Australia wary of unpredictable Pumas

5.30pm

Australia begin their campaign to become the first country to win successive rugby World Cup tournaments when they play Argentina tonight in a match that promises to be a brutal test for both teams.

The Australians are strongly favoured to win the opening match of the tournament but are expecting a stiff challenge from the Pumas.

The Wallabies have struggled to find their best form this season, losing four of the last five matches, but captain George Gregan believes his players will rise to the occasion.

"This year's always been about the World Cup and it's what we're going to be judged on," Gregan said.

Argentina have beaten Australia just four times since they first met in 1979 but have recently emerged as one of the most improved sides in the world.

An unpredictable unit, they showed what they were capable of by beating France twice this year.

"I fear losing by perhaps 50 points, or on the other hand perhaps we can win," first five-eighth Felipe Contepomi said.

"It's very unusual."

While Australia's traditional strength lies in their backline, today's match shapes as a classic forward confrontation.

Argentina possess one of the most feared scrums in the world but the Australians plan to take them on at their own game.

"Playing Argentina is one of the great challenges for a forward and we've been working very hard on our scrum," coach Eddie Jones said.

"If you can take some points off them in that area then psychologically you can damage them a little bit."

The Australians have named a new-look team, making wholesale changes to the side who lost to New Zealand in August in their last game before the World Cup.

Prop Alastair Baxter was promoted to the starting 15 for the first time in his brief international career while Nathan Sharpe and David Lyons were added to the forwards.

Joe Roff and Matthew Burke were recalled into the backline while Mat Rogers was shifted from centre to fullback.

Argentina stuck with the players who have served them so well over the past year but made one surprise selection, with Contepomi preferred to Gonzalo Quesada, the top points scorer at the 1999 World Cup.

With the eyes of the rugby world on them and a capacity crowd in excess of 80,000 set to cram into Telstra Stadium, both teams are starting to show the first signs of nerves.

"The good thing for us is that while the tournament is huge, our guys play six or seven big games like this every year," Jones said.

"They're used to playing in front of big crowds so the game itself is no different for us."

Australia , 15-Mat Rogers; 14-Wendell Sailor, 13-Matthew Burke, 12-Elton Flatley, 11-Joe Roff; 10-Stephen Larkham, 9-George Gregan (captain); 8-David Lyons, 7-Phil Waugh, 6-George Smith, 5-Nathan Sharpe, 4-David Giffin; 3-Al Baxter, 2-Brendan Cannon, 1-Bill Young.

Reserves: 16-Jeremy Paul, 17-Ben Darwin, 18-Dan Vickerman, 19-Matt Cockbain, 20-Chris Whitaker, 21-Matt Giteau, 22-Lote Tuqiri.

Argentina: 15-Ignacio Corleto; 14-Jose Maria Nunez Piossek, 13-Manuel Contepomi, 12-Jose Orengo, 11-Diego Albanese; 10-Felipe Contepomi, 9-Agustin Pichot (captain); 8-Gonzalo Longo, 7-Rolando Martin, 6-Santiago Phelan, 5-Patricio Albacete, 4-Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, 3-Omar Hasan, 2-Mario Ledesma, 1-Roberto Grau.

Reserves: 16-Federico Mendez, 17-Mauricio Reggiardo, 18-Rimas Alvarez, 19-Martin Durand, 20-Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, 21-Gonzalo Quesada, 22-Juan Martin Hernandez.

Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand).

- REUTERS

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