A battle of mind and muscle - where Argentina v Australia will be won and lost
These players will play a huge part in deciding whether it's the Pumas or Wallabies who advance to the Rugby World Cup final
LONDON, 22 Oct - Get the key battles right and you're halfway to victory. When Argentina and Australia meet at Twickenham on Sunday, four of the crucial match-ups will be at hooker, flanker, fly-half and wing - the grafters and fetchers, the schemers and finishers.
Nicolas Sanchez will try to shade Bernard Foley in the playmaker role; Juan Imhoff and Drew Mitchell will hope to profit from a fluid game; Agustin Creevy and Stephen Moore front up as hookers and captains; and Michael Hooper won't have it all his own way against the breakdown brilliance of Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.
FLY-HALF
NICOLAS SANCHEZ (ARGENTINA)
(age 26, caps 37, 333 points; RWC 2015 4 matches, 74 points, kick success 26/30)
Sanchez is the second-highest points scorer (behind Scotland’s Greig Laidlaw) at RWC 2015 and has masterminded Argentina’s exhilarating progress to the semi-finals. With numerous options among the explosive runners in the Argentina backline, Sanchez’s calmness under pressure ensures he seldom makes a bad decision with ball in hand. From the tee he has been peerless, kicking 26 out of 30 penalties and conversions.
BERNARD FOLEY (AUSTRALIA)
(age 26, caps 25, 253 points; RWC 2015 4 matches, 66 points, kick success 21/26)
Foley starred in Pool A as Australia saw off England and Wales, but faltered in the quarter-final against Scotland before regaining his nerve to win the match with a penalty in the last minute. He will be under intense scrutiny against Argentina, but his ability to change pace and direction to break the gainline might prosper against the freewheeling Pumas. He will needs to get his kicking right from the off, though.
WING
JUAN IMHOFF (ARGENTINA)
(age 27, caps 32, 16 tries; RWC 2015 5 matches, 5 tries, carries 306m)
No one typifies the exuberance of the Pumas more than Juan Imhoff, the flying Racing Metro wing. His five tries at RWC 2015 have captured the headlines and his spectacular ‘Superman’ dive to score his second against Ireland had his admirers on social media going into overdrive. With the exciting Santiago Cordero on the opposite flank, Argentina have a potent pair of wings, and Imhoff can pop up almost anywhere along the backline.
DREW MITCHELL (AUSTRALIA)
(age 31, caps 68, 34 tries; RWC 2015 3 matches, 4 tries, carries 202m)
Mitchell scored two of Australia’s five tries against Scotland to put himself just one shy of matching the 15 scored at Rugby World Cups by Jonah Lomu and his Toulon teammate, Bryan Habana. Seized his chance after the injury to Rob Horne, who may have the edge defensively, but Mitchell is an out-and-out finisher who has made the most of his opportunity.
HOOKER
AGUSTIN CREEVY (ARGENTINA)
(age 30, caps 45; RWC15 matches 5, tackles 22, turnovers 8)
The Pumas may be playing a more fluid game this World Cup but the set-piece remains a huge asset for Argentina and in Creevy they have a front row talisman whose blood runs blue and white. His commitment to the cause is unquestioned - he was the first overseas-based player to sign for his country's new Super Rugby side - and knows what it's like to be on the winning side against Australia.
STEPHEN MOORE (AUSTRALIA)
(age 32, caps 100; RWC15 matches 4, tackles 25, turnovers 0)
Australia's resurgent scrum has much to do with the return of Stephen Moore after missing much of the 2014 international season. The nuggety hooker gives the Wallabies direction and drive at the coal face, and brings plenty of World Cup experience - this is his third appearance. Also has that knack of great hookers - think Sean Fitzpatrick or Keith Wood - of appraising the referee of matters in the most subtle way.
FLANKER
JUAN MARTIN FERNANDEZ LOBBE (ARGENTINA)
(age 33, caps 69; RWC15 matches 5, tackles 38, turnovers 2)
Rangy forward who is to be found at the heart of most good things the Pumas do. Nimble for a big man (1.91m and well over 100kg), he combines the stature of a blindside with the requisite speed for the No.7 jersey. At 33, this is likely his last shot at World Cup glory and won't leave anything in the tank on Sunday. Experienced in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of French rugby, which will serve him well in the cauldron of Twickenham.
MICHAEL HOOPER (AUSTRALIA)
(age 23, caps 49; RWC15 matches 3, tackles 36, turnovers 1)
With David Pocock, Hooper is part of the breakdown collective dubbed 'Pooper', but his role is more than just that, showing industry in the tackle count and linking well with the backs in open play. Didn't so much struggle against Scotland as encounter an on-song opposition unit without his partner in crime, and was shaded accordingly. Expect a return to form against the Pumas.
RNS ns/ig
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