RWC: FRANCE vs. ARGENTINA preview

FRANCE: 1. Olivier Milloud, 2. Raphaël Ibañez (captain), 3. Pieter De Villiers, 4. Fabien Pelous, 5. Jérôme Thion, 6. Serge Betsen, 7. Rémy Martin, 8. Imañol Harinordoquy, 9. Pierre Mignoni, 10. David Skréla, 11. Christophe Dominici, 12. Yannick Jauzion, 13. Damien Traille, 14. Aurélien Rougerie, 15. Cédric Heymans. RESERVES: 16. Dimitri Szarzewski, 17. Jean-Baptiste Poux, 18. Sébastian Chabal, 19. Julien Bonnaire, 20. Thierry Dusautoir, 21. Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 22. Frédéric Michalak.

ARGENTINA: 1. Rodrigo Roncero, 2. Mario Ledesma, 3. Martín Scelzo, 4. Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, 5. Patricio Albacete, 6. Juan Fernandez Lobbe, 7. Lucas Ostiglia, 8. Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 9. Agustín Pichot (captain), 10. Juan Martín Hernández, 11. Horacio Agulla, 12. Felipe Contepomi, 13. Manuel Contepomi, 14. Lucas Borges, 15. Ignacio Corleto. RESERVES: 16. Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17. Santiago Gonzalez Bonorino, 18. Rimas Alvarez, 19. Martín Durand, 20. Nicolás Fernandez Miranda, 21. Federico Todeschini, 22. Hernán Senillosa.

Date: Friday, 7 September 2007
Kick-off: 21.00 local / 02:00 P.M. ET (Toronto, New York)
Venue: Stade de France, Paris.
Referee: Tony Spreadbury (England)
Touch judges: Stuart Dickinson (Australia), Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Television match official: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)


Rugby Planet predicts France to win by "ten points or more," which sounds about right to me.

Of curious note, Argentina have a win-loss record of 4-1 against France in the 21st century. France won the last contest between the two sides, last year at tonights' same venue, but by the slimmest of margins.

2006: France won 27-26 at Stade de France, Paris
2004: Argentina won 24-14 at Stade Vélodrome, Marseilles
2003: Argentina won 33-32 at Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
2003: Argentina won 10-6 at Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
2002: Argentina won 28-27 at Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires