Australia vs Argentina
Australia comes into this match on a high having beaten the world champion Springboks two games in a row. The Pumas couldn’t be at a lower point as they have had four heavy defeats coming into this match. The Pumas are at their most dangerous when they are written off and showed glimpses in their last match that they are coming into form. The Aussies have turned their season around after three heavy defeats to the All Blacks. The reintroduction of stalwarts Samu Kerevi and Quade Cooper has been a revelation. Cooper provides that confidence with his goal kicking and all round excellent game management while Kerevi always gets over the advantage line with his carries. These two have transformed the team and that confidence has rubbed off on the other players so the Pumas will be in for a difficult match. The Pumas made wholesale changes in the last match and that certainly made a difference therefore they have stuck with the same team for this match.
TIP: The Pumas sprung a major surprise in the last match by selecting regular fullback Santiago Carreras at flyhalf. This experiment worked well as he showed much better attacking skills than the man he replaced Nicholas Sanchez. The Aussies have shown that they can run the ball from anywhere especially with Quade Cooper at 10 as he always has an eye for the gap. The Pumas pride themselves on their scrum but will be disappointed with the way they have scrummed so far. The Aussie scrum has been fantastic and they out scrummed the Springboks which is no mean feat. The scrum battle will decide who gets the platform to launch their impressive backlines. The bookies have Australia as favourites and I also tip them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.33, Playabets 1.21 and Sunbet 1.28
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Australia vs Argentina
- In the last five matches there have been two Australian wins, two draws and one Argentinian win
- The last two matches between the sides have ended in draws.
- Australia has only ever lost once at home to Argentina.
Latest results for both teams
Australia beat South Africa 30-17 in their last match while Argentina lost 36-13 to New Zealand.
PREDICTION
There were many highlights for the Aussies in their wins over SA but the absolute best moment was prop Taniela Tupou running down the touchline and making a brilliant offload for Marika Koroibete to score. It was a puzzling decision why Tupou hasn’t started all the matches so far and he took his chance with both hands. The Pumas skipper Julián Montoya has been a stand out player in a disappointing Pumas team. He is leading the turnover count at the breakdown and the Aussies need to clear him out early. Both teams like to use the rolling maul but have struggled to gain the metres and will be interesting if they continue with this tactic. The are many head to head contest but the highlight will undoubtedly be Aussie skipper Michael Hooper against Pablo Matera. They are two of the best flankers in the world and the winner of this battle could be the catalyst to their team winning. The match will be tightly fought but I predict the Aussies to edge it by 3 points.
- Probable Starting XVs
Australia
15 Reece Hodge, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Samu Kerevi, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Nic White, 8 Rob Valetini, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Rob Leota, 5 Matt Philip, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 James Slipper
Argentina
15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 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 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Matías Alemanno, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julián Montoya (c), 1 Facundo Gigena
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Australia victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.33
Playabets 1.21
Sunbet 1.28
Odds comparison on the Argentina handicap :
The complete odds on the Argentina handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (+9.5) 1.90
Sunbet (+9.5) 1.90
Playabets (+8.5) 1.99
Predictions and Odds in details
These teams look very evenly matched in the forwards and I feel the team that can ignite their backline better will win. The experience of the Aussie halfback pairing of Cooper and Nic White could prove decisive. They are excellent at game management while the Pumas halfback pairing will be playing just their second match together. The ever dangerous Koroibete will again be looking to add to his try count and will be up against the speedy Santiago Cordero. The Pumas have a very physical centre pairing and their match up with Kerevi and Len Ikitau will be blockbuster. The Aussies outright victory doesn’t offer great returns for punters therefore I suggest the Pumas on a very generous handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (+9.5) 1.90, Sunbet (+9.5) 1.90 and Playabets (+8.5) 1.99
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.
