2023-10-07 03:01:00
The Pumas already have their starting XV to face Japan this Sunday for the last date of the group stage of the 2023 World Cup in France, with the obligation to win or draw to advance to the quarterfinals.
The main novelty of the lineup announced this Friday by the Australian Michael Cheika, the team’s coach, is the ratification of Gonzalo Bertranou and Santiago Carreras in place of Tomás Cubelli and Nicolás Sánchez, in the positions of scrum half and fly half respectively.
Cubelli and Sánchez had just started Chile in what was the best Argentine performance (59 to 5) for the moment, although as part of a formation with many substitutes given the low demand of the event. The good performance of the duo (20 points from Sánchez, the team’s top scorer in the World Cup with 23) raised questions regarding the choice of Cheika for the decisive match against the Japanese, but the Australian did not surprise.
So things go, Los Pumas will form this Sunday from 8 (television of Public TV and ESPN) with: Juan Cruz Mallía; Emiliano Boffelli, Lucio Cinti, James Chocobares and Matthew Carreras; James Carreras and Bertranou; John Martin Gonzalez, Mark Kremer and Paul Matera; Thomas Lavanini and Guido Petti, Francisco Gomez Kodela, Julian Montoya and Thomas Gallo.
Among the substitutes will be Agustín Creevy, Joel Sclavi, Eduardo Bello, Matías Alemanno, Pedro Rubiolo, Lautaro Bazán Vélez, Nico Sánchez and Matías Moroni.
The Pumas will then present an almost identical formation to the one that lost to England in the debut (27 to 10) with the exception of Petti entering the second line for Alemanno.
The National Team, which also beat Samoa (19 to 10), shares second place in Group D with Japan, both with nine points but Los Pumas with a better goal difference, which will define the matter in the event of a tie this Sunday. The leader is England (14 units), which will face Samoa (6) this Saturday from 12:45 p.m.
In the quarterfinals it is almost a fact that the rival of Argentina or Japan will be Wales, leader of Group C with 14 points and with an accessible match ahead, on Saturday at 10 against Georgia (3). Second is Australia (11) but with a free date and depending on a miracle in the clash that the teams of Fiji (10) and Portugal (2) will host on Sunday from 4:00 p.m. If there are no surprises, England will be playing Fiji in the quarterfinals.
Today’s action, Friday, will have France (13) vs. Italy (10) from 4:00 p.m. this Thursday.
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