Share

France aim to avoid another Pumas mauling

Paris - France welcome Argentina to Lille on Saturday seeking to avoid an 11th defeat by the Pumas since the turn of the century. 

As bogey teams go, Argentina give France an itch like no other, and have done so for more than two decades. 

In 20 years, under five different coaches, various French sides, featuring stars such as Frederic Michalak, Sebastien Chabal and Thierry Dusautoir, have only managed seven victories over the South Americans. 

Two of the most notable meetings came at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. 

In the opening game, with French fans expecting a positive start to the tournament, Agustin Pichot's Pumas silenced the 79,000 crowd at Stade de France with a 17-12 win. 

Three weeks later, they upset the locals once again to claim third place with a thumping 34-10 victory across Paris at the Parc des Princes. 

Twelve years on the sides will meet again in their opening fixture at the World Cup in Japan. 

France coach Jacques Brunel doesn't think this weekend's result will have any bearing on what happens next September. 

"Whatever the result, it will have very little effect on the World Cup match, even if we think it could have a psychological impact," he said. 

"We're in completely different circumstances, for me that match will be different to the one on the weekend." 

Saturday's visitors have a French feel, on and off the field. Three members of the Argentine coaching staff - Mario Ledesma, Martin Gaitan and Gonzalo Quesada - have all played and coached in France's Top 14. Quesada coached Stade Francais to the title in 2015. 

Flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez has been in France since 2011 playing for Bordeaux-Begles and Toulon and will join Stade after the November internationals. Second-row Tomas Lavanini spent the 2014-2015 season with Racing 92. 

Brunel said the familiarity gives Argentina an advantage but it will not be the deciding factor heading into the clash at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. 

"Clearly they know our players better than we know theirs," he said. 

"It has an implication, but I don't think it will determine the outcome of the match." 

Brunel praised the work Ledesma has done since he took over from Daniel Hourcade, who stepped down from his position in June. 

"It's a team which has evolved over the years. They have played with much more ambition since the new coach took over," Brunel said. 

"They're a quality side, which they've showed throughout their games in the Southern Hemisphere." 

Ledesma's side have lost three successive matches and Brunel's outfit haven't won since March's Six Nations victory over England. 

The Pumas lost 28-17 to Ireland in Dublin last weekend and France fell 29-26 to South Africa. 

The focus in Lille will be on ending those losing runs, but that date next autumn will be in the back of the two coaches' minds.

Teams:

France

15 Maxime Medard, 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Gael Fickou, 11 Yoann Huget, 10 Camille Lopez, 9 Baptiste Serin, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Artur Iturria, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Yoan Maestri, 4 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 3 Cedate Gomes Sa, 2 Guilhem Guirado (captain), 1 Jefferson Poirot
Substitutes: 16 Camille Chat, 17 Dany Priso, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 Paul Gabrillagues, 20 Mathieu Babillot, 21 Antoine Dupont, 22 Anthony Belleau, 23 Benjamin Fall

Argentina

15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Guido Petti, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Augustin Creevy, 1 Santiago Garcia Botta

Substitutes: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 18 Lucio Sordoni, 19 Mariano Galarza, 20 Rodrigo Bruni, 21 Tomas Lezana, 22 Tomas Cubelli, 23 Matias Moroni

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE