Argentina - the team

[Tuco Ramirez]

Team for Saturday:
G Thomas
R Elias
T Francis
A Beard
W Rowlands
T Reffel
J Morgan
A Wainwright
G Davies
D Biggar
J Adam’s
N Tompkins
G North
LZR
L Williams

D Lake
C Domachowski
D Lewis
C Tshiunza
D Jenkins
T Williams
S Costello
R Dyer

Personally not too convinced by our backs on the bench, not a lot of options there. (as per my mole)

[UKHamlet]

Confirmed team.

Wales team:

15. Liam Williams (Kubota Spears – 88 caps)

14. Louis Rees Zammit (Gloucester Rugby – 31 caps)

13. George North (Ospreys – 117 caps)

12. Nick Tompkins (Saracens – 31 caps)

11. Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby – 53 caps)

10. Dan Biggar (Toulon – 111 caps)

9. Gareth Davies (Scarlets – 73 caps);

1. Gareth Thomas (Ospreys – 25 caps)

2. Ryan Elias (Scarlets – 37 caps)

3. Tomas Francis (Provence Rugby – 76 caps)

4. Will Rowlands (Racing 92 – 28 caps)

5. Adam Beard (Ospreys – 50 caps)

6. Jac Morgan (Ospreys – 14 caps) Captain

7. Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers – 12 caps)

8. Aaron Wainwright (Dragons – 42 caps)

Replacements

16. Dewi Lake (Ospreys – 11 caps)

17. Corey Domachowski (Cardiff Rugby – 5 caps)

18. Dillon Lewis (Harlequins – 53 caps)

19. Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs – 11 caps)

20. Christ Tshiunza (Exeter Chiefs – 9 caps)

21. Tomos Williams (Cardiff Rugby – 52 caps)

22. Sam Costelow (Scarlets – 7 caps)

23. Rio Dyer (Dragons – 13 caps)

[bruce]

Dillon Lewis FFS. Agree back replacements seem very light.

[Tuco Ramirez]

Confirmed team.

Wales team:

15. Liam Williams (Kubota Spears – 88 caps)

14. Louis Rees Zammit (Gloucester Rugby – 31 caps)

13. George North (Ospreys – 117 caps)

12. Nick Tompkins (Saracens – 31 caps)

11. Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby – 53 caps)

10. Dan Biggar (Toulon – 111 caps)

9. Gareth Davies (Scarlets – 73 caps);

1. Gareth Thomas (Ospreys – 25 caps)

2. Ryan Elias (Scarlets – 37 caps)

3. Tomas Francis (Provence Rugby – 76 caps)

4. Will Rowlands (Racing 92 – 28 caps)

5. Adam Beard (Ospreys – 50 caps)

6. Jac Morgan (Ospreys – 14 caps) Captain

7. Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers – 12 caps)

8. Aaron Wainwright (Dragons – 42 caps)

Replacements

16. Dewi Lake (Ospreys – 11 caps)

17. Corey Domachowski (Cardiff Rugby – 5 caps)

18. Dillon Lewis (Harlequins – 53 caps)

19. Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs – 11 caps)

20. Christ Tshiunza (Exeter Chiefs – 9 caps)

21. Tomos Williams (Cardiff Rugby – 52 caps)

22. Sam Costelow (Scarlets – 7 caps)

23. Rio Dyer (Dragons – 13 caps)

As i said then ........

[Son of Mathonwy]

No big surprises. Shame Anscombe's not there, hope he's available if we make it to the semi. Basham misses out but I suppose we already have 2 7s in the 23. We should do it with this lot.

[Numbers]

No big surprises. Shame Anscombe's not there, hope he's available if we make it to the semi. Basham misses out but I suppose we already have 2 7s in the 23. We should do it with this lot.

A groin injury, even a minor one, is likely to see him out of the tournament tbh, it's very difficult to have confidence in your kicking when you have that sort of niggle.

[Son of Mathonwy]

No big surprises. Shame Anscombe's not there, hope he's available if we make it to the semi. Basham misses out but I suppose we already have 2 7s in the 23. We should do it with this lot.

