New Zealand V Argentina: 5 Key Battles in 2015 Rugby Championship Game

New Zealand will look to get their Rugby Championship title defence off to a bright start this Friday as they welcome Argentina to Christchurch for the opening fixture of the 2015 tournament.

The Pumas suffered a 28-9 defeat to the All Blacks when they made the trip to Napier in last year's competition, and Steven Hansen's hosts will be motivated to ensure they start with a flourish.

With the 2015 Rugby Championship reduced to a schedule of each team playing one another just once, New Zealand are under some pressure to ensure the only home fixture of their tournament runs smoothly.

The vast majority of the All Blacks' Hurricanes and Highlanders players are still on break prior to their international returns, but the quality of head-to-head duels on display doesn't suffer in the slightest.

1. Israel Dagg vs. Joaquin Tuculet

The absence of Highlanders full-back and Hurricanes star Nehe Milner-Skudder has gifted Israel Dagg what could prove to be his final chance at salvaging an immediate All Blacks future.

With Milner-Skudder emerging strongly and Charles Piutau another option at No. 15, the Crusaders full-back must pounce on his opportunity against the Pumas, but Joaquin Tuculet won't be an accommodating foe.

Argentina's man at the back scored two tries in the 2014 Rugby Championship to finish as his side's joint-top scorer alongside Manuel Montero, and he'll be hoping to do damage once more this year.

Marc Hinton of Stuff.co.nz wasn't at all impressed with Dagg's showing in the win over Samoa last week, but his form between 2011 and 2013 gives Hansen hope his back still houses some hidden-away magic.

Dagg does have a slight advantage in that club mate Dan Carter will line up at fly-half and stands as a more synchronised playmaker, but utility man Tuculet will take his defensive skills to the brink.

2. Richie McCaw vs. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe

It's been confirmed that Richie McCaw will start at open-side flanker in what should be his final home outing as an All Black, giving the veteran perfect motivation to revive his best.

Despite his lengthy list of credentials, McCaw wouldn't be a unanimous starter for New Zealand anymore, especially when he faces a one-on-one battle as daunting as that of Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.

With 61 international caps to his name, Lobbe stands as the most experienced member of Daniel Hourcade's squad and has started in all six of Argentina's Rugby Championship fixtures against New Zealand over the past three years.

With that experience under his belt, the Toulon flanker is fully aware his team need to play "a perfect game" to emerge from Christchurch with a win, putting particular emphasis on the breakdown, per Tony Smith of Stuff:

"

We try to have a lot more than just the passion and the energy. We are trying to be well-controlled and play [to] our game plan. We are trying to play a lot with the ball, be aggressive on defence and attack. We are making little steps forward.

[...]

We have put a massive amount of detail into the breakdown. Last year, we got the highest percentage of quick ball. Everyone talks that in international rugby, you have to have rucks cleared between 0 and 3 seconds. We managed to get a lot of it last year. For us, it's very important.

"

With those fighting words echoed, one can bet Lobbe will be one of the Pumas' most mobile forward units on the day, and who else would he be more likely to run into than McCaw?

Two elite back-row figures of terrific pedigree are set to collide not for the first time in their Test careers, with Lobbe looking to finally get one over on his opposite number McCaw.

3. Waisake Naholo vs. Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino

Most members of the triumphant Highlanders have been held back from Friday's fixture, but one very notable Dunedin-based figure to squeeze into the starting XV is impending debutant Waisake Naholo.

The Fijian-born winger was crucial to seeing the Highlanders claim their first-ever Super Rugby crown this season, scoring 13 tries to finish as the league's top scorer, including one in the final.

Irrespective of who Naholo lined up against this Friday, he would be considered a must-match man, but the presence of the experienced Santiago Cordero merely makes the contest that much more appealing.

Granted, it would most likely have been the injured Montero lining up on Argentina's left flank had he been fit, but Cordero is another burgeoning asset of the South Americans' being tipped for a big future.

As Planet Rugby's Ben Coles attests, Naholo's rise from obscurity in Auckland has been fascinating, but the question remains as to whether the speedster can translate that prolific form into the All Blacks setup.

4. Brodie Retallick vs. Guido Petti Pagadizabal

In a contrasting battle of second-row sentinels, future New Zealand veteran Brodie Retallick will face off against Guido Petti Pagadizabal in his struggle to gain a New Zealand advantage.

Retallick is quickly catching up on Sam Whitelock as the All Blacks' most seasoned active lock with 37 caps to his name, but this will be only Pagadizabal's fifth capped appearance for Argentina.

The 20-year-old is regarded as a promising up-and-comer of the Pumas squad, but Hourcade may find Pagadizabal finds himself at a loss to keep up with 2014 World Player of the Year Retallick.

The entire Pumas lineup can take to the Christchurch turf with a nothing-to-lose attitude, Pagadizabal as much as anyone, but keeping up with his opposite number at the set piece and in the loose will be a strain.

5. Ma'a Nonu vs. Marcelo Bosch

With Juan Martin Hernandez absent for Friday's opener, Marcelo Bosch will line up outside Jeronimo de la Fuente to form Argentina's midfield, an area that will dictate a great deal of momentum in itself.

Opposite that duo is Sonny Bill Williams and Ma'a Nonu in New Zealand's 12 and 13 jerseys, respectively, while Conrad Smith enjoys the last of his break before returning to the side.

Just prior to his Toulon transfer, Nonu enjoyed a vintage Super Rugby campaign this year to remind anyone foolish enough to forget his talents just how dangerous he can be.

One of those undoubtedly taking note will have been Saracens centre Bosch, prepared to go up against the Hurricanes marauder in the hopes he can quell his threat.

In truth, applying pressure on Williams and shortening New Zealand's creativity at inside centre may be the more important task, but Nonu stands as the far greater threat to the Pumas' chances, unfortunately for Bosch.

All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum.