Argentina v England preview: The battle to finish the Rugby World Cup on a high after semi-final heartbreak

Argentina and England make one last appearance at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in what is the worst fixture to fulfil at the tournament, the Bronze Final.

After the heartache of falling one win short of reaching the showpiece event, the two sets of teams must now dust themselves off and prepare for battle once again in a dead rubber.

Unfortunately, this is the sad reality of this fixture, and it is how most players will view it now, with its significance probably only appreciated much later in their lives.

Regardless, being the professionals that they are, the two sides will come out with a clear goal to finish the Rugby World Cup on a high and put their bodies on the line, not only for their country but for those that have sacrificed so much for them to be in that position.

Both outfits also have players who will be representing their country for the final time and giving them fitting a send-off is another goal for the respective outfits.

These matches are often played with emotion, freedom, a fair helping of flair and a good spirit, and although Argentina will be out to avenge their pool stage defeat to Steve Borthwick’s charges, we can only hope it is done in a manner that this fixture has produced in previous World Cups.

Where the game will be won

England produced an aerial masterclass against South Africa in the semi-final, and while we hope for a more exhibition-style match on Friday evening, it is more likely that Borthwick’s side will look to be accurate with their high bombs once again.

Argentina‘s ability to deal with that and impose their own tactical kicking game on England will be crucial in this fixture. The Pumas are comfortable going through multiple phases, but will need to be in the right areas of the pitch if they are to make the most of those possessions and break through the resolute English defence.

Last time they met

What they said

Former Los Pumas back-rower and now assistant coach Juan Martin Fernández Lobbe says there is plenty of motivation for his side despite the disappointment of the semi-final defeat.

“The disappointment is very, very big. We came to want to play in the final and we couldn’t. The team is very clear, and they made it clear yesterday, that finishing with a medal is important,” he said.

“I was lucky to have both feelings [third place in 2007, fourth in 2015) and they are not the same.

“It is a very important game. Go out, play a good game, improve what we did this weekend and end with the medal hanging. The same determination in my voice is that of everyone.

“Losing or winning with your team is not the same; no one likes to lose. It would speak of one more brick in the construction of this team, of a team that learns from its mistakes.

“It means going on Friday with total determination, with our way, our weapons, it would be a very good closing of the World Cup.”

England captain Owen Farrell echoed the thoughts of Lobbe as they too are fired up to finish their tournament on a high.

“We’ve got plenty of motivation everywhere you look. We’re looking forward to this game and it should be a good one. We want to make sure we do the England fans proud again,” Farrell said.

“The programme has been managed in a way that is appropriate for this game, for players to recover and be in the best shape they can be by the weekend.

“Secondly, you are dealing with individuals and people. Now we are coming towards the end of the week, you start getting together, you are out there on the training field and in the team room, you start getting that bit of energy and looking forward to what’s coming up. I’ve certainly felt that as the week’s gone on, and hopefully, that now builds into a load of excitement come Friday.”

Players to watch

The All Blacks well and truly outplayed Argentina in the semi-final, but one man still managed to stand out, Marcos Kremer. The abrasive back-rower has been brilliant for Los Pumas throughout the tournament, and his performance against New Zealand was no different. The 26-year-old has the opportunity to create his own bit of history as he needs 10 tackles against England to break the record for the most in a single World Cup. He has made 74 to date, with Taulupe Faletau setting the bar in 2011, making 83.

Kremer was not the only player who put in a strong shift against New Zealand despite the margin of defeat, with prop Thomas Gallo making a mind-blowing 19 tackles. The livewire loosehead is renowned for his work rate but will need to be sharp in the set-pieces, or else it will be a long night for Los Pumas.

There are two Pumas stalwarts on the bench who could well be playing their final game for Argentina in hooker Agustin Creevy and fly-half Nicolas Sanchez. The pair have been mainstays in the squad throughout their careers and have been involved in some of Argentina’s greatest days and played pivotal roles in them. It truly is an end of an era.

Jamie George has dominated the starting minutes for England at hooker this Rugby World Cup but on Friday evening, we get another peek into the future of the position as 22-year-old Theo Dan gets his chance to shine. The young Saracen took his opportunity to start with both hands against Chile, dotting down twice and will be out to make another statement.

After a tournament-ending injury to flanker Jack Willis, Sam Underhill gets his first appearance at Rugby World Cup 2023. The hard-hitting flanker was a standout for England four years ago in Japan, and while injuries and form have limited his international involvement since, Underhill gets an opportunity to make a mark in France, albeit in the last game of the competition.

Ben Youngs earns his 127th and final Test cap for England on Friday evening as he bows out on the international stage. The Leicester Tigers’ number nine has been a consistent presence in the Red Rose squad since making his Test debut 13 years ago. While Courtney Lawes played his final game against South Africa last week, Youngs gets one final opportunity to pull on the white jersey. A real servant of English rugby and the first backline player to play 100 Test matches for the men’s side, he is a legend of the team and one that deserves his final moment in the spotlight.

Main head-to-head

There are plenty of quality players littered through the two matchday 23s, but the man head-to-head comes in the number eight jumpers with Argentina Facundo Isa going toe-to-toe with England’s Ben Earl.

Earl has been a revelation in the back-row for England throughout the tournament, leading the side in tackles (66), carries (54), metres made (416), and defenders beaten (20). After struggling to initially nail down a regular role in the squad under former head coach Eddie Jones, the Saracens forward will be eager to make one more impression on Borthwick for his post-World Cup international career.

Meanwhile, Isa has seamlessly stepped up to fill the void of injured star forward Pablo Matera. Much like Earl, Isa has struggled to nail down a regular role with the Test team, but his form during this tournament has been telling. The hard-hitting number eight turned 30 this year but still has plenty to offer this team, and he will be keen to prove that as Los Pumas go in search of their second bronze medal at a Rugby World Cup.

Prediction

Recent history points to another England win, despite the upset in November last year, and while it is entirely possible that Michael Cheika’s charges could produce yet another victory, Argentina haven’t consistently produced this tournament. Meanwhile, England have, even if it has been in an unattractive manner. They have ground out results, winning five games back-to-back before leading the world champions South Africa for much of the match. We do believe the margin of victory for England will be far closer than in Marseille, with the Red Rose emerging victorious by five points.

Previous results

2023: England won 27-10 in Marseille
2022: Argentina won 30-29 in London
2019: England won 39-10 in Chofu
2017: England won 21-8 in London
2017: England won 35-25 in Santa Fe
2017: England won 38-34 in San Juan
2016: England won 27-14 in London
2013: England won 31-12 in London
2013: England won 51-26 in Buenos Aires
2013: England won 32-3 in Salta

The teams

Argentina: 15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Emiliano Boffelli, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Facundo Isa, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Francisco Gómez Kodela, 2 Julian Montoya (c), 1 Thomas Gallo
Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Joel Sclavi, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Rodrigo Bruni, 21 Lautaro Bazan Velez, 22 Nicolas Sanchez, 23 Matías Moroni

England: 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Freddie Steward, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 Owen Farrell (c), 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Tom Curry, 5 Ollie Chessum, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Theo Dan, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Dan Cole, 19 David Ribbans, 20 Lewis Ludlam, 21 Danny Care, 22 George Ford, 23 Ollie Lawrence

Date: Friday, October 27
Kick-off: 21:00 local (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT)
Venue: Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Andrew Brace (Ireland)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

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