A groin injury, even a minor one, is likely to see him out of the tournament tbh, it's very difficult to have confidence in your kicking when you have that sort of niggle.

Yeah, and I certainly thought we'd seen the last of him after that injury. They must think he's got a reasonable chance of coming back, though.

I guess we'll find out more at the press conference. Hopefully he just needs a bit more time. (And hopefully Biggar and Costelow get through Saturday's warm up without disaster.)

[normanski]

All in all very much as expected. Looking at the caps Hammy showed, we have one hell of an experienced starting XV.

People keep talking about the heavy Argentina pack but our own at over 920 kgs is not lightweight with plenty of ballast when shoving.

I hate sounding confident but I am and I think we will win a close game with fitness playing a key part in the last quarter.

[Graigwen]

I agree there is nothing to discuss in the starting XV, it is pretty well what we expected and wanted.

The bench is....err...interesting. We had better hope Tomas Francis does not get injured. I think Henry Thomas has been looking solid, while I could not use that word about Lewis. I don't doubt Lewis's value in more open play, but as I see it, that is not his prime role.

I imagine Anscombe's omission was just based on medical opinion - just a bit too much risk. Once he was not available there was no other alternative to Costelow, he is still learning and can't be expected to offer the same game control as the other two but was not bad against Georgia.

Costelow is only emergency cover at scrum half and it would be too risky to contemplate him playing any significant period of time there in a World Cup quarter final; so Williams was an inevitable choice. (Kieran Hardy was called in to help with the training load.)

If either Grady or Williams (J) had been looking brilliant they would have been on the bench as Grady and North would be potential winger replacements. Dyer is starting to look generally useful as a result of hard work and enthusiasm.

Obviously we don't have a real No 8 option for the bench, but already having two opensides in the starting XV gives us more flexibility. Although Tshiunza has not yet been brilliant he is useful in the line out and is reasonable at blind side or lock.

Once again set piece control, ball retention and discipline are what we need to deliver.

.

[normanski]

I’m with you Graigwen, we’re almost in the lap of the Gods with our bench. When the two props come on you have to have your fingers crossed hoping that one can hold up the TH side and the other doesn’t give away stupid offside penalties and end up in the bin. Then the hooker has to nail his throw ins and not give the ball away for a counterattack against our tiring backs.

If that bench front three can hold their own - holding up the scrum, win clean line out ball and carry and tackle like the furies then we ought to see out the game.

[Mikey Brown]

Dillon Lewis FFS. Agree back replacements seem very light.

I’m getting very concerned that Quins have signed him given how much of this I’ve seen on here.

He looks like he should be a horrible, hard bastard but I get the sense he doesn’t play that way?

[pompey-zebra]

Dillon Lewis FFS. Agree back replacements seem very light.

I’m getting very concerned that Quins have signed him given how much of this I’ve seen on here.

He looks like he should be a horrible, hard bastard but I get the sense he doesn’t play that way?

Adam Jones will sort him out, don't worry.

[Tuco Ramirez]

Dillon Lewis FFS. Agree back replacements seem very light.

I’m getting very concerned that Quins have signed him given how much of this I’ve seen on here.

He looks like he should be a horrible, hard bastard but I get the sense he doesn’t play that way?

not a hard prop... good over ball but not a hard man

[UKHamlet]

Confirmed team.

– 13 caps)

As i said then ........

That's usually what confirmed means...

[francoisfou]

Here's your opposition:

15. Mallia ; 14. Boffelli, 13. Cinti, 12. Chocobares, 11. M. Carreras ; 10. S. Carreras, 9. Cubelli ; 7. Kremer, 8. Isa, 6. Gonzalez ; 5. Lavanini, 4. Petti ; 3. Gomez Kodela, 2. Montoya (cap.), 1. Gallo.

16. Creevy, 17. Sclavi, 18. Bello, 19. Alemanno, 20. Bruni, 21. Bazan Velez, 22. Sanchez, 23. Moroni.

How confident are you all? Rest assured that they'll not be the side that underperformed against England.

