Rugby World Cup 2023 – Samoa vs Chile – ARN Guide

Pool D of Rugby World Cup 2023 resumes on Saturday. Samoa take-on Chile in Bordeaux. The battle of the South Pacific sees Samoa playing their opening game of the tournament. Chile’s debut against Japan was a learning experience. The Asians were 42-12 winners though Chile played enterprising rugby.

It is a clash of styles in more ways than one. It is the physicality of Samoa with backs the size of forwards against a mobile mobile team. Or, while Chile is on debut Samoa has the experience of having competed at every World Cup since debuting in 1991.

Chile is a team made up of players from Chile’s rugby team. The Cóndores’ roster is 100% homegrown. In contast, Samoa’s roster is 15% homegrown. This difference boils over to the point that Samoa has All Blacks and Wallabies to face Chile. These are not men once poached who are returning home; rather, they are heritage players qualifying via ancestry not place of birth nor rugby production.

Samoa’s line-up is a combination of Samoa, Australia and New Zealand players. Seilala Mapusua’s captain is Michael Alaalatoa who is Australian. James Lay and Seilala Lam complete the front-row. There is no place for Washington state prop Titi Lamoistele who missed out on the World Cup roster after changing allegiance from his native USA to play for Samoa against Tonga last month.

Chris Vui and Theo McFarland lock the scrum. Taleni Junior Agaese Seu, former New Zealand 7’s player Fritz Lee, and former All Black Steven Luatua are the starting back-row. McFarland is homegrown while Lee is the one homegrown player returning to Samoa.

The remaining homegrown player in Samoa’s 23 is Tumua Manu. He starts inside Australian UJ Seuteni in the centers. Former Wallabies Christian Leali’ifano and Duncan Paia’aua start at fly half and fullback respectively. New Zealanders Jonathan Taumateine, Nigel Ah-Wong, and Danny Toala will play scrum-half and on the wings.

Former All Black Lima Sopoaga has been named as a replacements. He is joined by Australian u20 hooker Sama Malolo, prop Paul Alo-Emile and New Zealand u20 players Sam Slade, Sa Jordan Taufua, and Ereatara Enari.

Talking about his team’s loose against Japan, Chilean Head Coach Pablo Lemoine noted that the team was unable to perform well enough in the final quarter. His line-up is somewhat stable from that match though he has bulked-up the team. This marks a shift from mobility against Japan.

Props Javier Carrasco and Matías Dittus retain their positions in the starting line-up. The sturdy Tomás Dussaillant replaces the electric Diego Escobar at hooker. The second-row sees Pablo Huete and Santiago Pedrero taking over from Clemente Saavedra and Javier Eissmann.

Rather than being rotated or dropped, Clemente Saavedra moves to his natural position of flanker. He will join captain Martín Sigren and Raimundo Martínez in the back-row. Martínez replaces Alfonso Escobar who was a try-scorer against Japan.

Stability is the theme of the back-line. Six of the seven players who started against Japan have retained their spots. This sees Marcelo Torrealba and Rodrigo Fernández playing in the halves with Iñaki Ayarza providing a second play-making option from fullback.

Santiago Videla will again kick goals from the right wing. Veteran José Larenas will play on the left wing and will earn his 49th cap for Los Cóndores. He replaces Franco Velarde who drops out of the 23. Matías Garafulic, and Domingo Saavedra will again be the starting mid-field combination.

The replacements feature the uncapped Benjamín Videla. He is covering both scrum-half and fly half. Pablo Casas is covering wing and center. Casas did not feature against Japan in Toulouse. Dussailant and Esteban Inostroza will also make their first World Cup appearances for Chile.

The match will be officiated New Zealand referee Paul Williams. His assistants are Angus Gardner and James Doleman while Brett Cronan will be the TMO. The officials are not Spanish-Speakers nor are any of the officials appointed for this World Cup. World Rugby last allocated a Rugby World Cup match to a referee from the Americas in 2003.

Saturday’s match in Bordeaux will mark the beginning of international competition between Samoa and Chile. It will also see Samoa becoming the first country to face every South American opponent at Rugby World Cups. Samoa faced Uruguay at RWC 2003 and Argentina at RWCs 1991, 1995 and 1999. Leali’ifano will become the first player to play against both Uruguay and Chile in Rugby World Cup matches. He will do so for different countries.

 

TEAMS

SAMOA
1 James Lay, 2 Seilala Lam, 3 Michael Alaalatoa (capt.), 4 Chris Vui, 5 Theo McFarland, 6 Taleni Junior Agaese Seu, 7 Fritz Lee, 8 Steven Luatua, 9 Jonathan Taumateine, 10 Christian Leali’ifano, 11 Nigel Ah-Wong, 12 Tumua Manu, 13 UJ Seuteni, 14 Danny Toala, 15 Duncan Paia’aua

Replacements: 16 Sama Malolo, 17 Jordan Lay, 18 Paul Alo-Emile, 19 Sam Slade, 20 Sa Jordan Taufua, 21 Ereatara Enari, 22 Lima Sopoaga, 23 Ed Fidow

CHILE
1 Javier Carrasco, 2 Tomás Dussailant, 3 Matías Dittus, 4 Pablo Huete, 5 Santiago Pedrero, 6 Martín Sigren (Capt.), 7 Clemente Saavedra, 8 Raimundo Martínez, 9 Marcelo Torrealba, 10 Rodrigo Fernández, 11 José Larenas, 12 Matías Garafulic, 13 Domingo Saavedra, 14 Santiago Videla, 15 Iñaki Ayarza

Replacements: 16 Diego Escobar, 17 Salvador Lues, 18 Esteban Inostroza, 19 Javier Eissmann, 20 Alfonso Escobar, 21 Ignacio Silva, 22 Benjamin Videla, 23 Pablo Casas

RUGBY WORLD CUP  2023 – SAMOA VS CHILE
Date: Saturday, September 16
Kick-Off: 3pm (FR); 9am (CL)
Venue: Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux (FR)
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Australia); James Doleman (New Zealand)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)

 

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HISTORIC RESULTS
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