Alright folks, get ready for the showdown between England and Argentina as they battle it out for third place at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. These two teams have already faced off once in the pool stages, with England coming out on top with a 27-10 victory. In fact, England has dominated their recent meetings, winning 11 out of their last 12 encounters. The only time Argentina managed to snatch a win was at Twickenham 11 months ago.
England has been on fire in this World Cup, remaining unbeaten until the semi-finals. They were just three minutes away from securing a spot in the final, but unfortunately fell short with a narrow 16-15 loss to South Africa. Their gameplan was tailored for the wet conditions and the Springboks, but their only flaw was the scrum. On the other hand, Argentina, although they were taught a lesson by the All Blacks in the semis, have never reached a World Cup final. However, they have played for third place twice before, winning in 2007 and losing in 2015.
So, when and where is this epic battle taking place? The England vs Argentina clash will happen on Friday, October 27, the day before the final. The game kicks off at 8pm BST, 9pm local time, and 4pm in Argentina. The venue for this thrilling encounter is the iconic Stade de France, with a capacity of 80,023. Both teams have already played at this stadium during the tournament, with Argentina losing to New Zealand in the semi-finals and England falling to South Africa.
Now, let’s talk team news. England’s coach, Steve Borthwick, has made eight changes to the starting lineup. Henry Arundell and Freddie Steward will be on the wings, with Marcus Smith returning at full-back. The front row sees Ellis Genge and Will Stuart as props, alongside hooker Theo Dan. Ollie Chessum joins the second row, while Sam Underhill starts at openside flanker. Tom Curry, who will be earning his 50th cap, moves to the blindside, forming a formidable back-row partnership with Ben Earl at No. 8. Scrum-half Ben Youngs gets his first start of the tournament, extending his caps record to 127, and captain Owen Farrell takes the fly-half position. The bench includes Jamie George, Bevan Rodd, Dan Cole, David Ribbans, Lewis Ludlam, Danny Care, George Ford, and Ollie Lawrence.
As for Argentina, they have made three changes to their starting XV. Tomas Cubelli replaces Gonzalo Bertranou at scrum-half, Jeronimo de la Fuente comes in for Santiago Chocobares at inside centre, and Pedro Rubiolo takes the place of Tomas Lavanini in the second row. The team will be led by captain Montaya, with players like Gallo, Gomez Kodela, Petti, Rubiolo, Gonzalez, Kremer, Isa, S. Carreras, M. Carreras, de la Fuente, Cinti, Boffelli, and Mallia.
For those of you wondering how to catch the action on TV, ITV has the exclusive broadcast rights for the Rugby World Cup in the UK. If you prefer radio commentary, you can tune in to the BBC on Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra, or the BBC Sounds service. And if you’re lucky enough to be in the stadium, tickets can be purchased through the official Rugby World Cup ticket portal.
Let’s not forget to mention the previous results of both teams. England defeated Argentina 27-10 in the pool stages, while Argentina secured victories against Samoa, Chile, Japan, Wales, and a nail-biting 6-4 win over New Zealand. The latest odds for the match stand at England 5/14, Argentina 13/5, and a draw at 28/1.
So, get ready for an intense battle between these two rugby powerhouses as they fight for third place in the 2023 Rugby World Cup. It’s going to be a match you won’t want to miss!