[Sandydragon]

Dillon Lewis FFS. Agree back replacements seem very light.

I’m getting very concerned that Quins have signed him given how much of this I’ve seen on here.

He looks like he should be a horrible, hard bastard but I get the sense he doesn’t play that way?

Adam Jones will sort him out, don't worry.

Actually, that could be a bonus.

[Sandydragon]

Here's your opposition:

15. Mallia ; 14. Boffelli, 13. Cinti, 12. Chocobares, 11. M. Carreras ; 10. S. Carreras, 9. Cubelli ; 7. Kremer, 8. Isa, 6. Gonzalez ; 5. Lavanini, 4. Petti ; 3. Gomez Kodela, 2. Montoya (cap.), 1. Gallo.

16. Creevy, 17. Sclavi, 18. Bello, 19. Alemanno, 20. Bruni, 21. Bazan Velez, 22. Sanchez, 23. Moroni.

How confident are you all? Rest assured that they'll not be the side that underperformed against England.

I expect them to be much better. I still favour us all things considered but if they play better on Saturday then so be it.

[pompey-zebra]

Here's your opposition:

15. Mallia ; 14. Boffelli, 13. Cinti, 12. Chocobares, 11. M. Carreras ; 10. S. Carreras, 9. Cubelli ; 7. Kremer, 8. Isa, 6. Gonzalez ; 5. Lavanini, 4. Petti ; 3. Gomez Kodela, 2. Montoya (cap.), 1. Gallo.

16. Creevy, 17. Sclavi, 18. Bello, 19. Alemanno, 20. Bruni, 21. Bazan Velez, 22. Sanchez, 23. Moroni.

How confident are you all? Rest assured that they'll not be the side that underperformed against England.

Hang on, Argentina underperformed? The reports I read put their defeat down to England's never say die bulldog spirit and the genius of George Ford (a performance which will no doubt cement his position as England's first choice no 10.)

[normanski]

Here's your opposition:

15. Mallia ; 14. Boffelli, 13. Cinti, 12. Chocobares, 11. M. Carreras ; 10. S. Carreras, 9. Cubelli ; 7. Kremer, 8. Isa, 6. Gonzalez ; 5. Lavanini, 4. Petti ; 3. Gomez Kodela, 2. Montoya (cap.), 1. Gallo.

16. Creevy, 17. Sclavi, 18. Bello, 19. Alemanno, 20. Bruni, 21. Bazan Velez, 22. Sanchez, 23. Moroni.

How confident are you all? Rest assured that they'll not be the side that underperformed against England.

Hang on, Argentina underperformed? The reports I read put their defeat down to England's never say die bulldog spirit and the genius of George Ford (a performance which will no doubt cement his position as England's first choice no 10.)

I love that PZ. Argentina were really bigged up coming into the tournament and on form should have given England a far tougher game.

I can’t see any significant improvement in their form.

Foxy reckons that Wales will suffocate them with our strong and improved defence.

[normanski]

Here's your opposition:

15. Mallia ; 14. Boffelli, 13. Cinti, 12. Chocobares, 11. M. Carreras ; 10. S. Carreras, 9. Cubelli ; 7. Kremer, 8. Isa, 6. Gonzalez ; 5. Lavanini, 4. Petti ; 3. Gomez Kodela, 2. Montoya (cap.), 1. Gallo.

16. Creevy, 17. Sclavi, 18. Bello, 19. Alemanno, 20. Bruni, 21. Bazan Velez, 22. Sanchez, 23. Moroni.

How confident are you all? Rest assured that they'll not be the side that underperformed against England.

Hang on, Argentina underperformed? The reports I read put their defeat down to England's never say die bulldog spirit and the genius of George Ford (a performance which will no doubt cement his position as England's first choice no 10.)

I love that PZ. Argentina were really bigged up coming into the tournament and on form should have given England a far tougher game.

I can’t see any significant improvement in their form.

Foxy reckons that Wales will suffocate them with our strong and improved defence.

[Tuco Ramirez]

Confirmed team.

– 13 caps)

As i said then ........

That's usually what confirmed means...

didnt see the point