The first match of an action-packed Saturday in the 2023 Rugby World Cup will see Samoa lock horns with Chile at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux.
Samoa will be hoping to get their Rugby World Cup campaign off to a winning start in this match, while Chile will be looking to bounce back from a defeat against Japan in their opening match of the competition.
Match preview
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Samoa were given a chance to have a good look at their opponents in Pool D over week one, and they will now have the opportunity to get early points on the board against a Chile side that are expected to end at the bottom of the group.
The Samoans had a very positive last 18 months, which saw them earn victories over the likes of Fiji and Georgia, but their best result in that time was undoubtedly their 24-22 victory over Japan in their World Cup warm-up match at the end of July.
Seilala Mapusua's side followed up that victory with an absolute demolition of Tonga and put in another impressive performance against Ireland in their final warm-up game but came up just short, losing 17-13 in Bayonne at the end of last month.
Following those performances, Manu Samoa have now moved up to 11th place in the world rankings and are widely considered the dark horse in Pool D and the most likely to challenge England, Japan and Argentina for a qualification spot.
Known for the strength of their pack, Samoa will likely look to bully their opposition at scrums and lineouts in this match and are the clear favourites to win this one, according to the bookmakers' odds.
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Meanwhile, while Chile were beaten 42-12 by Japan in their opening match, they were certainly not embarrassed and can take several positives away from their performance from the opening fixture.
In fact, they were arguably the better side for the first 20 minutes of the match and even took the lead in the game after Rodrigo Fernandez got over the try line inside the first 10 minutes of the match.
However, Japan showed their class as the match went on, and the Brave Blossoms moved up a gear as the French heat took its toll on the Chileans in the second period.
Nevertheless, that loss was the fifth in succession that Pablo Lemoine's side have suffered since November last year, and most neutrals would likely agree that they will find it difficult to bring an end to their losing run in this one.
Samoa form (all competitions):
- W
- W
- W
- L
- W
- L
Chile Rugby World Cup form:
- L
Chile form (all competitions):
- W
- L
- L
- L
- L
- L
Team News
The big news for Samoa in this match is that Christian Leali'ifano, who was the Wallabies top-scorer in the 2019 RWC, will make his first appearance in this World Cup at fly-half.
Leali'ifano will replace ex-All Black player Lima Sopoaga and will be joined by Jonathan Taumateine in the halves pairing.
Since his debut last year against Tonga, Tumua Manu has accumulated a total of five tries in seven test matches, and he will line up in midfield for this match alongside Ulupano Junior Seuteni.
Lemoine has introduced four alterations to his lineup following their defeat to Japan, with Tomas Dussaillant stepping into the hooker role while Santiago Pedrero and Pabo Huete will form a new combination in the second row.
Inaki Ayarza will start at fullback for the South Americans, flanked by Santiago Videla and Jose Ignacio Larenas, with Matias Garafulic and Domingo Saavedra in the midfield.
Marcelo Torrealba and Fernandez make up the halves pairing, and Martin Sigren will captain the side again in this one.
Samoa starting lineup: 15. Duncan Paia'aua, 14. Danny Toala, 13. Ulupano Junior Seuteni, 12. Tumua Manu, 11. Nigel Ah-Wong, 10. Christian Leali'ifano, 9. Jonathan Taumateine, 8. Steven Luatua, 7. Fritz Lee, 6. Taleni Junior Agaese Seu, 5. Theo McFarland, 4. Chris Vui, 3. Michael Alaalatoa (c), 2. Seilala Lam, 1. James Lay
Replacements: 16. Sama Malolo, 17. Jordan Lay, 18. Paul Alo-Emile , 19. Sam Slade , 20. Sa Jordan Taufua, 21. Ereatara Enari, 22. Lima Sopoaga, 23. Ed Fidow
Chile starting lineup: 15. Inaki Ayarza, 14. Santiago Videla, 13. Domingo Saavedra, 12. Matias Garafulic, 11. Jose Ignacio Larenas, 10. Rodrigo Fernandez, 9. Marcelo Torrealba, 8. Raimundo Martínez, 7. Clemente Saavedra, 6. Martin Sigren (c), 5. Santiago Pedrero, 4. Pablo Huete, 3. Matias Dittus, 2. Tomas Dussaillant, 1. Javier Carrasco
Replacements: 16. Diego Escobar, 17. Salvador Lues, 18. Esteban Inostroza, 19. Javier Eissmann, 20. Alfonso Escobar, 21. Ignacio Silva, 22. Benjamin Videla, 23. Pablo Casas
Head To Head
This is the first time these sides will face each other in a rugby union match.
We say: Samoa 42-13 Chile
The Samoans could not have asked for a better opening fixture to get their RWC campaign underway than this one. With a star-studded lineup that features a good blend of experience and youth, we fancy Manu Samoa to secure a win by around a 30-point margin.
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Devesh Jaganath
