This game is a do-or-die affair for both sides with the victors set to seal second place in Pool D and advance to the next phase of the tournament.
Japan v Argentina
Sunday 8 October
La Beaujoire
Japan 24/5 | Draw 33/1 | Argentina 1/9
Japan have actually done better than expected with the Brave Blossoms giving themselves a shot at successive World Cup quarter-finals qualification despite enduring an awful build-up to the tournament that saw them beaten by Italy, Fiji and Samoa.
Jamie Joseph’s men managed to inflict a spot of revenge over the Samoans this past weekend as they atoned for their 22-24 defeat to the Pacific islanders by beating them 28-22 in a World Cup thriller. That victory coupled with their 42-12 opening round win over minnows Chile has left them in the hunt for qualification for the knock-out phase.
While Japan have performed better than expected, the same cannot be said of Los Pumas who have been below par at this World Cup. The Argentines had an ideal chance to get their campaign off to a flying start but were unable to take advantage of an early red card to Tom Curry in their opener against the English, eventually going down 27-10 to Steve Borthwick’s outfit.
They fared better in their next fixture but were still pretty unconvincing in beating Tonga 19-10. The game could have been a lot closer had Tana Umaga’s side not coughed up some great try-scoring opportunities.
The Argentines then moved through the gears this past weekend in the South American derby with Chile as Michael Cheika’s men ran out 59-5 victors. And while they did look pretty flash with ball-in-hand, it must be remembered that this Chilean side has a points differential of -188.
I reckon this game will be extremely tight with both sides likely to employ conservative brands of rugby. While I can see the Argentines winning it, I don’t reckon it will be by much.
Verdict: Japan (+14.5) 17/20
