RWC 2023: Predictions, fixture times and teams for Saturday 23 September

It’s a super Saturday at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, as the reigning champions go up against one of the tournament favourites at the Stade de France.

South Africa’s Springboks meet Ireland in Paris in the late kick off, as the battle to finish top of Pool B hots up.

England play minnows Chile a little earlier in the day, after an intriguing Pool C contest between Georgia and Portugal in Toulouse.

Georgia vs Portugal – Pool C

Something has to give in the 2023 Rugby World Cup contest between Georgia and Portugal on Saturday afternoon.

The pair meet in Toulouse with neither having put a point on the board yet after a game apiece, adding an extra edge to their Pool C fixture in the south west of the country.

It was a gritty effort from the Georgians in going down 35-15 to Eddie Jones’ Australia on the opening weekend of the competition.

Luka Ivanishvili and Beka Gigashvili both scored tries for an ambitious nation that would have hoped to push the under-pressure Wallabies a little closer in Saint-Denis.

Portugal caught the eye in their tournament opener last weekend, defying their underdog status to make tier one nation Wales work hard in Nice for their 28-8 success.

Eight Georgian changes made by Levan Maisashvili for this one see four fresh forwards and a quartet of backs come in.

Diogo Hasse Ferreira makes precisely half of those alterations in each department to his Portuguese starting line up as they seek to spring a shock.

Georgia Starting XV: 15 Davit Niniashvili, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Giorgi Kveseladze, 12 Merab Sharikadze (captain), 11 Alexander Todua, 10 Tedo Abzhandadze, 9 Gela Aprasidze, 8 Beka Gorgadze, 7 Beka Saginadze, 6 Tornike Jalagonia, 5 Konstantine Mikautadze, 4 Vladimer Chachanidze, 3 Beka Gigashvili, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Mikheil Nariashvili.

Replacements: 16 Tengizi Zamtaradze, 17 Guram Gogichashvili, 18 Guram Papidze, 19 Nodar Cheishvili, 20 Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 21 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 22 Luka Matkava , 23 Demur Tapladze.

Portugal Starting XV: 15 Nuno Sousa Guedes, 14 Raffaele Storti, 13 Pedro Bettencourt, 12 Tomás Appleton (captain), 11 Rodrigo Marta, 10 Jerónimo Portela, 9 Samuel Marques, 8 Rafael Simões, 7 Nicolas Martins, 6 João Granate, 5 Steevy Cerqueira, 4 José Madeira, 3 Diogo Hasse Ferreira, 2 Mike Tadjer, 1 Francisco Fernandes.

Replacements: 16 David Costa, 17 Lionel Campergue, 18 Anthony Alves, 19 Martim Belo, 20 David Wallis, 21 Thibault de Freitas, 22 Pedro Lucas, 23 Manuel Cardoso Pinto.

Kick Off Time: 14.00.

England vs Chile – Pool D

England set out to make a 2023 Rugby World Cup statement on Saturday, when they pit their wits against tournament first-timers Chile in Pool D.

The Red Rose have pieced together an important pair of victories in France so far, in what on paper were their toughest group examinations.

A much improved second half saw them pick off tiring Japan for a 34-12 success on Sunday night in Nice, after a George Ford kicking masterclass helped them to a critical opening round win over disappointing Argentina.

The latter was a particular boon when combining the dodgy English form in the build up with a red card to Tom Curry inside the opening minutes.

Chile, for their part, put on a proud show in losing 43-10 to Samoa last Saturday.

Captain Owen Farrell returns from suspension at fly-half, as coach Steve Borthwick continues to defy the doubters with a watertight display of faith in his skipper.

A maiden appearance at full-back for youngster Marcus Smith catches the eye, with only Kyle Sinckler and Lewis Ludlam retained from the side that ran on against the Brave Blossoms.

Chilean coach Pablo Lemoine has also switched things up dramatically, bringing in nine new faces from the off as the South Americans continue their adventure at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

England Starting XV: 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Henry Arundell, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Ollie Lawrence, 11 Max Malins, 10 Owen Farrell (captain), 9 Danny Care, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Jack Willis, 6 Lewis Ludlam, 5 George Martin, 4 David Ribbans, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Theo Dan, 1 Bevan Rodd.

Replacements: 16 Jack Walker, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 George Ford, 23 Joe Marchant.

Chile Starting XV: 15 Francisco Urroz, 14 Cristobal Game, 13 Domingo Saavedra, 12 Matias Garafulic, 11 Franco Velarde, 10 Rodrigo Fernandez, 9 Benjamin Videla, 8 Alfonso Escobar, 7 Ignacio Silva, 6 Martin Sigren (captain), 5 Javier Eismann, 4 Clemente Saavedra, 3 Matias Dittus, 2 Augusto Bohme, 1 Salvador Lues.

Replacements: 16 Tomas Dussaillant, 17 Vittorio Lastra, 18 Inaki Gurruchaga, 19 Pablo Huete, 20 Thomas Orchard, 21 Raimundo Martinez, 22 Lukas Carvallo, 23 Inaki Ayarza.

Kick Off Time: 17.45.

South Africa vs Ireland – Pool B

It doesn’t get any bigger than this in the group phase of a Rugby World Cup, as South Africa and Ireland go head-to-head at France 2023 on Saturday night.

A Pool B showstopper will play a key role in the pathway towards the latter stages, with the loser of this one likely locked on a collision course with the host nation in the quarter-finals.

It’s on a knife-edge, too, with both nations have started the competition in imposing fashion.

The Springboks, reigning champions from Japan 2019, battered Romania 76-0 to follow up their opening round success against Scotland.

Andy Farrell’s Irish, meanwhile, dispatched Tonga 59-16 in Nantes, having already doled out a 82-8 thrashing to the sorry Romanians.

All the pre-match talk has swirled around the Boks’ 7-1 split on the bench, with an almighty array of forward muscle awaiting their European opponents in the second half.

While renegade Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus continues to draw the attention away from the playing group, quiet coach Jacques Nienaber has reverted to just about the same side that saw off the Scots in Marseille.

A World Cup-ending injury to Malcolm Marx is the only enforced change, as veteran Deon Fourie provides the makeshift back up to Bongi Mbonambi.

The men in green are stacked with international experience, not least in Peter O’Mahony, who brings up a century of Test caps this weekend.

Jamison Gibson-Park is preferred by Farrell to Conor Murray at scrum-half, while there’s also a 50th cap for Bundee Aki.

South Africa Starting XV: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Jean Kleyn, 20 RG Snyman, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Kwagga Smith, 23 Cobus Reinach.

Ireland Starting XV: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Johnny Sexton (captain), 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 James Ryan, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 1 Andrew Porter.

Replacements: 16 Dan Sheehan, 17 David Kilcoyne, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Ryan Baird, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Jack Crowley, 23 Robbie Henshaw.

Kick Off Time: 21.00.

RWC 2023: Margin and winner predictions for 20 – 24 September

Prediction methodology explained: The expected win percentage is based off publicly available odds or RugbyVision’s data model. Score margins use the methodology developed by Rugby Vision and Rugby4Cast.