Pool C New Zealand V Argentina 16:45 Sun, Sep 20, 2015

sydthebeat

Where Legends are made







New Zealand
Aaron Cruden, Israel Dagg, Cory Jane, Lima Sopoaga, Nepo Laulala,Charles Piutau, Patrick Tuipulotu..... all players who would grace any international Rugby team but still didnt make the plane from New Zealand. Hell you can even throw names like Matt Todd and Ardie Savea in there. The absense of this calibre of players just goes to show how strong this AB squad is, and that point is gilded by the fact that the team Steve Hansen announced for this game will be the most capped international team EVER. The starting 15 account for an amazing 1013 caps between them, with another 316 on the bench.
The expectations of this team have been quite muted back in new zealand, perhaps a 'quite confidence' is the best description for the mood. A certain exiled kiwi made the point this week that more irish fans are mentioning the RWC final than AB fans.... but perhaps they dont have to. Hansen has certainly taken an "old dog for the long road" approach to his squad selection, though the bigggest eyebrows were raised for the inclusion of naholo, who broke his leg only 8 weeks ago. The 'miracle' of kawakawarau leaves are bound to be tested in the coming weeks.

ones to watch
Nehe milner Scudder has arguably been the player of the super rugby season, possibly alongside Waisake Naholo. NMS can play both wing and full back and is as exciting an attacker with ball in hand as there is in the world cup. Expect to see may defenders grasping at fresh air after his trademark pony kick steps.
Ma'a Nonu is a player completely reborn after a few barren seasons. if you have have said to a highlanders fan in 2013 that in 2 years time Nonu would be considered the best 12 in the world you would have been laughed at, so bad was his form. But alongside his starting centre partner C Smith, hes been a revelation this season with the hurricanes and has carried that form to the international stage.

Argentina
Los Pumas come into this competition in good fettle, despite loosing 2 tightheads in Figallo and Diaz. Chaparro may be familiar to some us as after having spent a season at Dragons and is an able deputy. A famous win over the boks in SA in the championship has added some external belief to the squads already bubbling inner belief. Whomever the play in the quarters, be it Ireland or France, it certainly will not be a foregone conclusion. 21 of the travelling 31 are all ascribed to as yet unnamed Argentina super rugby team, with 3 others unattached and most probably will be drafted too. The pumas have always been considered to have a strong grizzly forward pack, technically proficient in scrummaging and the set piece. But add to that a more mature and exciting back line, all tied together with a very competent half back pairing in Cubelli and Sanchez. Of the starting 9 -15 and the benching 20 - 23, only Juan Imhoof, at Racing, will be playing his club trade outside of argentina next season, thats an incredible club representation for any team.

ones to watch
Augustine Creevy is a class act.
Hooker and captain, hes the heartbeat of this puma side. Expect him to be at the back of many many driving mauls today, as this is an area the pumas got good reward when the last played the all blacks in the rugby championship. Creevy himself grabbing a brace.

as to how this one will go.... i predict a tight first half, no more than 7 points between them at the break. The in the second half the ABs will pull ahead and on emptying the bench the difference in class will be come apparent with new zealand frantically battling for a try bonus point in the last few minutes, only to be repelled by a proud argentinan side.
NMS to get 2 tires

New Zealand by 16

.ak

I have a feeling NMS will be top try scorer in the tournament

sydthebeat

.ak wrote: »

I have a feeling NMS will be top try scorer in the tournament

Naholo will get a run out as well, both vying for the same shirt.

Hard one to call IF naholo is genuinely 100%

ionadnapokot

Another upset wud be nice!
Really looking forward to this one. Cant wait to see the Argies getting stuck into them. 2nd row Lavanini 2nd in particular.
NZ by 7

Celly Smunt

I have Argentina down for the win here, going against the grain but I just don't see new Zealand being fresh out of the box yet. Maul central from the Argies id imagine.

nehe milner skudder

1. An allblack to be carded- par for the course these days.Especially this side of the equator.
2. over zealous TMO
3. a citing
4. milner skudder to score and barrett to chip in off the bench.
5. all blacks by 20

thomond2006

Go Fernandez Ligind!

Really looking forward to this. The AB's looked sharp in the last run out they had. Hope it continues.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

sydthebeat wrote: »

Naholo will get a run out as well, both vying for the same shirt.

Hard one to call IF naholo is genuinely 100%

This match is, or should be, their only real test in the pool stages, although Georgia will be a physical match. You'd assume Naholo will get a shot against Namibia on Thursday, if he is indeed healed.

