Australia v Argentina predictions and rugby union tips: Wallabies can get off the mark under Jones

Where to watch Australia v Argentina

Sky Sports Action, 10:45am Saturday

Best bet

Australia to win by one to 12 points
1pt 17-10 bet365

Australia v Argentina preview 

Australia coach Eddie Jones says he has a marathon task on his hands as he attempts to rebuild the Wallabies, but with the Rugby World Cup just over 50 days away his team need to get up and running against Argentina after last week’s false start in South Africa.

Jones's second stint as Australia coach began with a 43-12 hammering by the Springboks, a result which will have provided the ex-England boss with plenty of food for thought ahead of Saturday's clash with the Pumas in Sydney.

Argentina aren't in much better shape themselves after being humbled in round one of this year's Rugby Championship by New Zealand, who eased to a 41-12 in Mendoza.

Both sides were physically dominated by their opponents last week, with Argentina’s pack surprisingly ineffective against the All Blacks. Pumas coach Michael Cheika, formely in charge of his native Australia, will hope for better results on his return home.

Cheika had lost seven in a row to his former Randwick colleague Jones before Argentina hastened Jones’s England departure last autumn with a landmark first win at Twickenham. 

That result came in the same 12-month spell as wins in New Zealand and Wales, while the last time the Pumas faced Australia they chalked up a record 48-17 success.

That win was testament to Cheika’s expansive style, but expression has come at the expense of defensive stability recently with Argentina shipping at least 29 points in six of their last seven games.

Any gaps in the Pumas’ defensive line are likely to be exposed by an exciting Aussie backline that features Mark Nawaqanitawase, Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete, a trio capable of running amok if they get enough service.

Those superior individual talents, coupled with Australia’s tendency to raise their game at home, could be enough to see the Wallabies across the line.

Wins have not come easy to Australia, though, with five of their last six successes achieved by fewer than 12 points, and given Jones’s tendency to grind out victories during his England reign, there may not be much between the teams come full-time.

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