Argentina and New Zealand will meet at Stade de France on Saturday, both knowing just 80 minutes – and the small matter of the opposition – stand between them and next weekend’s showpiece match.
Argentina vs New Zealand Match Details
What it is: Rugby World Cup 2023
Stage: Semi-final 1
Matchup: Argentina vs New Zealand
WORLD RANKING: Argentina (7th), New Zealand (2nd)
Time: Saturday, 21 October 2023, 21:00 Local Time, 3 PM ET, 6 AM AEDT, 8 PM UK
Stadium: Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Capacity: 80,000
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
The All Blacks are the overwhelming favorites to win the match, but Argentina will be hoping to cause an upset. The Pumas have been in impressive form in recent years, and they will be confident of their chances of reaching their first Rugby World Cup final.
Argentina’s Road to the Semi-Finals
Argentina began their Rugby World Cup campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia. They then went on to beat Tonga and Namibia, before losing their final pool match to South Africa. However, they still managed to qualify for the quarter-finals as the best third-placed team.
In the quarter-finals, Argentina faced Wales. The Pumas came from behind to win the match 29-17, thanks to a late try from Matias Moroni.
Juan Cruz Mallía; Emiliano Boffelli, Lucio Cinti, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras; Santiago Carreras, Gonzalo Bertranou; Thomas Gallo, Julián Montoya (captain), Francisco Gómez Kodela; Guido Petti Pagadizabal, Tomas Lavanini; Juan Martín González, Marcos Kremer, Facundo Isa
Replacements: Agustín Creevy, Joel Sclavi, Eduardo Bello, Matias Alemanno, Rodrigo Bruni, Lautaro Bazán Vélez, Nicolás Sánchez, Matías Moroni
New Zealand’s Road to the Semi-Finals
New Zealand began their Rugby World Cup campaign with a comprehensive victory over Australia. They then went on to beat Portugal and Uruguay, before losing their final pool match to Ireland. However, they still managed to qualify for the quarter-finals as the best second-placed team.
In the quarter-finals, New Zealand faced Ireland. The All Blacks won the match 28-24, thanks to a late penalty from Beauden Barrett.
Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Tele’a; Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax; Samuel Whitelock, Scott Barrett; Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane (captain), Ardie Savea
Replacements: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Brodie Retallick, Dalton Papali’i, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown
Key Battles
Forwards
Argentina have a strong forward pack, led by the likes of Guido Petti Pagadizabal, Tomas Lavanini, and Facundo Isa. New Zealand also have a powerful forward pack, led by the likes of Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, and Ardie Savea. The battle between the two forward packs is likely to be a key factor in the outcome of the match.
Half-backs
Argentina have a creative half-back pairing in Santiago Carreras and Gonzalo Bertranou. New Zealand also have a world-class half-back pairing in Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith. The battle between the two half-back pairings is likely to be another key factor in the outcome of the match.
Back-three
Argentina have a dangerous back-three in Juan Cruz Mallía, Emiliano Boffelli, and Mateo Carreras. New Zealand also have a world-class back-three in Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, and Jordie Barrett. The battle between the two back-threes is likely to be another key factor in the outcome of the match.
Prediction
New Zealand are the overwhelming favorites to win the match, but Argentina will be hoping to cause an upset. The All Blacks have a more experienced and talented squad, but the Pumas have shown that they are capable of beating the best teams in the world.
I predict that New Zealand will win the match by a margin of 10-15 points.
How to watch Argentina vs New Zealand free
There are a few ways to watch Argentina vs New Zealand free:
On VPN: If you are not in a country where the match is being shown live on free-to-air TV or streaming services, you can use a VPN to connect to a server in a country where the match is being shown. This will allow you to watch the match on the relevant streaming service or website.
To watch the Argentina vs New Zealand live stream free using ITV along with ExpressVPN, follow these steps:
- Sign up for an ExpressVPN account. ExpressVPN is a VPN service that allows you to connect to servers in different countries. This means that you can bypass geo-restrictions and watch content that is only available in certain countries.
- Download and install the ExpressVPN app on your device. ExpressVPN is available for a wide range of devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets.
- Connect to a server in the UK. ITV is a UK-based broadcaster, so you will need to connect to a server in the UK in order to watch the live stream.
- Go to the ITV website and sign in or create an account. If you don’t have an ITV account, you can create one for free.
Start watching the Argentina vs New Zealand live stream!
On free-to-air TV: The match will be shown live on free-to-air TV in a number of countries, including Argentina, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
On streaming services: The match will be streamed live on a number of streaming services, including ITVX (UK), RTÉ Player (Ireland), Stan Sport (Australia), and ESPN Latin America/Star+ (Latin America).
