WALLABIES coach Michael Cheika has again tweaked his squad to face the Argentine Pumas in Perth, continuing a familiar story since being appointed in October 2014.
Despite his team successfully stopping a six-game losing streak by beating the Springboks 23-17 last weekend, Cheika has decided on another locking combination for Saturday – his sixth combination in seven Tests.
Kane Douglas, who last week paired with Andy Coleman, has lost his place to Rob Simmons while prop Tom Robertson and backrower Lopeti Timani could make their debut off the bench. Incidentally, the last two named are the eighth and ninth debutants Cheika has included in his matchday squads this season.
It was the same story in the June Tests against England, when after losing the first Cheika made four changes to the squad for the second Test and then another three for the third and final Test.
Cheika however retains his backline, meaning the new inside backs combination of Will Genia, Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley is given a third opportunity to impress.
But success from these “experiments” by Cheika has been limited and their win last Saturday in Brisbane wasn’t from an outstanding, clinical display. Rather, the Springboks were well below the high standards of their teams of recent years.
The Pumas on the other hand would like to secure their first second win in the competition since it was expanded to include them in 2012.
They showed in the defeat to the All Blacks last week that they have made much progress, especially in their offloads and aggression at the breakdown but will need to improve on their fitness and how best to play the full 80 minutes.
Australia had the better of them 29-15 in their last meeting, the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup, and also the one before that, a Rugby Championship game in Mendoza in July last year.
But it must be remembered that it was also in Mendoza where the Pumas scored their first competition win by beating the Wallabies 21-17 in October 2014.
Perth hasn’t been a bad place for them either.
When the Pumas played the first time in this western city against the Wallabies in the same competition in September 2013, they came very close, losing just 14-13 at the Subiaco Oval.
Coach Daniel Hourcade has made four changes, notably to start Thomas Cubeli at scrumhalf and veteran Juan Manuel Leguizamon back at No. 7 after his recovery from injury. This should add strength to an already solid backrow that did so well against the All Blacks.
Cubeli will feel very much at home, having turned out for the Brumbies in Super Rugby and at his best, can be a handful.
The earlier game in Christchurch will have championship leader the All Blacks hosting long-time rivals the Springboks.
It is a venue the home team has not lost in 18 years. The All Blacks last lost there to the Wallabies in 1998, the year they lost five Tests in a trot.
There are other proud records the All Blacks will not want to allow to be broken.
They have not been beaten in seven years at home, spanning a total of 43 Tests up to last weekend but their last defeat on home soil was to the Springboks in 2009.
Unlike the other three coaches, Steve Hansen has changed his matchday 23 only because of injuries. This means a first start for flanker Ardie Savea in place of Sam Cane and places on the bench for the recalled Matt Todd and Lima Sopoaga.
As for the Springboks, Pieter-Steph du Toit is in to star at lock in place of the injured Lood de Jager while Vincent Koch starts at tighthead prop.
A good indication as to how much the Springboks make-up has changed can be seen from the fact that only five players remain from the team that lost to the All Blacks in the World Cup semi-final last October.