The final day in the group stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup will kick off with a crucial Pool D fixture as Japan and Argentina prepare to do battle at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Sunday afternoon.
Tied on nine points each and trailing leaders England after three matches in Pool D, this is a straight shootout between these two teams, and the prize on offer is a spot in the last eight of the competition.
Match preview
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Despite both sides being on nine points, Japan find themselves below Argentina on points difference, though with just one match left in the competition, the equation is simple for them - win at all costs.
The Brave Blossoms secured victory in their first match of the competition against Chile, but while they were competitive throughout the game against England, they faltered in the latter stages of the match, and the English did not need a second invitation to grab the victory.
That loss cast a shadow of doubt over their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds, but they kept those dreams alive by beating Samoa 28-22 in an almighty battle last weekend.
Pieter Labuschagne, Michael Leitch and Kazuki Himeno all got over the try line against the Pacific Islanders, while Rikiya Matsuda tagged on another 13 points off the boot with three penalties and two conversions.
Jamie Joseph's side have not played to the level that we saw four years ago on their home soil, and most would agree that Los Pumas are the clear favourites here, especially having won five of their last six encounters against The Brave Blossoms.
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Argentina's World Cup started poorly, losing to 14-man England in week one, but they have bounced back since then and come into this match with momentum on their side.
Los Pumas have won their last two matches in the competition by an average of over 30 points after handing fellow South Americans Chile a 59-5 beating in their last pool match, which saw them take second place in the group standings.
Michael Cheika's side were far too good for Los Condores, as they ran in an impressive eight tries in the match, with Nicolas Sanchez getting on the scoresheet in his 100th appearance for his national side.
The Argentines won their last match against The Brave Blossoms 54-20 back in 2016, and while both sides have come a long way since then, Los Pumas' current crop are perhaps one of the best they have turned out in a long time, and they will be firmly expecting to book their tickets to the last eight with a win in this match.
Japan Rugby World Cup form:
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Japan form (all competitions):
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Argentina Rugby World Cup form:
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Argentina form (all competitions):
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Team News
Joseph has made just one change to his starting lineup from their victory against Samoa, with Siosaia Fifita replacing Jone Naikabula on the left wing.
Amato Fakatava, Keita Inagaki, Jiwon Gu, Jack Cornelsen, Michael Leitch, Rikiya Matsuda, Kotaro Matsushima and Ryoto Nakamura are the eight players from the 15 who have started every game in the RWC 2023.
Los Pumas have made 12 changes from their win over Chile, with the only three retaining their spots being Marcos Kremer, Juan Martin Gonzalez and centre Lucio Cinti.
Julian Montoya will resume the captaincy duties and will be joined by Thomas Gallo and Francisco Gomez Kodela in the front row, with Tomas Lavanini stepping into the second line.
Japan starting lineup: 15. Lomano Lemeki, 14. Kotaro Matsushima, 13. Dylan Riley, 12. Ryoto Nakamura, 11. Siosaia Fifita, 10. Rikiya Matsuda, 9. Naoto Saito, 8. Kazuki Himeno (c), 7. Pieter Labuschagne, 6. Michael Leitch, 5. Amato Fakatava, 4. Jack Cornelsen, 3. Jiwon Gu, 2. Shota Horie, 1. Keita Inagaki
Replacements: 16. Atsushi Sakate, 17. Craig Millar, 18. Asaeli Ai Valu, 19. Warner Dearns, 20. Amanaki Saumaki, 21. Yutaka Nagare, 22. Ryohei Yamanaka, 23. Jone Naikabula
Argentina starting lineup: 15. Juan Cruz Mallia, 14. Emiliano Boffelli, 13. Lucio Cinti, 12. Santiago Chocobares, 11. Mateo Carreras, 10. Santiago Carreras, 9. Gonzalo Bertranou, 8. Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7. Marcos Kremer, 6. Pablo Matera, 5. Tomas Lavanini, 4. Guido Petti, 3. Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2. Julian Montoya (c), 1. Thomas Gallo
Replacements: 16. Agustin Creevy, 17. Joel Sclavi, 18. Eduardo Bello, 19. Matias Alemanno, 20. Pedro Rubiolo, 21. Lautaro Bazan Velez, 22. Nicolas Sanchez, 23. Matias Moroni
Head To Head
In their six encounters since 1993, Argentina emerged victorious in five matches, and Japan secured one win; there have been no draws.
We say: Japan 22-40 Argentina
Argentina have come on leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, during which time they beat Australia in the 2023 Rugby Championship and were only narrowly beaten by the Springboks. Japan will give it their all here, but we are backing Los Pumas to join England in the last eight of the competition.
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Devesh Jaganath
