On September 9, the day after the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup, the English and Argentinians faced each other at the Stade-Vélodrome in Marseille, during the group stage. Concluded by a large victory for the first named (27-10), this match seemed to deliver two lessons: the opener George Ford was destined to lead the game of the XV de la Rose in France, after having scored all the points for his team this that evening, and neither nation would have the weapons to do well in the competition, given the insipid performance proposed.
Two months later, these intuitions were swept aside. George Ford was relegated to the bench upon captain Owen Farrell’s return from suspension. Above all, England and Argentina managed to defy the odds to reach the semi-finals, where they were beaten. Friday October 27 (9 p.m., on TF1), the two teams will meet at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis), to try to win the bronze medal.
During the week, their respective staff engaged in a little mimicry act when discussing the motivation levers for this “small finale”. “We really want to show the progress we have made by finishing in the best possible way,” explained Richard Wigglesworth, the English coach in charge of the attack. On the side of the South Americans, the words change at the margins. “We want to finish the World Cup in style,” declared Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Pumas assistant coach.
The fact remains that the two teams are not quite in the same mood before setting foot on the pitch at the Stade de France. Corrected by New Zealand in the semi-final (44-6), the Argentines will especially try to clear their honor, when the British will try to chase away the frustration of having seen the World Cup final slip away from them for a point against the South Africa (16-15).
Salute the end of career
“But in all cases, the motivation is the same: when we are competitors, we want to finish as high as possible, even when we were stopped in our tracks in the semi-finals,” describes Jean-Michel Gonzalez, who played – and won – the match for third place with the XV of France, against England, during the 1995 World Cup. At the time, this success allowed the Blues to punch their ticket for the following World Cup .
The Pumas and the XV de la Rose are already guaranteed to play the next edition of the global event – ??which will pit 24 teams against each other for the first time. But a victory on Friday would allow us to gain a few additional points in the World Rugby rankings (the international federation), and to have a greater chance of being protected by seeded status when the time comes for the draw. leaves the groups in January 2026.
By the Australian meeting in 2027, the numbers of the two teams will have changed significantly. This is one of the other challenges of this semi-final: offering a good way out for players at the end of their careers. If he has not yet announced anything, this match could be the last in the World Cup for Owen Farrell (32 years old, 111 caps), who has defended the XV de la Rose jersey since 2012. Friday, he will form the hinge with scrum-half Ben Youngs (34 years old, 126 caps), who is preparing to draw a line with a selection for which he holds the record for caps.
Same case among South Americans. “Four or five players will surely stop after this match, it will mark the end of a stage”, estimates the former Pumas pillar Omar Hasan, who retired internationally after dominating the Blues in 2007, in this famous duel for third place. From there to the meeting turning into a tribute ceremony? “No, the important thing in this kind of match is to win. We don’t even care about the game,” continues Omar Hasan. An opinion shared by Jean-Michel Gonzalez: “Everyone wants to come out of a World Cup with their heads held high, with a victory. It’s a question of pride, of pride. »
The English already looking ahead
Of pride, of pride… and perhaps of the future. The team that wins will be able to project itself into a new cycle with a medal around its neck, when the other finishes its moribund adventure. From the evening of the defeat against South Africa, England coach Steve Borthwick began to see further: “This experience, as painful as it is, and God knows it is, will be beneficial to us at the end. ‘future. »
With this in mind, the former second-row decided to line up a largely rejuvenated starting XV, including winger Henry Arundell (20 years old), hooker Theo Dan (22 years old) and second-row Ollie Chessum ( 23 years). For their part, the Pumas preferred to bet on a team almost similar to the one which lost against the All Blacks. “This team dreamed of beating New Zealand, but the Argentinians also knew they had little chance of reaching the final. The frustration will not be very present, they will be very motivated,” promises Omar Hasan.
The Argentines will perhaps also be driven by the desire to finish well “at home”, a good part of their squad playing year-round in clubs in the French championship. On their land, or almost, they will have the opportunity to restore (a little) a far from flattering record against the English, who have won eleven of their last twelve face-to-face.
