2024 Rugby Championship – New Zealand vs Argentina

New Zealand and Argentina face-off in Wellington in the first of two 2024 Rugby Championship matches between the teams in New Zealand. The August 10 match is unlike prior beginnings to new Rugby World Cup cycles. The prior cycle saw Los Pumas beating the All Blacks for the first time and doing so not once but twice.

The most recent meeting between the sides was at the Semi Finals stage of Rugby World Cup 2023. The All Blacks’ win got them through to the final. Los Pumas were not happy with the performance that evening in Paris, France.

Many players from both team in the Paris Semi Final are back but they are under the commands of new coaches. Scott Robertson ha replaced Ian Foster as New Zealand Head Coach while Felipe Contepomi has replaced Michael Cheika.

Robertson and Contepomi played for their countries on opposing teams in 2001. Robertson scored the match-winning try in a 24-20 win in Buenos Aires.

FORM GUIDE

July: 3 wins; 0 losses. Won 2 vs England in Dunedin + Auckland; vs Fiji in San Diego, CA

July: 2 wins; 1 loss. Won vs France in Buenos Aires; Uruguay in Punta del Este.

LINEUP CHANGES (from New Zealand vs Fiji + Uruguay vs Argentina)

1 Ethan de Groot replaces Tamaiti Williams
2 Codie Taylor replaces Asafo Aumua
3 Tyrel Lomax replaces Fletcher Newell
4 Tupou Vaa’i replaces Scott Barrett
5 Sam Darry replaces Tupou Vaa’i
6 Ethan Blackadder moves from 7; replaces Luke Jacobson
7 Dalton Papali’i replaces Ethan Blackadder
9 TJ Perenara replaces Cortez Ratima
11 Mark Tele’a replaces Caleb Clarke
12 Jordie Barrett replaces Anton Lienert-Brown
13 Anton Lienert-Brown moves from 12; replaces Billy Proctor

6 Pablo Matera replaces Joaquín Moro
8 Juan Martín González replaces Joaquín Oviedo
10 Santiago Carreras replaces Tomás Albornoz
12 Santiago Chocobares moves from 13; replaces Jerónimo de la Fuente
13 Lucio Cinti replaces Santiago Chocobares
14 Matías Moroni replaces Ignacio Mendy
15 Juan Cruz Mallía replaces Santiago Cordero

DEBUTANTS

– (0)

– (1) Efraín Elías

MOST CAPS

– B Barrett (126); C Taylor (87); A Savea (84); TJ Perenara (82); A Lienert-Brown (73)

– A Creevy (108); P Matera (101); T Lavanini (86); M Moroni (82); M Kremer (67)

NOTABLE ABSENTEES

– Scott Barrett (LO); Patrick Tuipulotu (LO); Luke Jacobson (FL); Stephen Perofeta (FB)

– Julián Montoya (HO), Santiago Grondona (FL); Facundo Isa (N8); Emiliano Boffelli (WI)

NOTES

Regular captains Scott Barrett and Julián Montoya are both out injured.
Ardea Savea leads New Zealand for the ninth time; doing so in his hometown.
Sam Darry earns his 1st cap in New Zealand. He debuted against Fiji in San Diego, CA.
Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, and Tyrel Lomax is the same front-row from the World Cup Semi Final. Also retained are Ardie Savea, Mark Tele’a, Jordie Barrett, and Beauden Barrett
Replacement winger Will Jordan scored a hat-trick in the Semi Final win in Paris.
Argentina’s team has just 4 Buenos Aires players. 7 of the 23 are from Córdoba. For context, all but 4 of the RWC 2007 roster were from Buenos Aires.
Pablo Matera leads Argentina. Marcos Kremer, who captained vs Uruguay, is vice-captain.
Matera overtakes Nicolás Sánchez as the Puma with the most caps vs New Zealand with 17.
Franco Molina makes his Rugby Championship debut. He captained Dogos to Super Rugby Americas 2024 glory.
Second-rower Pedro Rubiolo and N8 Joaquín Oviedo earn 1st Rugby Championship starts.
u20 captain Efraín Elías debuts covering second-row and N8. He has signed for Toulouse.
1st caps of 2024 for Juan Martín González, Juan Cruz Mallía, Lucio Cinti, and replacements Agustín Creevy, Joel Sclavi, and Tomás Lavanini.
Matías Moroni has his 1st start on the wing since vs Australia in 2021.
Argentina previously tasted victory at the same venue in Wellington in 2011 vs Scotland.
Los Pumas’ won 25-15 vs New Zealand in Sydney in 2020 and 25-18 in Christchurch in 2022.
Angus Gardner will be the referee again. He officiated the most recent All Blacks vs Pumas match.

