New Zealand v Argentina: Sky Live Rugby Championship preview
By Michael Cantillon
Last Updated: 08/09/18 8:16am
Argentina have never beaten New Zealand in their history from 26 attempts. A victory in Nelson on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Action, would be one of the biggest shocks the sport has seen...
The Pumas are fresh from an eye-catching 32-19 victory over South Africa in Mendoza, however, and will arrive on Kiwi soil with a spring in their step and a determination to make history.
Saying that, the All Blacks have ruthlessly disposed of Australia twice in the first two rounds of this year's Rugby Championship - plundering in 38 and 40 points in successive hammerings.
Here are five talking points ahead of New Zealand v Argentina - the first Test match ever to be played at Nelson's Trafalgar Park...
Mo'unga's chance to shine?
At the end of the 2018 Super Rugby season, Crusaders out-half Richie Mo'unga emerged as the standout 10 in New Zealand.
He had performed better than Beauden Barrett. Better than Damian McKenzie.
The caveat is he was playing behind the best forward pack in the competition too, but even still the 24-year-old had put in a series of sensational performances en route to the Crusaders clinching the title.
And yet, such is the strength in depth available to Steve Hansen, Mo'unga was not involved in either squad for New Zealand's first two fixtures of the championship against Australia.
And in his absence, Barrett has re-established himself as one of the premier players on the planet - if it was ever truly in question that is - with an unbelievable four-try, 30 point display at Eden Park against the Wallabies. McKenzie arrived off the bench to prove a considerable spark too.
But on Saturday in Nelson, Mo'unga has been handed his first Test start in the All Blacks jersey and will earn just his second cap.
He'll be expected to run the show and run it well. Can he execute to the desired level?
Pumas' travel blues...
On the road, Argentina have really struggled and have done for some time.
In their Rugby Championship history, from 18 trips away from home, the Pumas have only ever picked up one success: against South Africa in Durban, August 2015.
In the same time-frame since the Pumas joined the Rugby Championship in 2012, the South Americans have played 34 Tests away from home outside of World Cups.
And from those 34 games, just seven have resulted in victory - three of which have come against Italy, with further wins coming in Japan, France, Wales and the aforementioned South African win.
Not only would Argentina be making history by beating New Zealand, but they would be bucking a near-decade long trend of poor results away from home.
A very tough ask indeed...
Critical scrummaging
The difference between Argentina's performance at scrum-time between their opening Rugby Championship loss to South Africa and subsequent victory against the Boks at home a week later was remarkably stark.
In Durban, their scrum was heavily punished and in retreat for pretty much the entire 80 minutes. In Mendoza, the dominance Mario Ledesma's men built up in the scrum went a long way to them securing victory.
Unfortunately for Ledesma and co, Saracens tighthead Juan Figallo - the starting prop for the first two fixtures and a major element to their scrum improvement - suffered a series knee injury playing against the Newcastle Falcons in the Premiership on Sunday, meaning he is out.
As a result, and with Ramiro Herrara still playing outside of the squad for Stade Francais, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, the starting loosehead for Argentina so far, has swapped to tight.
Historically, a strong set-piece has led to a strong Argentina. Such a change has the potential to seriously derail their improvement...
Naholo v Delguy...
Two of the best finishers in the Rugby Championship so far this year have been New Zealand's Waisake Naholo and Argentina's Bautista Delguy, and on Saturday they'll be coming face to face on the same flank.
With Naholo down the All Blacks left and Delguy down the Argentina right, whichever wing - with help from the team around them of course - can contain their opposite number the better, could go a long way to establishing control in the game and/or keeping the score tight.
Naholo's power and pace opposite Delguy's stepping ability should make for fascinating viewing.
The All Blacks may be overwhelming favourites, but the likes of Delguy and Emiliano Boffelli will have to be watched carefully, that's for sure.
Team News
Including Mo'unga, the All Blacks have made seven changes to their starting XV with prop Karl Tu'inkuafe and flanker Shannon Frizell handed opportunities.
Sam Cane, who suffered concussion symptoms following the first two Tests against the Wallabies, is given a further week to recover before the All Blacks play South Africa in Wellington, with Ardie Savea replacing him at openside. While TJ Perenara and Scott Barrett come in for usual starters Aaron Smith and Sam Whitelock at scrum-half and lock.
Replacement nine Te Toiroa Tahuriorang is in line to make his debut off the bench, while Jordie Barrett is dropped with Nehe Milner-Skudder coming onto the right wing for his first Test in a year.
The Pumas meanwhile have changed four, with scrum-half Martin Landajo coming in for his first start since the June defeat to Scotland with Tomas Cubelli on the bench, while Jeronimo de la Fuenta replaces Bautista Ezcurra at inside-centre.
Tomas Lezana is in at blindside for the influential Pablo Matera in a surprise move, while the final change is the aforementioned enforced swap of the injured Figallo for loosehead Santiago Garcia Botta, with Tetaz Chaparro making a positional switch to tighthead.
New Zealand: 15 Ben Smith, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Waisake Naholo, 10 Richie Mo'unga, 9 TJ Perenara; 1 Karl Tu'inukuafe, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Owen Franks, 4 Brodie Retallick, 5 Scott Barrett, 6 Shannon Frizell, 7 Ardie Savea, 8 Kieran Read (c).
Replacements: 16 Nathan Harris, 17 Tim Perry, 18 Ofa Tuungafasi, 19 Sam Whitelock, 20 Luke Whitelock, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Damian McKenzie, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown
Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Martin Landajo; 1 Santiago Garcia Botta, 2 Agustin Creevy (c), 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 6 Tomas Lezana, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Javier Ortega Desio.
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 18 Gaston Cortes, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Pablo Matera, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Bautista Ezcurra, 23 Juan Cruz Mallia.