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Completing the southern hemisphere quartet at the 2015 Rugby World Cup will be Argentina and Australia in the second semi-final also at the same venue. Incidentally, the top four teams, as per the world rankings have all made it to the semis.
Venue & Kick-Off
The second semi-final will also be played at Rugby’s HQ, Twickenham Stadium, in London.
Action kicks off at 8:30 PM IST and you can catch it on Sony Six.
Road to the semis and form guide
Argentina
Los Pumas finished second to New Zealand in Pool C having lost their opening match against them. Even in defeat, the Pumas impressed everyone as they posed the world champions a ton of problems and led by as much as seven points with 20 minutes to go. The All Blacks’ late charge though scuppered their chances of victory, but they have gone from strength to strength ever since and have been THE team of the tournament.
They put Namibia, Georgia and Tonga away with minimum fuss and relative ease, displaying an attacking style of rugby that coach Daniel Hourcade has introduced into this team. Further evidence was supplied when they put in a scintillating performance to oust Ireland in what was perhaps their best showing of the tournament, proving that they were indeed a real threat. At the end of the pool stages, Argentina had scored the second-most tries behind only New Zealand.
And it’s not just been one player leading the charge. Fly-half Nicolas Sanchez has been superb and hasn’t missed a beat with his kicking and has 74 points for the tournament, the second-highest behind only Scotland Greig Laidlaw who he could very well surpass tomorrow. Winger Juan Imhoff has been a sensation with his speed and try-scoring ability and with five tries to his name, is joint-second in the tournament with South Africa’s Bryan Habana. The old guard, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Juan Martin Hernandez, have been showing that they’ve still got it as well making the Argentines a brilliant team to watch and a dangerous opponent to face.
Argentina remain the only team of the final four to have not won the Rugby World Cup yet.
Results:
Australia
Favourites for the title for the way they’ve performed ever since Michael Cheika took over the reins towards the end of last year, Australia have lived up to their billing so far in the tournament.
The Wallabies, on the heels of their success in this year’s shortened Rugby Championship which included the beating of New Zealand, had a lot of the spotlight especially considering they were placed in the ‘Pool of Death’ which included Wales, Fiji, Uruguay and hosts England. That’s three of the top five nations (at the time England were fourth and Wales fifth in the rankings) in the same pool. And Australia swatted aside every challenge to emerge pool winners, including dumping out the hosts after their thumping win saw Chris Robshaw’s England become the first host nation to exit the tournament in the pool stage.
Fly-half Bernard Foley was in superb form, scoring tries as well as penalties and conversions, as well as providing for the likes of backs Israel Folau, Drew Mitchell and Adam Ashley-Cooper. Their two flankers – David Pocock and Michael Hooper, nicknamed ‘Pooper’ – wreaked havoc at the rucks and at the breakdowns, forcing penalties and causing turnovers, the pair being the star turn in their Rugby Championship success as well.
In the quarterfinal, they came up against a gallant Scotland, marshalled by their heroic captain Greig Laidlaw. In a match that will not be forgotten soon, the Wallabies came within a minute of boarding the flight back home the next day, but Foley’s last-gasp penalty found the mark, after he’d struggled the rest of the game, to push them over the line and break Scottish hearts. A lot has been written about how the Aussies were fortuitous to have made it through, but’s let’s be honest, they’re here not because of Foley’s penalty, but because of the five tries they scored in the game that put them in that position in the first place.
Folau and Pocock both missed the quarterfinal through injury, but are back for the semi-final clash to up the ante that much more for the Argentines.
Head-to-head
Argentina have been playing in the Rugby Championship since 2012 when it morphed into its current four-nation tourney from the earlier Tri-Nations avatar that featured just the big three. And that experience has served them very well indeed. Their first win in the competition came two years ago at home in Mendoza, against Australia, and they notched up their second win earlier this year against the Boks. So, though Australia have dominated the match-up, having lost just twice, the two losses being 16 years apart, it cannot be ignored that Argentina have grown in leaps and bounds over the last couple of years and the fact that they have tasted success against them should give them confidence.
Players to watch out for
Argentina
Nicolas Sanchez –The No. 10 has been in prime form for the South Americans with his distribution as well as being deadly with his kicks. The man who’s modelled his game on his mentor, England world cup winner Jonny Wilkinson, has gained new ground under this new attacking approach.
Juan Imhoff–The pacy winger has epitomized this new look team scoring five tries so far and being one tough man to mark. He has an edge that can frighten any defence in the world.
Juan Martin Fernandez – The old wolf can still howl. The former captain has shown that he has lost nothing with some great carries and handling of the oval ball, exceptional in defence and a great provider in attack.
Australia
Bernard Foley –Foley’s kick was decisive against Scotland, but his horror show earlier in the game put the Wallabies in that position and he got a chance to redeem himself. Spotless in the pool stage, Foley will be looking to recapture that game and Cheika trusts the man for he has the ability to ice cool in the tensest of situations.
Israel Folau–The athletic full-back returns from injury and will serve to be Australia’s bulwark in trying to penetrate the Argentine defence. His return makes the Wallabies back three super potent with the excellent Drew Mitchell and Adam Ashley-Cooper in tow.
Michael Hooper –Hooper had a disappointing game against the Scots and the Tartans harried and hustled him and the other Australians into errors. Not helping was his partner-in-crime David Pocock being missing. The destroyer will be back, like Folau, and Hooper will be relishing the chance to get stuck into the Pumas as the ‘Pooper’ combo gets back together.
Teams
Argentina – 1. Marcos Ayerza; 2. Agustin Creevy (captain); 3. Ramiro Herrera; 4. Guido Petti; 5. Tomas Lavanini; 6. Pablo Matera; 7. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe; 8. Leonardo Senatore; 9. Martin Landajo; 10. Nicolas Sanchez; 11. Juan Imhoff; 12. Juan Martin Hernandez; 13. Marcelo Bosch; 14. Santiago Cordero; 15. Joaquin Tuculet
Replacements:16. Julian Montoya; 17. Lucas Noguera; 18. Juan Figallo; 19. Matias Alemanno; 20. Facundo Isa; 21. Tomas Cubelli; 22. Jeronimo De La Fuente; 23. Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino;
Australia – 1. James Slipper; 2. Stephen Moore (captain); 3. SekopeKepu; 4. Kane Douglas; 5. Rob Simmons; 6. Scott Fardy; 7. Michael Hooper; 8. David Pocock; 9. Will Genia; 10. Bernard Foley; 11. Drew Mitchell; 12. Matt Giteau; 13. TevitaKuridrani; 14. Adam Ashley-Cooper; 15. Israel Folau
Replacements:16. TatafuPolota-Nau; 17. Toby Smith; 18. Greg Holmes; 19. Dean Mumm; 20. Ben McCalman; 21. Nick Phipps; 22. Matt Toomua; 23. Kurtley Beale
