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The Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint Étienne will be the setting for a vital Pool D fixture. Argentina and Samoa clash in game two for both countries. Los Pumas were beaten first-up, losing 27-10 to England while Samoa were 43-10 winners over Chile.
Los Pumas were lackluster against England. Despite England losing Tom Curry to an early red card, England controlled the match. Argentina were out played tactically; the mental edge was a decisive factor. Another was having both fullback and fly half involved in collisions and there not being a replacement play-maker.
Michael Cheika has made three starting changes to Los Pumas. Two are in the forwards and one in the backline. Eduardo Bello will have his first test start for Argentina at tight head. He swaps places with Francisco Gómez Kodela. Guido Petti replaces Tomás Lavanini in the second-row while Matías Moroni and Lucio Cinti trade places as the starting outside center and replacement mid-field / outside back.
The case of Lavanini is injury motivated. He was unable to train at full capacity on Tuesday. Also missing out is Joel Sclavi. He was injured against England and is sitting out the match against Samoa. He is expected back to face Chile.
Captain Julián Montoya will earn his 91st test cap. He will do so alongside Bello and Thomas Gallo in the front-row. Matías Alemanno and Guido Petti earn their 88th and 77th test caps while flanker Pablo Matera will earn his 97th. He joins Marcos Kremer and Juan Martín González in an unchanged back-row.
The backline will be organized by Gonzalo Bertranou and Santiago Carreras in the halves. They both played at Rugby World Cup 2019. Santiago Chocobares is in his first World Cup. He partners veteran Matías Moroni in the centers. The back-three of Mateo Carreras, Emiliano Boffelli, and Juan Cruz Mallía has been Cheika’s preferred trio.
Matera is the third most-capped Puma in history. The two ahead of him are both replacements. Agustín Creevy will earn his 103rd cap as the replacement hooker while Nicolás Sánchez will earn his 99th covering fly half. Replacement scrum-half Tomás Cubelli will earn his 90th cap.
The team selected to face Samoa has a solid set-piece, strong ball-carriers and defenders as well as enterprising backs who are quality finishers. Argentina go in to the match as the only team in the World Cup yet to concede a try.
Samoa gained the maximum five competition points against Chile. Samoa played some good rugby; notwithstanding, Chile started well. Samoa’s 43-10 win required the Pacific Islanders to up their game in the second half.
On the one hand, Argentina’s 23 players are homegrown. On the other hand, Samoa’s line-up is a combination of Samoa, Australia and New Zealand players. Fritz Lee, Theo McFarland, Tumua Manu, and Melani Matavao the homegrown players on the 33 man roster.
Head Coach Seilala Mapusua had Australian Michael Alaalatoa captain the side against Chile. New Zealand u20 forward Chris Vui will lead the team against Argentina. Alaalatoa’s spot has gone to Australia u20’s tight head Paul Alo-Emile. The additional changes see New Zealanders Brian Alainu’uese and Ben Lam starting at lock and on the wing respectively. Lam is making his debut for Samoa, he replaces fellow New Zealander Danny Toala.
In a switch with Theo McFarland, Vui moves from flanker to second-row. Another switch sees Nigel Ah-Wong moving from the left wing to the right wing. He joins Lam and former Wallaby Duncan Paia’aua in the back-three. Fly half Christian Leali’ifano is also a former Wallaby while N8 Steven Luatua is a former All Black.
Who exactly are the Samoa players? Duncan Paia’aua and Christian Leali’ifano were both Wallabies with the latter, as pictured below, playing against Uruguay at Rugby World Cup 2019. Both Paia’aua and Leali’ifano played for Australia u20s. Additional Australia u20s players to face Argentina are Paul Alo-Emile, Seilala Lam, Sama Malolo, and UJ Seuteni. None were products of Samoa Rugby.
Steven Luatua was an All Black and also played for New Zealand u20s. Replacement prop Charlie Faumuina was a World Cup winner with the All Blacks at Rugby World Cup 2015. Other New Zealand u20s players set to face Los Pumas are Sa Jordan Taufua, Danny Toala, Jonathan Taumateine, Danny Toala and captain Chris Vui. Ben Lam won Commonwealth Games Silver in Rugby 7’s for his native New Zealand. Like the Australian names, none of the New Zealanders were products of Samoa Rugby.
Samoa were pushed in the first-half by Chile before controlling play throughout the second-half. The Pacific Islanders will need to put in a full 80 minute showing against Los Pumas. The South Americans will also need to play notably better or run the risk of being eliminated early from the World Cup.
It has been a very long time since the last meeting between Argentina and Samoa. It was in December 2005 with Argentina hosting a home test match outside of the player-release window. As such, a home-based amateur side faced Samoa dominated by New Zealanders and lost by 28-12.
Friday’s match in St. Étienne will be the fourth between Argentina and Samoa at a Rugby World Cup. The first three were at consecutive tournaments; they faced in Wales in RWCs 1991 and 1999 and in South Africa in between in 1995.
TEAMS
ARGENTINA
1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Eduardo Bello, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Matías Alemanno, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Juan Martín González; 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Mateo Carreras, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Emiliano Boffelli, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía
Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Francisco Gómez Kodela, 19 Pedro Rubiolo, 20 Rodrigo Bruni, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Nicolás Sánchez, 23 Lucio Cinti
SAMOA
1 James Lay, 2 Seilala Lam, 3 Paul Alo-Emile, 4 Brian Alainu’u’ese, 5 Chris Vui (capt.), 6 Theo McFarland, 7 Fritz Lee, 8 Steven Luatua, 9 Jonathan Taumateine, 10 Christian Leali’ifano, 11 Ben Lam, 12 Tumua Manu, 13 UJ Seuteni, 14 Nigel Ah-Wong, 15 Duncan Paia’aua
Replacements: 16 Sama Malolo, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Michael Alaalatoa, 19 Taleni Junior Agaese Seu, 20 Sa Jordan Taufua, 21 Melani Matavao, 22 D’Angelo Leuila, 23 Danny Toala
RUGBY WORLD CUP 2023 – ARGENTINA VS SAMOA
Date: Friday, September 22
Kick-Off: 5:45pm (FR); 12:45pm (AR)
Venue: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint Étienne (FR)
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Jordan Way (Australia); Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
HISTORIC RESULTS
2005-12-03 – Argentina 12-28 Samoa (Buenos Aires, AR)
1999-10-10 – Samoa 16-32 Argentina (Llanelli, UK) *
1995-05-30 – Samoa 32-26 Argentina (East London, ZA) *
1991-10-13 – Samoa 35-12 Argentina (Pontypridd, UK) *
* Rugby World Cup Match
