New-Look Wallabies Face Tough Test Against Argentina

Australia's rugby team, the Wallabies, is heading to northern Argentina for a two-game series against the Pumas. The first match takes place on Saturday in the city of San Salvador de Jujuy. It will be a big test for the team under new head coach Les Kiss, who has only been in charge for a short time. The Wallabies are still finding their footing, but so far things are looking up.

Kiss took over as head coach after Joe Schmidt left the job. Under Kiss, the Wallabies won both of their matches against Japan, including a strong 56-17 victory in Townsville. Some people thought Kiss would coach the same way Schmidt did, but he is clearly building his own style. He wants to find the best players for a squad that can win next year's Rugby World Cup, which Australia will host.

For the Argentina series, Kiss made some big and surprising changes. He replaced the entire forward pack — the eight players who make up the front of the team in scrums and lineouts. He also left star player Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii on the bench. Suaalii is one of the most talked-about players in Australian rugby, and Rugby Australia reportedly pays him around five million Australian dollars.

Prop Allan Alaalatoa will captain the side in this match, stepping in for Harry Wilson, who is being rested. Changing so many forwards at once is a bold move against a physical team. Argentina nearly beat world champions South Africa just three weeks ago, losing only 17-10 in Buenos Aires.

Coach Kiss said making tough choices like these will help him learn more about how deep his squad really is. He told reporters, "I think it's right to give these guys a real shot at it and raise that competitive dial that I've been talking about." His goal is to push every player to perform at their very best.

Argentina's coach, Felipe Contepomi, is keeping the exact same starting lineup that played against South Africa. Pablo Matera will captain the Pumas again, filling in for regular captain Julian Montoya. Two of their forwards alone — Tomas Lavanini and Guido Petti — have a combined 194 caps between them, showing just how experienced this team is.

Argentina also has something to prove. The Pumas lost two of three matches in the Nations Championship in July, so they are under pressure to win at home. For both teams, Saturday's match is a key chance to figure out how ready they really are before the Rugby World Cup begins.