Argentina vs New Zealand
Argentina is a proud rugby nation and will be deeply embarrassed about their last two matches against the All Blacks. They have conceded an aggregate of 77 points in their two games against NZ while they have not scored a single point. Both the teams have made a host of changes for this match and the most important one has been at flyhalf. Stalwart Nicole Sanchez has been dropped in favour of regular fullback Santiago Carreras who will play his first game at 10. The All Blacks have also decided to rest a few first team regulars and this may provide the Pumas an opportunity to make this match more of a contest. The Pumas were heavily penalized in the last match and will need to be more disciplined against a rampant All Black side. The selection of Santiago Chocobares and Emiliano Boffelli will give the Pumas more attacking thrust, something they desperately lacked in the first match.
TIP: The All Blacks thrive on getting good ball from their forwards as they use this to launch all their attacks. Another area that they score a lot of tries from is turnover ball. The Pumas will need to value possession otherwise they will be punished. The All Blacks have Damian McKenzie at 10 in a move that could be seen as a potential weakness for them. He is great at running with ball in hand but it is his game management that will be tested. The Pumas must look to pressurise him and this could see him make errors. The Pumas for so long the leading nation when it came to the scrum have regressed to a point that they are now one of the weaker teams in this department. They will need skipper Julian Montoya and his front row mates to stand up to the All Black scrum to lay a platform for their backs to launch. The bookies have the All Blacks as heavy favourites and I agree with this. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.04, Playabets 1.01 and Sunbet 1.04
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Argentina vs New Zealand
- New Zealand has won 9 of the last ten encounters between the sides.
- The last two matches between the sides have seen Argentina fail to score a single point.
Latest results for both teams
New Zealand beat Argentina 39-0 in the last match.
PREDICTION
There doesn’t seem to be much chance of a Pumas victory as the last two matches against the All Blacks have shown. I expect them to at least put up more of a fight in this game. The changes in the All Blacks team have weakened them and hopefully this has given the Argentinians some hope. Their backline has looked toothless and I put this down to the halfbacks failing to ignite the attack. They have classy players in attack and need to get the ball out to these players. The All Blacks dominated every aspect of play and will look for another powerful display from their forwards. I see the Pumas scoring a few points this time around and the rash of changes by the All Blacks makes me predict the match to be a lot closer. All Blacks to win by less than 25 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Argentina
15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Juan Martín González, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julian Montoya (c), 1 Facundo Gigena
New Zealand
15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 George Bridge, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Ardie Savea (c), 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Joe Moody
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the All Blacks victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.04
Playabets 1.01
Sunbet 1.04
Odds comparison on the Argentina handicap :
The complete odds on the Argentina handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (+25.5) 1.90
Sunbet (+25.5) 1.95
Playabets (+25.5) 1.84
Predictions and Odds in details
I think the biggest obstacle facing the All Blacks will be complacency. We have seen many times in the past that they tend to get loose after a big win. They try too many intricate moves very early in the game and Argentina will be hoping to take advantage of such mistakes. Ardie Savea is back as skipper along with a raft of other changes and I feel this could be a disruption to the flow of their game. Argentina was forced into making changes as their senior players like Sanchez and Delguy have looked terribly off their game. The All Blacks were dominant in the forwards and we can expect a retort from the Pumas as this is an area of the game that they are traditionally strong in. There is literally no money for punters betting on the All Blacks for the outright win. Due to the changes and resting of players by NZ, I suggest the Pumas on a generous handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (+25.5) 1.90, Sunbet (+25.5) 1.95 and Playabets (+25.5) 1.84
Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.