PREDICTION

Winter conditions including wind are expected. Coming out on top in the battle of the set-piece and the collisions will be central to being in a winning position. Felipe Contepomi’s strong replacements suggest a move to Springboks’ bomb-squad tactics. Certainty over chance does too; an example being Matías Moroni over Bautista Delguy and Santiago Cordero. A looming question is will Argentina be able to protect themselves against New Zealand’s ability to punish opposition errors? ARN projects New Zealand to win by +9 points.

LINEUPS

NEW ZEALAND
1 Ethan De Groot, Codie Taylor, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 4 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Sam Darry, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 7 Dalton Papali’i, 8 Ardie Savea (capt.), 9 TJ Perenara, 10 Damian McKenzie, 11 Mark Tele’a, 12 Jordie Barrett, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 14 Sevu Reece, 15 Beauden Barrett

Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Josh Lord, 20 Wallace Sititi, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Rieko Ioane, 23 Will Jordan

ARGENTINA
1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Ignacio Ruiz, 3 Eduardo Bello, 4 Franco Molina, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 6 Pablo Matera (capt.), 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Juan Martín González, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Mateo Carreras, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Lucio Cinti, 14 Matías Moroni, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía

Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Tomás Lavanini, 20 Efraín Elías, 21 Joaquín Oviedo, 22 Lautaro Bazán Vélez, 23 Tomás Albornoz

MATCH INFO

Date: Saturday, August 10
Venue: Sky Stadium, Wellington (NZ)
Kickoff: 7:05pm local (4:05am AR)
Weather Forecast: Showers, 7°C, wind (25 km/h)
Broadcasts: ESPN; Disney +

OFFICIALS

Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry (Australia); Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)

vs HISTORY

Oct 20, 2023 – New Zealand 44-06 Argentina (Paris, FR)*
Jul 08, 2023 – Argentina 12-41 New Zealand (Mendoza, AR)
Sep 03, 2022 – New Zealand 53-3 Argentina (Hamilton, NZ)
Aug 08, 2022 – New Zealand 18-25 Argentina (Christchurch, NZ)
Sep 18, 2021 – New Zealand 36-13 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
Sep 12, 2021 – New Zealand 39-0 Argentina (Gold Coast, AU)
Nov 28, 2020 – New Zealand 38-0 Argentina (Newcastle, AU)
Nov 14, 2020 – New Zealand 15-25 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
Jul 20, 2019 – Argentina 16-20 New Zealand (Buenos Aires, AR)
Sep 29, 2018 – Argentina 17-35 New Zealand (Buenos Aires, AR)
Sep 08, 2018 – New Zealand 46-24 New Zealand (Nelson, NZ)
Sep 30, 2017 – Argentina 10-36 New Zealand (Buenos Aires, AR)
Sep 09, 2017 – New Zealand 39-22 Argentina (New Plymouth, NZ)
Oct 01, 2016 – Argentina 17-36 New Zealand (Buenos Aires, AR)
Sep 10, 2016 – New Zealand 57-22 Argentina (Hamilton, NZ)
Sep 20, 2015 – New Zealand 26-16 Argentina (London, UK) *
Jul 17, 2015 – New Zealand 39-18 Argentina (Christchurch, NZ)
Sep 27, 2014 – Argentina 13-34 New Zealand (La Plata, AR)
Sep 06, 2014 – New Zealand 28-09 Argentina (Napier, NZ)
Sep 28, 2013 – Argentina 15-33 New Zealand (La Plata, AR)
Sep 07, 2013 – New Zealand 28-13 Argentina (Hamilton, NZ)
Sep 29, 2012 – Argentina 15-54 New Zealand (La Plata, AR)
Sep 08, 2012 – New Zealand 21-05 Argentina (Wellington, NZ)
Oct 09, 2011 – New Zealand 33-10 Argentina (Auckland, NZ) *
Jun 24, 2006 – Argentina 19-25 New Zealand (Buenos Aires, NZ)
Jun 26, 2004 – New Zealand 41-07 Argentina (Hamilton, NZ)
Dec 01, 2001 – Argentina 20-24 New Zealand (Buenos Aires, AR)
Jun 22, 2001 – New Zealand 67-19 Argentina (Christchurch, NZ)
Jun 28, 1997 – New Zealand 62-10 Argentina (Hamilton, NZ)
Jun 21, 1997 – New Zealand 93-08 Argentina (Wellington, NZ)
Jul 13, 1991 – Argentina 06-36 New Zealand (Buenos Aires, AR)
Jul 06, 1991 – Argentina 14-28 New Zealand (Buenos Aires, AR)
Jul 29, 1989 – New Zealand 49-12 Argentina (Wellington, NZ)
Jul 15, 1989 – New Zealand 60-09 Argentina (Dunedin, NZ)
Jun 01, 1987 – New Zealand 45-15 Argentina (Wellington, NZ) *
Nov 02, 1985 – Argentina 21-21 New Zealand (Buenos Aires, AR)
Oct 26, 1985 – Argentina 20-23 New Zealand (Buenos Aires, AR)