I can't think the ABs are that hard up for players that they would bring Naholo on the off chance that he might be able to play?

As for this match I predict a tough battle for about 60 minutes, Argentina will get a couple of tried off a driving maul, but NZ will turn it on towards the end and win comfortably. I'd go so far as to say a BP win for them.

Principal Skinner

Cracking Attendance

Stheno

At least we got to see the Haka today

aimee1

Wembley full. Hopefully same next week.

crazygeryy

Bloody tv3 and their ads.

vienne86

Lovely kick from Hernandez. Nice terrritory for Arg.

This is a disaster for Argentina.

Stheno

Argentina no.6 in the bin!

fitz

Barnes being very harsh on Pumas.
Dumb by the 6 though.

aimee1

Don't think creevy was listening to wayne there

irishbucsfan

Silly from Lobbe there, doubt we'll see many more mistakes like that from him.

bilston

fitz wrote: »

Barnes being very harsh on Pumas.
Dumb by the 6 though.

The penalty against Bosch was pretty harsh but the rest seemed to have been fair enough.

fitz

bilston wrote: »

The penalty against Bosch was pretty harsh but the rest seemed to have been fair enough.

Think the first two for not rolling away were well harsh.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Stheno wrote: »

At least we got to see the Haka today

Interesting that of the 4 teams with a pre match thing only Fiji's got cut off the broadcast. Only one that got sung over too. I haven't got my tinfoil hat on just yet, but nearly....

token56

Pumas playing well enough with 14 men.

bilston

Better from Argentina.

vienne86

NZ defence seems bullet proof. Very hard to see how the Pumas could break through.

irishbucsfan

Argentina doing well here, winning a lot of collisions both sides of possession.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Interesting that of the 4 teams with a pre match thing only Fiji's got cut off the broadcast. Only one that got sung over too. I haven't got my tinfoil hat on just yet, but nearly....

You mean their haka, or whatever they call it? I saw Fiji's one, which channel you watching?

errlloyd

Hope Argentina clean up the discipline

bilston

fitz wrote: »

Think the first two for not rolling away were well harsh.

Aye well I assume one of those was the one against Bosch.

The thing that annoys me is that in the last passage of play McCaw was pretty slow to move away from the tackle area and as ever got away with it!

Stheno

bilston wrote: »

Aye well I assume one of those was the one against Bosch.

The thing that annoys me is that in the last passage of play McCaw was pretty slow to move away from the tackle area and as ever got away with it!

At one point he was completely on the wrong side!

bilston

bilston wrote: »

Aye well I assume one of those was the one against Bosch.

The thing that annoys me is that in the last passage of play McCaw was pretty slow to move away from the tackle area and as ever got away with it!

Argentina were given advantage for McCaw not getting away.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Basil3 wrote: »

You mean their haka, or whatever they call it? I saw Fiji's one, which channel you watching?

They didn't show it live. They cut it off and then the broadcast came back they showed a highlight clip of it with the live audio from the stadium over it. That's why it seemed to some like they'd played the rolling stones over it. The TV3 commentator said that the England fans had actually sung over it.

vienne86

NZ took forever to put into the scrum there and Pumas penalised hmmmmmm.

fitz

vienne86 wrote: »

NZ defence seems bullet proof. Very hard to see how the Pumas could break through.

NZ defensive line has looked offside a few times imo.

errlloyd

Barnes is having a laugh, where was the ruck there?

token56

Another silly offside from Argentina. They can't be doing that so far inside their half.

bilston

fitz wrote: »

NZ defensive line has looked offside a few times imo.

Agree with you on this. I noticed it with France last night as well.

laugh

Fair fecks!

vienne86

TRY Pumas! Great stuff!

captbarnacles

Great try

Stheno

Try Argentina

aimee1

Carter kicked him in head

errlloyd

Try with fourteen men.

fitz

Defence fairly porous there.
Good phase play by the Argies.

token56

Wow, NZ sort of fell apart there in defence.

bilston

Well worked by Argentina.

Tompatrick

I'm worried for Eire against either of these two teams

It amazes me people seem surprised when the Pumas score.

vienne86

Uh oh ....could be concussed.

Converted!

LuckyGent88

Got a boot to his head for his trouble there.
Awful lot of penalties in this game so far.

irishbucsfan

Carter should go off for that. Absolutely blatant.