Wales vs Argentina 14:30 Sat 21 Nov Match Thread

thomond2006

Wales coach Warren Gatland has restored the side that lost 19-12 to New Zealand for Saturday's Test against Argentina.
The only change is at centre, where in-form Scarlet Jonathan Davies replaces the injured Tom Shanklin, although he starts at 12 with Jamie Roberts at 13.

Lions quartet Shane Williams, Stephen Jones, Matthew Rees and Martyn Williams are all recalled after being rested in last Friday's 17-13 win over Samoa.

Gareth Cooper is named at scrum-half, holding off the claims of Dwayne Peel.

Sale number nine Peel was unavailable against the All Blacks due to club commitments but started against Samoa.

However, with Blues scrum-half Cooper earning Gatland's decision Peel has to be content with a place on the bench, with Martin Roberts of the Scarlets dropping out of the match 22.

Dan Biggar is another half-back to miss out completely despite starting against Samoa, relinquishing the fly-half shirt to Stephen Jones and finding there is no place on the bench for the young Osprey..




Despite the threat posed by the hard-scrummaging Pumas, Gatland has again resisted the temptation to move loose-head prop Gethin Jenkins across to tight-head and keeps faith with Paul James in the three jersey.
Shanklin has been ruled out by a broken nose, opening the way for 21-year-old Davies to make his first Test start in Cardiff.

Three-cap Davies was first-choice centre on Wales' summer tour of North America, scoring two tries against the US in Chicago, and came on in place of Shanklin against Samoa.

Dan Lydiate is named among the replacements and the Dragons back-row will win his first Wales cap if he comes off the bench at the Millennium Stadium.

With Lydiate getting the nod on the bench and Martyn Williams restored to the seven shirt, Blues open-side Sam Warburton drops out of the match squad after starting against Samoa.

Ospreys centre Andrew Bishop, called in to train with the squad on Monday after Shanklin's injury was confirmed, fills out the bench along with Tom James, Huw Bennett, Duncan Jones and Jonathan Thomas.

Ospreys second row Thomas has replaced the injured Bradley Davies as a Wales replacement after the Blues lock Davies picked up an ankle problem during Wales training.

Thomas, recently back from a ban for punching, has won most of his 48 caps in the back row, but has now displaced Ian Gough as first-choice Ospreys lock.

James Hook continues at full-back for Wales and his kicking prowess will be vital on Saturday against an Argentina side who are expected to play a set-piece kicking game.

Flanker Andy Powell accepts Wales will need to increase their performance level for the Pumas, who have beaten their hosts four times from the last six attempts.

Argentina, who lost 16-9 to England last Saturday, make two changes to their team as second-row Mariano Sambucetti and scrum-half Agustin Figuerola are in to face Wales in Cardiff.

Sambucetti comes into the boiler room for Esteban Lozada.
Figuerola, who won his third cap as a replacement at Twickenham last Saturday, is preferred to Alfredo Lalanne.
The scrum-half is from Buenos Aires side CASI, the club that launched the career of ex-Pumas nine Agustin Pichot.

Argentina have won four of their last six encounters against Wales, with victories coming in Cardiff, Tucuman, Puerto Madryn and Buenos Aires.


Wales: James Hook (Ospreys); Leigh Halfpenny, Jamie Roberts (both Cardiff Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Shane Williams (Ospreys); Stephen Jones (Scarlets), Gareth Cooper; Gethin Jenkins (both Blues), Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Paul James, Alun Wyn Jones (both Ospreys), Luke Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), Andy Powell, Martyn Williams (both Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys, capt).
Replacements: Huw Bennett, Duncan Jones, Jonathan Thomas (all Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Dragons), Dwayne Peel (Sale), Andrew Bishop (Ospreys), Tom James (Blues).

Argentina: Horacio Agulla (Brive); Lucas Borges (Albi), Gonzalo Tiesi
(Harlequins), Martin Rodriguez (Rosario), Mauro Comuzzi (Pucara); Santiago Fernandez (Hindu), Agustin Figuerola (CASI); Rodrigo Roncero (Stade Francais), Mario Ledesma (Clermont Auvergne), Martin Scelzo (Clermont Auvergne), Mariano Sambucetti (Bristol), Patricio Albacete (Toulouse), Tomas Leonardi (San Isidro), Alejandro Abadie (Rovigo), Juan Fernandez Lobbe (Toulon, capt).

Replacements: Alberto Vernet Basualdo (Toulouse), Marcos Ayerza (Leicester), Manuel Carizza (Biarritz), Alejandro Campos (Montauban), Alfredo Lalanne (London Irish), Benjamin Urdapilleta (CUBA), Horacio San Martin (Tala).

Referee: George Clancy (Ire)

Assistant referees: Christophe Berdos (Fr), David Changleng (Sco)

Television match official: Jim Yuille (Sco)

Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (Fr)

Oh oh, George Clancy is the ref, expect a lot of faceplam inducing decisions.

Wales desperately need to get back on the horse after shockers against the All Blacks and Samoa.
Paul James at TH will be under massive pressure in the scrum.

Stev_o

Clancy will save them at scrum time where they will be murdered, the guy doesn't have a clue.

anonymous_joe

Decent try.

Sadly just after Clancy bollixed up and was ludicrously harsh on the Argentinians.

thomond2006

10 - 0 to Wales.

Stephen Jones with a "Shane Geragthy quick tap" try.

Clancy messing up as always, Cooper not penalised for grabbing Lobbe's legs during a scrum. Blatant penalty offence.

dreamer_ire

thomond2006 wrote: »

Oh oh, George Clancy is the ref, expect a lot of faceplam inducing decisions.
quote]

Brian Moore rightly taking Clancy to task on BBC. Some shocking decisions by him so far

thomond2006

Lobbe having a Parisse-like impact.

tba

nice try there from argentina

Trotter

Ya really cannot take your eye off Williams.. He runs like a lad who's 6ft ahead of a Rottweiler.

Noffles

Just back from my trip to the Millenium to watch this game, wasn't too bad really, plenty of pointless kicking but overall a win is a win, maybe the tries were a little too opportunistic but when you have the opportunities you should be able to take them..

To add the Millenium had the roof closed, even though there were "only" 53,000 there, with the rood closed the sound is UNREAL..

Crash

Did they manage to replace the pitch in time for this, or was it still cut up?

Noffles

Crash wrote: »

Did they manage to replace the pitch in time for this, or was it still cut up?

It was replaced and seemed to hold up well, had a better look when watching it again at home and seemed just fine.