front of him is the old school Nick Easter, a man who has a massive role to play at the World Cup. Easter is known for being a rock at the back for England and with the unpredictability of weather conditions in New Zealand as they are, his ability to stay on his feet and shudder defences will be key.
That is not to say Argentina aren't blessed with a quality number eight of their own in the shape of Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe. The former Sale man is one part of a strong back-three that has power, height and athleticism aplenty. They will need the trio to shine on Saturday while the combined front-row age of 95 – it would have been 107 had Martin Scelzo got in ahead of Juan Figallo – also have to stop England at source.
It may sound like I am harping on about this being a forward battle but if ball does make it outside ex-Toulon pals Felipe Contepomi and Jonny Wilkinson – both in their fourth World Cup – there's plenty of class on show. One side boasts direct and powerful runners while the other is blessed with steppers and a good dose of pizzazz. No prizes sorry. Although, brownie points for guessing the correct score the last time these two met in a World Cup.
Players to watch:
For Argentina: One man who has to be on top of his game if the Pumas are to cause an upset is Felipe Contepomi. With no Juan Martin Hernandez to hammer the side into the right places or put teams under pressure aerially, the Stade Francais pivot needs to take a grip of the game early on. Do that and the South Americans have more than a chance of pulling England into an arm-wrestle that many sides more often than not lose against Argentina.
For England: Quite a few players have got themselves a stage to make cases for a starting jersey throughout the tournament. Delon Armitage, Jonny Wilkinson, Richard Wigglesworth are three of those but it will be interesting to see Steve Thompson against Mario Ledesma.
Head-to-head: You've guessed it, the front-row. Dan Cole has shown enough over the past year to allay any fears he will struggle against top class international props. Meanwhile, Thompson and Andrew Sheridan have more combined caps in their cabinet than Mario Ledesma and Juan Figallo when they pack down. It is going to be interesting let me assure you and you can guarantee that cameras will be up close and personal for those dark arts.
Previous results:
2009: England won 16-9 at Twickenham
2009: Argentina won 24-22 in Salta
2009: England won 37-15 in Manchester
2006: Argentina won 25-18 at Twickenham
2002: England won 26-18 in Buenos Aires
2000: England won 19-0 at Twickenham
Prediction: It will be tense, physical and close. England by 9!
The teams:
Argentina: 15 Martin Rodriguez, 14 Horacio Agulla, 13 Gonzalo Tiesi, 12 Santiago Fernandez, 11 Gonzalo Camacho, 10 Felipe Contepomi, 9 Nicolas Vergallo, 8 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 6 Julio Farias Cabello, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Manuel Carizza, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Mario Ledesma, 1 Rodrigo Roncero.
Replacements: 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Martin Scelzo, 18 Mariano Galarza, 19 Alejandro Campos, 20 Alfredo Lalanne, 21 Marcelo Bosch, 22 Juan Jose Imhoff.
England: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Mike Tindall (c), 11 Delon Armitage, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Nick Easter, 7 James Haskell, 6 Tom Croft, 5 Courtney Lawes, 4 Louis Deacon, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Steve Thompson, 1 Andrew Sheridan.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Matt Stevens, 18 Tom Palmer, 19 Tom Wood, 20 Ben Youngs, 21 Toby Flood, 22 Matt Banahan.
Date: Saturday, September 10
Kick-off: 20.30 (08.30 GMT)
Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)