Outspoken Creevy benched for 'boring' England match
Reporting from Tokyo: Outspoken Pumas captain Augustin Creevy has been left on the bench following his pot-stirring comments about ‘boring’ England and the teams going to ‘war’.
Argentina coach Mario Ledesma has named his team for the Pool C match against England at Tokyo Stadium on Saturday, with just one change from the side that bested Tonga last time out – No.8 Javier Ortega Desio replaces Tomas Lezana.
If the former captain comes onto the field on Saturday, he will break Argentina’s record for most caps. He is currently tied on 87 with Felipe Contepomi.
Speaking earlier this week on the possibility of being benched, Creevy was pretty resigned to the idea: “I just have to accept it. Everyone likes to start, but when it’s your turn to step down, you need to know your place.
“The initial frustration wears off fairly quickly and instead, you should consider how best to serve and help the team. I really mean it. If the coaches think it’s the best option, you have to respect and not fight it. You need to show your class.
“It’s been on my mind for a while now. Whatever comes, I will enjoy it, be it in the starting line-up or on the bench.
“The most important thing now are the Pumas, not my (Argentina record) 88 caps. We need to win and qualify. The Pumas are above everything and everyone else, including the players, coaches and managers.”
He refused to discuss the last time he was benched at the 2015 tournament.
“I prefer not to discuss it. I don’t ask for explanations. If something I do needs checking, he (Argentina coach, Mario Ledesma) will let me know. I don’t ask when I am named nor when I am not.”
Ortega Desio returns to the team having played in the opening match against France. Montoya, Urdapilleta and Carreras retain their places having come in for Creevy, Sanchez and Moyano for the game against Tonga.
Así formará el equipo para el partido de este sábado. ¡Entran 15 a la cancha y lo juega todo un país! #VamosPumas #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/6oi3emuCgG
— Los Pumas (@lospumas) October 3, 2019
Fly-half Nicolas Sanchez is not selected in the match-day 23. He has not missed a Rugby World Cup or Rugby Championship game since October 2016, when he was injured.
Lucas Mensa, whose only cap for Argentina came at inside-centre, will provide fly-half cover from the bench.
Only six players who started the 21-8 defeat by England in 17 November, the last match between the two nations, make the starting XV this time, including back-row forwards Pablo Matera and Marcos Kremer.
ARGENTINA TEAM:
1. Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
2. Julian Montoya
3. Juan Figallo
4. Guido Petti Pagadizabal
5. Tomas Lavanini
6. Pablo Matera (capt.)
7. Marcos Kremer
8. Javier Ortega Desio
9. Tomas Cubelli
10. Benjamin Urdapilleta
11. Santiago Carreras
12. Jeronimo de la Fuente
13. Matias Orlando
14. Matías Moroni
15. Emiliano Boffelli
16. Agustín Creevy
17. Mayco Vivas
18. Santiago Medrano
19. Matias Alemanno
20. Tomas Lezana
21. Felipe Ezcurra
22. Lucas Mensa
23. Bautista Delguy
Anthony Watson looks ahead to Argentina on Saturday and discusses the competition for places on the wing.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments