Wallabies are prepared for Puma ambush

WORLD champions Australia take on Argentina tonight (11.15pm Irish time) looking to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing defeat they suffered at the hands of the Pumas when they last played in South America five years ago.

They won the first game 23-15 in 1997 but then slumped to a 18-16 defeat in the second Test and Aussie coach Eddie Jones is adamant that his team will not fall victim again.

However, if his men are to succeed, they will need to tame the ferocious power of the Argentine pack cheered on by an intimidating River Plate Stadium crowd.

"The Pumas are very good defensively and the team is complete with their backs who are making progress with each match," said Jones as his men prepare for the first match of a four-Test schedule which also takes in games in Ireland, England and Italy.

Jones will give Mat Rogers his first start at full-back in place of the absent Chris Latham while number-eight Toutai Kefu notches up his 50th cap.

"If their scrum finds its mark from the start, then it could become complicated," said Kefu.

Jones admitted that all of the world's top five teams play badly when they come to South America to face the Pumas and his mood ahead of the game hasn't been helped by doubts over the fitness of hooker Jeremy Paul who picked up a hamstring injury in training.

Second-choice hooker Adam Freier and flanker David Croft are the two new names on the bench but Owen Finegan failed a fitness test on an injured ankle and will not play. His place will be taken by Dan Vickerman or David Giffin.

Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda has taken a risk by leaving out Beziers half-back Gonzalo Quesada who doesn't even make the bench.

Not that that was worrying the local press too much they were more concerned by the appointment of New Zealander Kelvin Deaker as referee decrying him for being a "neighbour of the Australians" and for having "little experience at this level."

ARGENTINA: I. Corleto (Stade Francais), J.M. Nunez Piossek (Huirapuca), J. Orengo (Grenoble), L. Arbizu (Bordeaux, capt), D. Albanese (Leeds), F. Contepomi (Bristol), A. Pichot (Bristol), G. Longo (Narbonne), R. Martin (San Isidro Club), S. Phelan (CA San Isidro), R. Alvarez (Perpignan), I. Fernandez Lobbe (Castres), M. Reggiardo (Castres), F. Mendez (Natal Sharks), O. Hasan (Agen)

AUSTRALIA: M. Rogers (Randwick), B. Tune (GPS), M. Burke (Eastwood), D. Herbert (GPS), S. Mortlock (Gordon), S. Larkham (West Canberra), G. Gregan (Randwick, capt), T. Kefu (Souths), G. Smith (Manly), M. Cockbain (GPS), J. Harrison (Canberra), D. Giffin (Canberra)/ D. Vickerman (University), P. Noriega (Eastern Suburbs), J. Paul (Canberra), B. Young (Eastwood)

Referee: Kelvin Deaker (Nzl)