Semi Final Preview - Argentina vs Australia

Before last weekend’s quarter-finals you would have believed Australia likely to score a comfortable win over Scotland, and Argentina to be in the toughest of battles to beat Ireland. But Australia smuggled the tightest of victories while Argentina were great value in a convincing win.

In World Cup playoff games, the ‘favourites’ tag merely reflects media and fan hype, with teams of such similar ability needing to perform just a little better than their opponents on the day.

There will be no Wallaby complacency in the semi-final after their quarter-final near implosion all but put them on a flight back home. Their physical intensity and defence will revert to their approach against England and Wales, and their attacking skills should be far sharper than last week.

Los Pumas played with admirable passion and intensity in their quarter-final, and with impressive skill too. How good it has been to witness them move away from a forward-oriented game-plan to using their backs and loose-forwards to run at the opposition, varying their point of attack from close to out wide.

The Wallabies missed their attacking x-factor fullback Israel Folau and their go-to player, the superlative, hugely influential David Pocock against Scotland. Both are back for the semi-final. But the whole team will need to offer a substantially better performance this week if they are to beat the vastly improved Pumas.

Key players:
For Argentina, the classy, internationally experienced Nicolas Sanchez at 10 and Juan Martin Hernandez at 12, their most skilful attacking back Juan Imhoff, and the composure and leadership of Agustin Creevy. For Australia, Pocock and Folau, plus 10 Bernard Foley, whose accuracy let him down last week until the final, decisive goal-kick, and Matt Giteau, wanting to be more influential on the Wallaby performance.

The big match-ups:
The goal-kicking of Foley and Sanchez. The scrummaging battle between Marcos Ayerza – Sekope Kepu and Ramiro Herrera – James Slipper. Out wide, Imhoff vs Adam Ashley-Cooper. And a massive loose-forward clash between Pocock, Michael Hooper and Scott Fardy vs Leonardo Senatore, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, and Pablo Matera.