Wales vs Argentina

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After five thrilling weeks of action in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, only eight teams remain. In the first knockout match of the competition, we'll witness Wales facing off against Argentina at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday evening.

Wales found themselves in Pool C and secured the top spot with a flawless record of four wins in four matches. Argentina, on the other hand, finished second in Pool D, amassing 14 points in their four games, ending four points behind England.

Wales, currently holding the seventh spot in the world rugby rankings, have their sights set on reaching an RWC final this year. They've only reached the semi-finals twice, in the inaugural tournament in 1987 and again in 2019.

Less than a year after returning as Wales' head coach, Warren Gatland now has the opportunity to lead them to success in this tournament. His team has arguably landed the most favorable quarter-final draw.

As they enter the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final, Wales exudes confidence, having significantly improved their performance over the course of the tournament following three lackluster seasons.

They successfully overcame both on-field and off-field challenges. In their first match against Fiji, they secured a narrow 32-26 victory. In their second match against Portugal, they managed a 28-8 win using a less experienced squad.

Nonetheless, their most gratifying victory occurred in the third week, when they dominated Australia with a 40-6 win, essentially eliminating the Wallabies from the tournament. They continued their strong performance by defeating Georgia 43-19 in the final group-stage match.

With the wind in their sails, the Dragons enter this upcoming match as the favorites. They also hold a slight psychological advantage, having beaten this opponent 20-13 in their most recent encounter in November of last year.

Despite being ranked just one spot below Wales in the official standings, Los Pumas are far from being out of contention. They've previously defeated Australia in the 2023 Rugby Championship and put up a significant challenge against the Springboks, losing by just one point earlier this year.

Like their adversaries, Los Pumas have previously clinched a bronze medal at a Rugby World Cup and will aspire to make history this year by advancing to the final, potentially facing either Ireland or New Zealand in the later stages of the tournament.

In 2023, Argentina's performance has notably improved compared to past seasons. They entered the competition with a favorable draw but encountered an unexpected setback with a 27-10 loss to England in their Pool D opener, a match they were expected to win.

Following the disappointing defeat to England, Argentina managed to secure a less-than-convincing 19-10 victory over Samoa before overpowering Chile. Their standout performance came last week when they emerged as 39-27 winners against Japan, securing their place in the knockout rounds.

Both of these teams heavily rely on their forward packs, setting the stage for a fierce battle among the physically imposing players. The victors of this showdown could very well be the ones who advance to the semi-final.

The seasoned number 10 Dan Biggar, who had been out due to a pectoral injury, is expected to start for Wales in this crucial match against Argentina after making a full recovery.

Gareth Anscombe, who had a groin injury and is still recovering, was replaced on the bench by Biggar last week, therefore Sam Costelow will fill in as the fly-half replacement this week.

Given the go-ahead, Liam Williams will start at position 15, flanked by Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams, with George North and Nick Tompkins combining once more in the middle.

Due to the injury-related absence of flanker Pablo Matera, who is now expected to miss the duration of the tournament, Michael Cheika had to make one of the two changes to the Argentina roster for this game.

Juan Martin Gonzalez will start at flanker in place of the injured Matera, and Facundo Isa will switch to the back of the pack.

Prior to the lock duo of Guido Petti and Tomas Lavanini, Thomas Gallo, Julian Montoya, and Francisco Gomez Kodela have developed into a strong front-row unit in this competition and have kept their spots on the team.

As a result, Argentina's back rowers will be under a lot of strain. However, their loose trio of Facundo Isa, Marcos Kremer, and Juan Martin Gonzalez are not weaklings when it comes to battling for loose balls, so we anticipate a fierce tussle in this area of the game.

Dan Biggar, a star fly-half for Wales, has been promoted to the starting lineup after starting their previous encounter against Georgia on the bench. Biggar was initially ruled out of the game because of a chest injury received in Wales' victory over Australia, but he entered the game as a substitute when Gareth Anscombe withdrew late because of a groin problem.

After earning well-deserved bonus-point victories over Fiji, Portugal, and Georgia, the Welsh finished first in Pool C. Despite failing to earn another bonus-point victory against Australia, the Welsh humiliated the two-time Rugby World Cup champions with a 40-6 victory, which was their largest margin of victory over the Wallabies.

While there was a lot of anticipation over Argentina's possibilities going into the World Cup, they came up short against England in the tournament opener and lost 27-10. However, Michael Cheika's team quickly got their campaign back on track and secured victories against Samoa, Chile, and Japan to place second in Pool D and end four points behind pool winners England.

This upcoming match will showcase a clash of contrasting styles between Wales, who excel in their strong defensive strategy, and Argentina, who rely on an expansive and attacking game plan. This will be the first time these two countries meet in a World Cup match since 1999. Wales, led by Warren Gatland, are considered favorites after a dominant performance in their pool, securing 19 out of 20 possible points.

Both teams will be missing key players from their back-row, with Taulupe Faletau sidelined for Wales and Pablo Matera unavailable for Argentina due to World Cup injuries. The team that can adapt better to the absence of their star player is likely to come out on top.

Wales finished at the top of Pool C, earning bonus-point victories against Fiji, Portugal, and Georgia. They also defeated Australia convincingly with a 40-6 score, marking their largest-ever margin of victory against the Wallabies.

As a result, we should expect a tantalizing duel because both of these teams have positive momentum going into this game. The success of the two teams in scrums is a major talking point going into this match. Wales is leading the way with 98%, which is the highest of all the quarterfinalists, while unexpectedly Argentina has the worst (80%).

While Wales is in last place in that category with a time of 5.11 seconds, Los Pumas have made their presence felt in the area of ruck speed, where they have the highest performance among the eight teams still in the competition at 3.37 seconds.

The outcome will be greatly influenced by the forward exchanges, and discipline will also be very important. However, the battle at the breakdown could be the deciding factor.

By choosing three loose forwards who are skilled in that area, including their captain Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell, and Aaron Wainwright, Wales have demonstrated their intent, but Argentina will be without the services of star back-row Pablo Matera, who typically excels in that area.

These facts set the stage for an intriguing conflict that ought to keep us interested the entire time, and whomever prevails will have to give it their all to secure the outcome.