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Fierce rugby rivals France and Argentina will clash on Saturday in Paris. They will do so in what is the opening game of three test matches per country in the November Internationals. The match will see the world n0 6 playing host to the world no 8.
France last played in July. Les Bleus toured Australia, playing three test matches. The tour saw a depleted French roster taking on an improving Wallabies side. The three matches were decided by margins of 2, 2, and 3 points.
France’s side for November is full-strength. With no limitations on availability but Les Bleus will have two play-makers at fly half and inside center, have the sensational Gael Fickou at outside center and will be led by, arguably the world’s best player, Antoine Dupont from scrum-half. Quite simply, flair exists in the French team.
At the heart of the flair is Toulouse; indeed, both Dupont and Romain Ntamack are Toulouse backs. The club’s representations is not limited to the backs. To the contrary, Toulouse forwards Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Thibaud Flament, François Cros, and Anthony Jelonch all start against Los Pumas.
The seven Toulouse Frenchmen will not be up against their clubmates. Pumas Santiago Chocobares and Juan Cruz Mallía are out of the tour through injury. The club will have a newcomer as Thibaud Flament makes his test debut for France. The 24-year-old has a connection to Argentina. He played in Buenos Aires for Newman in 2017-2018.
All of France’s starting players are in their 20’s. The oldest is Baile who is 28. Replacement Romain Taofifénua is the one player aged over 30. He is 31-years-old. Gael Fickou’s 63 test caps is the most caps of France’s 23 players. In comparison, five Pumas – Tomás Cubelli (79), Pablo Matera (77), Julián Montoya (72), and Nicolás Sánchez (90) have more caps than Fickou.
Argentina’s line-up is transitionary. Julián Montoya captains a side with players aged between 20 and 36. Youth can be indentified across most positions. Tucumán players Thomas Gallo and Mateo Carreras start for their country for the first time. They start at the respective ages of 22 and 21. Both play in elite European competitions yet neither ever played Super Rugby for Los Jaguares.
Tight head Francisco Gómez Kodela and replacements Juan Martín González, Lucio Cinti and Rodrigo Martínez also never played Super Rugby for Los Jaguares. González and Martínez played SLAR this year on opposition teams. Martínez will play after Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro was ruled out earlier today He trained as the starting loose head earlier in the week.
Montoya will have big forwards with him. First, There will be ferocious defenders with Facundo Isa, Pablo Matera, Tomás Lavanini, and Marcos Kremer all starting. Second, Guido Petti will give Los Pumas a weapon in the lineout. However, will the scrum deliver?
Argentina’s backline lacks the dimensions of France’s. It is also unlike teams to have played tests in France over the past 15 years. Unlike prior teams there will not be a second play-maker in the centers. There is no equivalent of a Felipe Contepomi or Juan Martín Hernández at 12 nor a Marcelo Bosch at 13. Instead, the centers are specialists and naturals in the position.
This differs to fly half where Santiago Carreras will start. His club position is wing or fullback as was his role at RWC 2019. He has Mario Ledesma’s vote of confidence as the man to direct Los Pumas’ play. He will play outside the mature Tomás Cubelli and have Emiliano Boffelli to play a supporting role from fullback.
Saturday will open a new decade of international competition between France and Argentina. Test matches between the teams date back to 1949. Overall, 51 test matches have been played. France has 36 victories and Argentina 14.
The teams have played in some classics over the years, including at Rugby World Cups. The last meeting between the teams was at RWC 2019. France won 23-21, doing so in a back-and-forth match that was pivotal to the outcome of the pool. The upcoming match is all about gaining momentum on the road to RWC 2023.
FRANCE
1 Cyril Baille, 2 Julien Marchand, 3 Mohamed Haouas, 4 Thibaud Flament, 5 Paul Willemse, 6 François Cros, 7 Anthony Jelonch, 8 Cameron Woki, 9 Antoine Dupont (capt.), 10 Mathieu Jalibert, 11 Gabin Villière, 12 Romain Ntamack, 13 Gael Fickou, 14 Damian Penaud, 15 Melvyn Jaminet
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18 Demba Bamba, 19 Romain Taofifénua, 20 Grégory Alldritt, 21 Sekou Macalou, 22 Maxime Lucu, 23 Jonathan Danty
ARGENTINA
1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Francisco Goméz Kodela, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Facundo Isa, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Mateo Carreras, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Emiliano Boffelli
Replacements: 16 Facundo Bosch, 17, Rodrigo Martínez, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Lucas Paulos, 20 Juan Martín González, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Nicolás Sánchez, 23 Lucio Cinti
Date: Saturday, November 06, 2021
Kick-Off: 9pm (Local); 5pm (Argentina)
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Luke Pearce (England); Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
RECENT RESULTS
2019-09-21 – France 23, Argentina 21 (Tokyo, Japan)
2018-11-17 – France 28, Argentina 13 (Lille, France)
2016-06-25 – Argentina 0, France 27 (Tucumán, Argentina)
2016-06-19 – Argentina 30, France 19 (Tucumán, Argentina)
2014-11-22 – France 13, Argentina 18 (Paris, France)
2012-11-17 – France 39, Argentina 22 (Lille, France)
2012-06-23 – Argentina 10, France 49 (Tucumán, Argentina)
2012-06-16 – Argentina 23, France 20 (Córdoba, Argentina)
2010-11-20 – France 15, Argentina 09 (Montpellier, France)
2010-06-26 – Argentina 46, France 13 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
